Curse

bilateralrope · Aug 26, 2007, 10:41 PM // 22:41

When ANET put the GW:EN pre-order up for sale in the in-game store the store quickly got swamped causing various problems that other people complained about. I managed to avoid them by simply waiting a few hours to buy it, which was fine then because it didn't give me anything immediately (I still got in before the bonus weapons were enabled).

However if ANET doesn't put GW:EN up for sale before it goes live, then I'll have to chose between risking those same problems happening or waiting while other people get right in. But if its put up for sale before then it means that the initial load of people rushing to buy will clear before GW:EN goes live, meaning that people can wait and not miss out on anything.

I'd also expect that because of the problems with the pre-order that if its put on sale far enough in advance then some people will stagger themselves because they remember the store being overloaded. But if its not available till GW:EN goes live then those people will actually be losing out if they wait, making them less likely to.

R1p70r · Aug 26, 2007, 10:56 PM // 22:56

I was actually saying this to some guildies yesterday, Though not for the same reason.

I agree whole heartedly with what you are saying, and would furthermore like to add that if they did this, then hopefully they would allow us to access the heros and skills we have unlocked in the preview event during the week (Though not the areas, since those parts will still be locked off). I would love to be able to use Vekk, Ogden, Jora and the others during this next week, and I am quite sure a few other people would too. And to be perfectly honest, I cannot see it affecting gameplay in this next week in much of a negative way.

But in short, I agree. /Signed.

genofreek · Aug 26, 2007, 11:13 PM // 23:13

I plan to deal with it by not buying GW:EN the instant it goes on sale. :P I don't understand why people have to swamp the store the picosecond new products arrive.

Still, I'd wait and see before making suggestion threads; it might be available for purchase immediately after the weekend preview.

bilateralrope · Aug 27, 2007, 12:12 AM // 00:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by genofreek

I plan to deal with it by not buying GW:EN the instant it goes on sale. :P I don't understand why people have to swamp the store the picosecond new products arrive.

So if ANET doesn't put it on sale till it goes live, your willing to wait a few hours while your guildies who did purchase it (either they rushed the store or got a boxed key) talk about it ?

Quote:

Still, I'd wait and see before making suggestion threads; it might be available for purchase immediately after the weekend preview.

If its made available once the preview ends, then it means that this suggestion would of then been implemented.

R1p70r, I doubt heroes would be made usable, and that is not what I'm asking for. In fact making them usable will be encouraging people to rush the store, which is what I'm trying to avoid.

Lonesamurai · Aug 27, 2007, 12:23 AM // 00:23

Actually, i don't believe they legally can...

once a release date is set, if they release it earlier through one of the medias (online) ahead of the stores, there would be much turmoil and whining in the land, hell, there may even be lawyers...

Joking aside, it is actually a legal matter to do with it and they couldn't do it unless they had marketted it as such a while back

bilateralrope · Aug 27, 2007, 12:42 AM // 00:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lonesamurai

Actually, i don't believe they legally can...

once a release date is set, if they release it earlier through one of the medias (online) ahead of the stores, there would be much turmoil and whining in the land, hell, there may even be lawyers...

Joking aside, it is actually a legal matter to do with it and they couldn't do it unless they had marketted it as such a while back

Ok this could be an issue. Then again maybe not since the keys the boxed keys and the keys that the in-game store issues both become usable at exactly the same time. Also the bonus mission pack would of hit the demand for the boxed version.

So unless ANET comes out and says they have legal obligations that prevent this (I won't ask for details beyond ANET saying that they have legal issues that prevent this suggestion from happening) I'm going to assume that its not an issue, since it depends on the contracts between ANET, NCSOFT and the various stores and we don't know what the contracts say.

Lonesamurai · Aug 27, 2007, 12:48 AM // 00:48

Quote:

Originally Posted by bilateralrope

Ok this could be an issue. Then again maybe not since the keys the boxed keys and the keys that the in-game store issues both become usable at exactly the same time. Also the bonus mission pack would of hit the demand for the boxed version.

So unless ANET comes out and says they have legal obligations that prevent this (I won't ask for details beyond ANET saying that they have legal issues that prevent this suggestion from happening) I'm going to assume that its not an issue, since it depends on the contracts between ANET, NCSOFT and the various stores and we don't know what the contracts say.

Actually they have set a release date, that date, unless changed by NCSoft is set, just as with any other release for anything...

Now legally the only way that they could change this and have the full key in the store earlier would be to have had it marketted as such earlier, as that hasn't happened, they would have trouble, especially from the retail partners around the world for technically undercutting their potential sales of the product by offering it earlier, no matter wehter we get the product at the same time or not, if we are given the option to buy it sooner, many would

genofreek · Aug 27, 2007, 01:12 AM // 01:12

Quote:

So if ANET doesn't put it on sale till it goes live, your willing to wait a few hours while your guildies who did purchase it (either they rushed the store or got a boxed key) talk about it ?

