Curse

Lunarhound · Mar 13, 2005, 07:23 PM // 19:23

The more I think about it, the more I think it would be cool if, eventually, the Old Ascalon area of the game were offered for free as a sort of trial. In other words, people could download the client without buying anything, and there'd be an option to create a free account. With it, they could create role-playing characters and be free to explore Old Ascalon for as long as they like, but would be prevented from entering the Academy. Once they purchased the game and put in a CD key, their account would be upgraded, and they could explore the rest of the game with the characters they'd already created.

The reason I like this idea so much is that it would make it extremely easy to get friends into the game. Many of them have played so many online RPG's, and have become so jaded, that trying to get them excited about one that really is different is almost completely futile. No matter how hard I try to describe what's better about GW, it falls on deaf ears. With the initial client file being so tiny, though, it won't be hard to get them to download it, and it could easily be sent through email, over Instant Messenger, and all sorts of other ways. Old Ascalon is perfect for a trial area. It's beautiful, self-contained, with its own newbie economy, and showcases just enough of the game to get someone interested and possibly even hooked.

Now, before people start flaming me, please keep in mind that I'm talking about something that could be done further down the road. After the initial sales of Chapter 1 have settled down a bit, and perhaps even after chapter 2 is released. All I know is that it's something I'd like to see eventually. The idea of being able to get skeptical friends to give GW a shot without them having to download anything massive or make any sort of purchase is very appealing to me.

cce · Mar 13, 2005, 07:31 PM // 19:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lunarhound

The more I think about it, the more I think it would be cool if, eventually, the Old Ascalon area of the game were offered for free as a sort of trial.

Free Trials are good when the product is new and/or unknown -- this just isn't the case here. I think the world-preview and beta-events have done wonders for Guild Wars's publicity. I've not played games like this in over a decade, a friend of mine told me I "Absolutely" have to play this one. I did, and now I wish I didn't....

Loviatar · Mar 13, 2005, 07:38 PM // 19:38

there would have to be a time limit on it as there is enough there so some posters have said they thought old askalon was the game

to easy for people to simply hang out there forever for free

Lunarhound · Mar 13, 2005, 07:55 PM // 19:55

They thought Old Ascalon was the entire game after playing for one or two days. No one's going to remain under that impression for long. There's enough content there for a trial, but nowhere near enough for people to just stay there indefinately. There are no missions, only a limited number of quests, very few skills to be gained, and I'm pretty sure it wouldn't even be possible to reach level 20. Many of us completely explored Old Ascalon from top to bottom, in the course of a weekend. After a week or so, at the most, there wouldn't be anything left to do. In addition, there could be an option, in the free client, to view a cut scene showing brief clips of the other areas of the game, in order to let them know there's a lot more to come.

As for free trials only being any good when the game is new or unknown, I completely disagree. No matter how long it's out, there are still going to be people who've heard of it but don't know whether or not it would be worth a purchase. Likewise, there are going to be people who do know it's worth a purchase, and want to spread it around. With the client being so easy to distribute and download, anyone who's not certain of the game would be able to give it a try immediately. If they like it, they'll probably buy it. The monthly fee is the main barrier most people have when it comes to taking their free trials to the next level. Without that in the way, I think something like this really has the potential to sell the game to skeptics.

cce · Mar 13, 2005, 08:09 PM // 20:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lunarhound

As for free trials only being any good when the game is new or unknown, I completely disagree. No matter how long it's out, there are still going to be people who've heard of it but don't know whether or not it would be worth a purchase.

Giving out 'weekend' trial keys could work; but it should be time limited, not space limited. In general, it'd be a better policy to give out trial keys to current customers -- so that they can hand the keys out to their friends during a lan party. Making it somewhat exclusive only increases marketing value. I'd avoid using the word "Free" in general, it makes your product sound cheap.

Loviatar · Mar 13, 2005, 08:23 PM // 20:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lunarhound

I'm pretty sure it wouldn't even be possible to reach level 20.
.

there is a level 20 who offered whoever it is who is trying to tame a bear for a pet

yes you can reach 20 in old askalon

as for getting bored there are people who would use it as a fun scenic chat zone forever wasting bandwidth

Bgnome · Mar 13, 2005, 08:52 PM // 20:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by Loviatar

there is a level 20 who offered whoever it is who is trying to tame a bear for a pet

yes you can reach 20 in old askalon

as for getting bored there are people who would use it as a fun scenic chat zone forever wasting bandwidth

im the one that wants a bear. i am also one of those that have a lvl 20 character in the pre-searing region. it was a bug.
i believe that there is a limit on what level mob you can kill in order to gain experience from it. i do not recall the numbers exactly, but if the highest level mob in pre-searing is lvl 7, you cannot get much higher than that.

Lunarhound · Mar 13, 2005, 09:13 PM // 21:13

Yes, if there were level twenty characters there, it can't possibly have been legitimate. I know you stop getting experience for creatures below a certain level after a while, and I don't think ArenaNet would want people to be able to get to level 20 before setting foot outside of Old Ascalon. Even if you somehow could get to level twenty, so what? That doesn't change the fact that there's not much in the way of content there.

To say that everyone would simply sit around using it as a scenic chat zone for eternity seems unrealistically pessimistic and completely ignores ArenaNet's business model altogether. Those that enjoy it enough to stay there that long and take advantage of everything it has to offer are going to want to buy it, in order to see what comes next. It's the same reasons, according to ArenaNet, that most people will want to buy additional chapters despite the fact that they don't have to. With no monthly fee to hold them back, they aren't going to be content to sit around wasting time in the same place forever.

