Can ArenaNet retain its player base for GW2?

At best, it's 2 years until GW2. Beta is slated to be available at the end of '08 (which is highly unlikely; remember, this is software development, and this is ArenaNet, master of bad ETAs and delays.). Even then, it'll be atleast a year of Open/Closed beta (GW1 took 2 years!). And that's assuming nothing goes wrong.

And during this time, Gaile has strongly asserted that all teams are focused on GW2, and GW1 will receive little attention and no content.

Be realistic. Will players really continue to stick with GW for such a long period without any new content?

The economy is fracturing, PvE is being obsolete by Ursanway and PvE skills, PvP is stagnant due to few (and passive) skill balances. Sure, it may be acceptable to some, but for 2 years, can they really bear it?

And all of that ignores any potential killer apps which may appear during that time and drag away even more players.

No, this is not a doomsday thread. It's realistic.

Yeah I'll keep coming back just to log on and do nothing. As for others, I can't really say. I'm sure it's gonna be in a slow steady decline, but I doubt anything will make a real mark upon the population.

PS this white background SUCKS.

It doesn't need to keep people continuously playing until then. Did the original Diablo keep its entire playerbase until D2 was released? Did Doom 3 retain the same playerbase as the original Doom? As long as there's general goodwill and name recognition, the game will likely sell well.

Remember when it was just Prophecies, and everyone complained about how bored they were.

We told people to go play other games.

And I've noticed quite a few of them come back.

I'd tell people the same thing. There is no reason to keep playing GW for the next 2 years. Go play other games. You may or may not want to play GW2 when it comes out next, but I think most people will. Just like any other game that releases a new version, people will buy it and try it out, because they remember having fun playing the first one.

I haven't bought any non-GW games until maybe 6 months after Nightfall's release, for the last few years I've only played GW. I've got a little vacation time from GW coming up, and I've already got some titles in mind, but I'll be back for GW2.

Are the WoW servers down again?

[citation needed]

I'm going to try to get titles up so i will stick around. I just hope that in GW2 all the title grinding and Filling HoM will be worth it! hehe

Guild Wars isn't supposed to keep you entertained for long periods of time. It's not an MMO. It's not meant to "keep you hooked".

When I beat NWN I was done with it. Did I go out and buy the expansion? Hell yes. I loved the first campaign. I did the same with KotOR and KotORII.

I agree with what was said, some people will go, others will stay. There is still a lot to do in GW1. Some of those who do choose to leave though will remember how much fun they had playing GW1 and when GW2 comes out they'll want to buy it.

I still have at least 3 chars I want to beat NF and GWEN with, as well as another 3 that are going for survivor. Once I achieve all that, I'll reconsider what I'm going to do in GW.

who cares about gw2?????
If they piss off enough people they will get to sleep in the bed they made (and then maybe they will do more stuff for the original gw!!!).

no doubt a whole new generation of gamers will come to gw 2, and some oldfa..gw1 players will move over too.
and ex-players waiting in the wings ready for the new game also.

i wouldnt worry if i was anet about shifting copies...unless ofcourse gw2 resembles eotn

i liked it more when you werent around...

but remember what Anet said at the begining, they expected people to pick up this game, play it for a while and then drop it, and perhaps come back later.

dont know about you, but in the last few months i bought a few games, and i just play them for just a little while, then forget about them and come back to GW.

i dont know how where the first betas of GW, someone who was around them could tell us if those where on time or they where delayed. if they were on time, i dont see why these betas will be delayed, specially considering they havent even told us when they expect to launch the betas.

but after 4000 hours of playing guildwars, i know i will keep an eye on GW, whatever happens between now and GW2.

good thing is, some of us are patient enough to wait a couple of years to see what happens.

Said this once, and I'll say it again:

I'm waiting two months after GW2 is released before my ultimate decision to buy it or not. Until then, I could care less about GW2. Right now, getting all my characters to what I consider a good "quota" of titles and/or accomplishments is what I do.

Isn't that part of the beauty of the subscription-free business model? We can take a break from GW and come back anytime.

QFT

Even people that left GW, even the ones that did nothing but piss and moan about it will probably buy a copy of GW2 just to give it a try.

Really even if you don't like it with no monthly fee you can still get you $$ out of it easy before you quite for good.

They will retain a lot of there current base and even some that left..........but this time around gamers won't settle for a Shallow game......... if GW2 is weak i won't purchase any add-ons/expansion packs, and I don't want to see cantha and Elona 300 years into the future, the add-ons/expansion needs to be something fresh, I am not liking the fact that GW2 will take place in a future Tyria but since I like GW I will buy it, but it better be completely refreshing otherwise i will find another MMO.

I'll probably still hang around until GW2. I still have a lot of things I want to accomplish and see, and I'll have fun doing it. I'd have to say yes GW1 will retain it's player base, there will always be those newcomers, and those hardcore players that insist on having everything possible for themselves, and those that want to stick with their friends. So I'm sure as long as you have those 3 elements the population will remain at least somewhat stable for the next 2 years and beyond.

I plan on sticking with GW even after GWII is out and I am active in it. No reason to leave such a good game behind, especially if it is still playable. I just hope there will be enough people that share that sentiment who will stick around to do the more elite areas.

I already know my guild is converting itself over to GW II, so I am not worried there. They are even talking of making a sister guild eventually.

And if I can get myself in on an Open Beta (hopes for it) wouldn't that be cool?

I wouldn't be worried about them retaining their player base, many old players may come back to try the sequel, and many still playing GW1 at that time will move on as well. One interesting thing to consider is that all the GW1 campaigns and expansion are still selling very well, you might not notice it but GW1 is still getting lots of new players all the time.

I think as long as Anet makes GW2 as unique and fun and true to the original it will be an even stronger game than GW1.

That being said I'm still skeptical of what Anet is doing on GW2 and won't jump on it at release. (maybe they'll win me over when they actually start talking about GW2 a bit, but we'll see)