If they were that quick to purchase it, they won't be wasting time babbling; they'll be playing it. :P But to answer your question? Absolutely. I don't see why people are so desperate to get new content that doing something else until the main crowd's left the store will kill them. I'm eager to get at Eye of the North, don't get me wrong... but I don't have to be there the moment it goes live. I played the preview, at least until the lag got bad and I got tired of staring at the Shiverpeaks.

I guess my point is that everyone who buys GW:EN will have unlimited access to that content forever, so I'm not in any desperate hurry to zerg the store and crash it. :P I'll probably actually go ahead and finish NF during the first few weeks GW:EN's live, just because I don't want to deal with the rush and inevitable lag.

Obviously, other people feel differently, and I wish them luck with being the first ones through the gate.

bilateralrope · Aug 27, 2007, 01:50 AM // 01:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lonesamurai

Actually they have set a release date, that date, unless changed by NCSoft is set, just as with any other release for anything...

Now legally the only way that they could change this and have the full key in the store earlier would be to have had it marketted as such earlier, as that hasn't happened, they would have trouble, especially from the retail partners around the world for technically undercutting their potential sales of the product by offering it earlier, no matter wehter we get the product at the same time or not, if we are given the option to buy it sooner, many would

Is the release date the time the key goes on sale, or is it the time that the content goes live ?

If the former then you would be right, if the later then your wrong. I'd have to ask a lawyer about this. Besides, short of breaking a contract, I can't see which laws ANET is breaking here if it is indeed the former.

And then we get into exactly what the contract says. For instance EBGames is the exclusive retailer of guild wars here in New Zealand. However if their contract said they were completely exclusive then the in-game store would cause problems because they aren't exclusive any more, and thus undercutting their sales. Not to mention the bonus missions. But it hasn't caused any lawsuits, suggesting something in the contracts that allowed ANET to make the in-game store.

So again we get back to asking "What do the contracts say ?", which we simply don't have an answer to.

draxynnic · Aug 27, 2007, 04:09 AM // 04:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by bilateralrope

And then we get into exactly what the contract says. For instance EBGames is the exclusive retailer of guild wars here in New Zealand. However if their contract said they were completely exclusive then the in-game store would cause problems because they aren't exclusive any more, and thus undercutting their sales. Not to mention the bonus missions. But it hasn't caused any lawsuits, suggesting something in the contracts that allowed ANET to make the in-game store.

Playing devil's advocate here, it could be because the online store is 'based' elsewhere - making a purchase at the online store legally the same as, say, ordering it through Amazon. EB is then still the exclusive local supplier, as by using the online store you're effectively purchasing from overseas, the difference is that you don't have to wait for the box to arrive.

That said, some means of purchasing in advance would be worthwhile - or, failing that, they could do something similar to what they did with the Factions preorder and give a preview from the day before the retail release date and lasting for 48 hours - providing a grace (obscure avatar reference pun not intended) period in which the game can still be played if problems with the online store prevent it from being purchased immediately.

bilateralrope · Aug 27, 2007, 06:29 AM // 06:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by draxynnic

Playing devil's advocate here, it could be because the online store is 'based' elsewhere - making a purchase at the online store legally the same as, say, ordering it through Amazon. EB is then still the exclusive local supplier, as by using the online store you're effectively purchasing from overseas, the difference is that you don't have to wait for the box to arrive.

But unless the contract specifically stated an exception for the store I can see EBGames suing over it. Therefore there must be something in the contract that allows the in-game store to exist without ANET even attempting to put any restrictions on it.

Quote:

That said, some means of purchasing in advance would be worthwhile - or, failing that, they could do something similar to what they did with the Factions preorder and give a preview from the day before the retail release date and lasting for 48 hours - providing a grace (obscure avatar reference pun not intended) period in which the game can still be played if problems with the online store prevent it from being purchased immediately.

This would also work. If you have the pre-order key you get to play in the first 24 hours after it goes live.

thezed · Aug 27, 2007, 01:40 PM // 13:40

This is turning into an argument of legal "What ifs", with both sides making assumptions they really know nothing about.

My opinion: if there is nothing that legaly prevents anet from selling the retail version in the online store prior to Aug 31st (and keeping the "live" date Aug 31st) I would love to give ANet my money a few days early.

/signed

quickmonty · Aug 27, 2007, 02:32 PM // 14:32

The pre-release was availble in the online store before the pre-release weekend. Now that the weekend event is over, I think it would be a good idea to make the retail version available in the online store. You can buy it now, but can't access the content until the official release date. I see no problem, logistic or legal, to prevent this.

/signed

bilateralrope · Aug 27, 2007, 11:24 PM // 23:24

And it seems that some stores are already selling copies of GW:EN.

Gaile does have a point that if its available early then some of the people who bought it can get pissed. So we will need a very visible warning in the store that the key they buy will do nothing until GW:EN goes live.

Lexxor · Aug 28, 2007, 06:08 PM // 18:08

/signed
Naturally a GW:EN key wouldn't do anything until release date, but I see no reason not to let us pay for it now. And it would balance the load on the server a bit better.. I think most of us know it's next to impossible using the online shop just after release.. and still people keep trying for hours.