Besides, ArenaNet has said many times that bandwidth usage is not a big issue in this game because of the instancing. If they were worried about people sitting around, using bandwidth for eternity without ever buying anything new, they wouldn't have opted for the unique approach that they're taking. They're relying on players wanting new content. If we're going to assume that everyone would just hang around Old Ascalon forever, then we might as well assume the same thing when it comes to future chapters. No one will buy them, because they don't have to. It's just as easy to use the later zones for scenic chat rooms as it is to use the starting area.

Weezer_Blue · Mar 13, 2005, 11:46 PM // 23:46

I completely disagree with any long-term free areas in Guild Wars. However, offering "Ye Olde Ascalone" as a free area for perhaps a 3 day or less trial would be fine in my oppinion. Offering any long term free areas would kind screw over A.Net on the cash since there are no monthly fees.

Lunarhound · Mar 14, 2005, 01:26 AM // 01:26

I still don't think that's the case. They're already relying on people to purchase new chapters in order to continue making money. Having a free trial area is the same concept. Once you've completed all the available quests and advanced as far as you're able within that particular part of the game, you're either going to quit, or opt to purchase the next part. People are not going to hang out forever in a newbie area when there's nothing left to do. It would get more people to buy the game, not less. If a bunch of players endlessly hanging out without ever buying new content were really a concern for ArenaNet, they wouldn't be taking the approach that they are. They'd be charging fees like everyone else.

cce · Mar 14, 2005, 01:30 AM // 01:30

If you were a underwriter for the game, I'd take you seriously.

Loviatar · Mar 14, 2005, 01:38 AM // 01:38

from Gaile Gray interview concerning this

But please stop and think about it: If the game is available without purchase, there will be people who play it with no intention of buying the game. They'll burn through whatever content they can get their mitts on, and then it's off to the next freebie.

EDIT

that would include bringing in a continuing stream of friends

LUNAR-that place is big and you can spend a long time there

Aladdar · Mar 14, 2005, 01:48 AM // 01:48

I'd say that a 3 day trial of the newbie area would be a decent trial. I personally think more games should offer trials, especially if you trust your game. I'm glad WoW allowed for a trial run because I didn't waste money buying it. I was completely bored with that game soon and realized it was just like every other mmo that I had played that bored me quick.

However, arena.net had E34E and I've been hooked ever since.

Loviatar · Mar 14, 2005, 02:00 AM // 02:00

3 day sounds right

put that together with reading site material should give a fairly good feel for the game

Lunarhound · Mar 14, 2005, 02:44 AM // 02:44

Eh, I still don't buy that people will just play it and hang around in the newbie area for eternity without buying. There's simply not enough there. Players in the February event turned the whole place inside out in the course of a weekend, so I'm not sure where you get the idea that they could stay and be entertained for ages. If they like it, they'll buy more. It's the exact same incentive that's supposed to get people to buy new chapters. If they don't like it, they'll leave. If they blow through the available content and leave, so what? No big loss.

Zaklex · Mar 14, 2005, 05:30 AM // 05:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lunarhound

Snip!
Players in the February event turned the whole place inside out in the course of a weekend

You just made your own argument for a limited time trial period, if people can blow through it in a weekend, there's no reason to give them more than a 3 day trial.

Lunarhound · Mar 14, 2005, 01:21 PM // 13:21

Of course there is. They should be able to go at their own pace. Even if they can go through it in a few days, that's no reason to force them to. It's just not that big of a deal. Giving players a limited space to run around in for as long as they like isn't going to destroy game sales any more than letting players run around in Chapter 1 without a monthly fee is going to destroy future chapter sales. I'll say it again: If ArenaNet were concerned about people not buying additional content as long as they have somewhere to hang out without paying, they'd be just as concerned about people never buying future chapters. A no-strings-attached free demo would do nothing except help promote the game.

Viktor · Mar 14, 2005, 01:47 PM // 13:47

I completly agree Lunar they should definitely atleast try it without time-limit.

Show the (causual) gamers that this is a game that they can play at their own pace.

And that any significant amount people would just hang around after they played through the limited content, and not either buy or quit, seems ludicrous.

Cpt Teancum · Mar 14, 2005, 03:01 PM // 15:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lunarhound

Players in the February event turned the whole place inside out in the course of a weekend...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zaklex

You just made your own argument for a limited time trial period, if people can blow through it in a weekend, there's no reason to give them more than a 3 day trial.

You also have to keep in mind that many of the players who did so (cleared out all of Old Ascalon) have been playing since E34E or at least the WPE and were doing it to make sure they saw everything there was in the brand new area. And many of those who hung out there the whole time didn't know how to get out.

A 3-day trial to Old Ascalon is more than enough to introduce someone to the game. And I agree that cutscenes of the rest of the game, maybe a movie clip accessible once your trial is up, and loads of information indicating that this is only a small part of the game would encourage players to buy. Of course, how annoying would it be to people who have already bought the game to be constantly bombarded by "advertising" in this fashion???

Ciao,
CT

FrogDevourer · Mar 14, 2005, 03:19 PM // 15:19

Unlimited access to Ascalon Kingdom is way too much for a demo-like access. Basically this demo feature should show the main game mechanics (PvE & PvP) without being abusable with throw away accounts.

Personally I'd say 2/3 hours of play time bridle & access to Ascalon at lvl 1 + 2/3 types of premade characters (PvP only - lvl20 - unable to gain/swap skills). After that you must enter a valid key to keep playing on this account.