Curse

MithranArkanere · Jul 09, 2007, 09:00 PM // 21:00

If you add a Collector edition, it could have, for example, /dancenew for the core professions, that bonus pack, etc...

Alex The Noble · Jul 09, 2007, 09:22 PM // 21:22

I must say that about 80% of guild wars is under 18. And some of these kids parents dont want them buying online stuff, because using a credit card online can result in your money being scammed and thousands of dollars extracted. Even though some of these people want the game more than other people do, they still cant get it just because it says "buy more than $xx in the Online store and..."

See some people just cant buy from the online store and refer to shops as it is safer

Alex The Noble · Jul 09, 2007, 09:23 PM // 21:23

yes a Collectors edition of the expansion would give you the bonus pack! making the cost increase of the expansion! making it fair for those paying online.

Age · Jul 09, 2007, 09:36 PM // 21:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by bilateralrope

Well ANET is considering adding paypal.

As for environmental concerns, all the OP requires is that either ANET prints 2 keys in the GW:EN box (one for GE:EN, the other for the bonus missions) or that the single key works for GW:EN and the bonus missions. As for the actual mission data, it will be either on the disk* or everyone will have to download it (background downloading and -image pull down all content, even stuff you can't access on your account).

*The Nightfall disk also includes the contents of the Factions and Prophesies disks, the Factions disk has Prophesies content.

I doubt it will be when this all comes out or even this year.

Kool Pajamas · Jul 09, 2007, 09:45 PM // 21:45

Not going to happen. The reason for the offer is to get people to use the online store. It saves Anet money by buying from their store than going through middlemen.

hallomik · Jul 09, 2007, 10:21 PM // 22:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kool Pajamas

Not going to happen. The reason for the offer is to get people to use the online store. It saves Anet money by buying from their store than going through middlemen.

Yeah. That's the problem in a nutshell.

Anet makes more profit when people buy digitally through their store. They save printing costs and don’t share profit with the distributors or retailers. With the special offer, they are trying to give people a reason to buy online. With the previous games, people had an incentive to buy from a physical store. You get the game plus whatever comes in the box – manuals, maps, disks, etc. Given this, why would anyone buy online? Effectively, Anet was previously encouraging people to buy in a way that cost Anet money.

Now they’re trying to reverse that. They made an optional set of missions you can only get if you buy in a way that gives Anet more money. The deal is, you spend (theoretically) the same amount of money and since Anet gets more of that money, they give you something in return for helping them out.

Under the OP proposal, Anet puts all the incentive back on purchasing from a retailer, robbing themselves of profit. It doesn’t make sense for them to do that.

Dougal Kronik · Jul 09, 2007, 10:57 PM // 22:57

Quote:

Originally Posted by hallomik

Under the OP proposal, Anet puts all the incentive back on purchasing from a retailer, robbing themselves of profit. It doesn’t make sense for them to do that.

Actually it makes perfect sense.

They may lose some profit per unit, but if they move a few hundred thousand more units, then that is a substantial amount of profit coming back into Anet's coffers.

Give your customers options - and sell more units with a variety of buying options.

Curse You · Jul 09, 2007, 11:18 PM // 23:18

I would be seriously surprised if they actually gave out keys for the Bonus Mission Pack with EotN.

Why? Because it's a part of an online exclusive deal.

You seem to think that the Bonus Mission Pack can only be obtained with EotN, which is not the case. It's been set-up so that you can get it with EotN if you want, or you can get it with something else.

The retailers have no case against Arena Net. The people in the Press-Release team made sure of that.

So really, expecting an online exclusive deal to be given out with the EotN boxes is just absurd.

freekedoutfish · Jul 10, 2007, 07:59 AM // 07:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Curse You

I would be seriously surprised if they actually gave out keys for the Bonus Mission Pack with EotN.

Why? Because it's a part of an online exclusive deal.

You seem to think that the Bonus Mission Pack can only be obtained with EotN, which is not the case. It's been set-up so that you can get it with EotN if you want, or you can get it with something else.

The retailers have no case against Arena Net. The people in the Press-Release team made sure of that.

So really, expecting an online exclusive deal to be given out with the EotN boxes is just absurd.

When was the last time you knew an online exclusive deal, to remain exclusively online.

They will eventually release the mission pack on a cd. Its bound to happen, because they will realise they are excluding a large number of their customers by not.

In the same way that you could originally only get bonus weapons with the collector editions. Now you can buy them online from the shop in a pack.

It just makes sense to make an item available to as many customers as possible. By making it exclusive to just online, your alienating those customers who dont shop online.

And I expect that is a large % of their customers.

It (and this is an assumption) tends to be the more hardcore players, who buy things from the online store. Such as extra character slots, bonus weapons, pvp skills, etc etc.

You're casual player is happy with what the game provides, and the 9 slots and the weapons and the skills they get themselves.

Your casual shopper (another assumption) wont ever go into the Anet store, and check things out. But they might check their local games store, or websites like play.com alot. If they saw "Bonus mission pack included inside GW:EN boxset", or "Bonus Mission pack available in stores", they might be more tempted to buy it.

I know I would. I virtually never set foot into the Anet store, but I scan websites like play.com all the time.

I just think its a better sales technique to try and reach both online AND offline shoppers. The cost of producing CDs is so cheap, that they would make the costs back by just selling a few thousand copies.

pumpkin pie · Jul 10, 2007, 08:03 AM // 08:03

Gail Grey said if its in a box, it will be more expensive.

william1975 · Jul 10, 2007, 10:19 AM // 10:19

/unsigned

the bonus is an incentive for people to use the store, while i think more things should be on the store I don't think that the bonus should be in all the shop games. This defeats the purpose.

I too will get GW:EN from some form of store so I have the physical entity, but I have also bought 3 new characters slots, and though they were not needed they are usefull as mules and extra PvP characters.

I do realise this is a problem for those not actually needing anything from the store, that is why I have repeteadly asked for more things availabel from the store.

freekedoutfish · Jul 10, 2007, 10:44 AM // 10:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by pumpkin pie

Gail Grey said if its in a box, it will be more expensive.

It would be more expensive on their website as a boxed item, is what she meant. I expect it would be cheaper in highstreet stores and websites like play.com if it was inside the box.

My only option to get this mission pack is to buy GW:EN from the online shop, which means paying full RRP for the game, which will be £29.99 I expect.

I cant afford that, and I wouldnt pay that much.

Even if you would get a mission pack free, I dont want to pay £29.99 for an item without a box or art work or CD. When I can get all that from play.com for alot less.

Anet are trying to force us to pay the full RRP prices on their website basically.

Lonesamurai · Jul 10, 2007, 10:45 AM // 10:45

i still find it amazing that, although ANet do listen and read the forums, that players think they have a right to dictate business practices to them...
Especially pricing policies of which NCSoft control

freekedoutfish · Jul 10, 2007, 11:10 AM // 11:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lonesamurai

i still find it amazing that, although ANet do listen and read the forums, that players think they have a right to dictate business practices to them...
Especially pricing policies of which NCSoft control

Nobodies trying to dictate the price of the product. Although asking us to spend £17.99 on the online store is hefty for a mission bonus pack, since its obvious the most likely thing people will buy will be more then £17.99.

What people are saying is that it shouldnt JUST be available online.

Anet are keeping it on the website, so highstreet stores and online shops cant undercut their RRP. But surely Anet would sell more copies and shift more mission packs if they made it available (somehow) from stores too!

That would cover the undercut price right?

hubin_at · Jul 10, 2007, 12:26 PM // 12:26

/signed

They don't even have to include another CD. Just write the unlock key somewhere is fine.