How did YOU come across Guild Wars?

About two and a half years ago I joined a rebuilding (long story) multigaming clan from an older and, probably not very well known, space sim game. The leader quickly grew to be one of my best online friends, then and now.

For a few months, he'd either be playing the space sim game with the group, or playing GW with a few from the clan as well. So finally one day, after him spending half his gaming time for the past few months in GW, screen shots galore, and half the other members of the group playing, I just asked him about it. He told me it was free (which was shocking because I thought that the entirety of this genre was pay to play), it was fun, and I should try it. About three days later he logs in and said "Guess what, I just got an extra account for you to play on." So I played on his account for about a month and a half until I my Birthday rolled around and I got my own. Since then it's become my favorite game, and I'm really glad that my friend was generous enough to let me borrow his account.

Now he was originally introduced to GW by his aunt, and the account I borrowed now belongs to his mother.

I was dissatisfied with the graphics and gameplay of Everquest2, and liked the screenshots and the lack of monthly fees of guild wars.
After I got it I realized that (2004) Guild Wars by far had the best graphics of any MMO, I loved that I could solo it, and the size and quality of the PvE was as good or better than the single player rpg's of the time.

It was a dark and stormy night. I, however, was in a climate controlled bar. Very snazzy. I was finishing my third scotch of the evening, when I noticed the deer head on the wall. The long dead mammal seemed to be smiling at me. Or smirking. I quickly became upset and began hurling insults at said deer. Suddenly the door opened... the lights flickered. A mysterious stranger entered the room. In his hand was a strange box, white with green trim. Every eye in the room was locked on that box. As he moved closer, my eyes were able to make out the writing on the box. "Healthy Choice: Garlic Chicken and Rice Pilaf". Bob's dinner had arrived.

Two weeks later I picked up Guild Wars at EB Games.

A Lineage 2 clanmate told me about Guild Wars. Googled it, looked interesting so I bought it.

I was playing Silk Road Online but felt a bit dissatisfied with this free MMO, so I went in a GAME store and browsed the MMOs. I knew about WoW but didn't want to pay monthly fees (as for mobile phones). GW was on sale at a very cheap £10, I liked what I read on the box (especially no-monthly-fees). I hesitated, but didn't buy it. I found a game magazine with a 15days/10h free trial, tried it, loved it, bought it.

A friend told me about it before the Beta Launch......... and after 18 months of him Yap, yap, yap, i finally gave it a try.

I was down at the local Furuture Shop looking at all the games. I do this on occasion just to see what's new, or to see if there's a game that I want that managed to come down in price. (like when I got CoD4 for $30 instead of $50! ) Then I saw the Guild Wars box, picked it up read the front, read the back and thought, "Well this doesn't seem too bad". I asked, after many many minutes of searching, a sales assisstant when they got the game in and he told me they just put it on the shelf that morning. Now normally I'm cheap, real real cheap and I won't buy a game without playing the demo or at least looking up info for it online. Guild Wars I just bought on a lark. I had no clue if it was going to be any good. Of course, at that time, I had no idea I would still be playing it on a regular basis 3 years later .

I was looking for an new game and noticed Guild Wars at the top of the forthcoming list on some online store - I almost dismissed it when I realised it was online, until I noticed the no subscription thing. Googled around and found quite a buzz about the game on several forums, so took the risk and pre-ordered the CE, which was due out like 4 or 5 days later.

WORST MISTAKE EVER!

Seriously, for like a year I didn't like the game. I stuck at it for a month, but post-searing was so dull and (dolt that I was) I didn't really understand the mission structure and found myself just plodding around Ascalon swearing at devourers. Uninstalled... forgot about...

...a year later, my sister bought me Factions for my birthday. Loved it and not just because I had to. Something about the faster pace, the Assassin class - it just felt more accessible to me. I was still rubbish, though. It took me 2 weeks to get past Tahnnakai Temple, but I was hooked and have been playing almost evey day since, with only a couple of breaks (one lasted a whole month).

Saw the review, few months before buying. Was intressed as i liked Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter knights a lot. But the statement in the review stated that not for solo players. So time goes by,and one day saw the came at local store. And I though let's give it a try. I found it amazing, it was 3 weeks before factions were out, could manage the game through with wiki ^^ in time. And now after Factions, Nighfall and EotN I'm still happy with the game. Moved just lately for Pvp, hardcore Pve player that I'am. GW2 is definetly in my intress.

Me and my friend my friend were looking for a good MMORPG. After some horrible free ones, we tried out a trial of WoW. Decided it was not worth the money and discovered GW 3 days before it's official release.

Been playing ever since.

Me and my bf (ex now)
Where browsing through a HMV store, looking at games to see if there was anything interesting out. I saw Guild wars and liked the look of it ^_^
We read the back of it and i bought myself a copy to try.
I let my ex share my account for a while until he bought his own.

Played ever since (just over 2 years ago i started)

Note: I got about 5 friends into gw too xDDD i made them buy copies each to try and join my guild haha.

My brother got a beta account and after watching him play for a bit I decided to give it a go. The beta ended a week after I started, unfortunately. The PvP aspect of the game left a lasting impression on me, as did the free play, but my tin can of a computer just couldn't handle the game.

Two years and a new computer later I wanted something to play, since my brother was camping the XBOX 360 like he wanted to D-Shot the Red Ring of Death. So I remembered the fun I had on his computer with GW and bought all three campaigns and put a reserve down on Eye of the North.

Well almost 35 months ago a friend sent me the game to see if I liked it and I been playing it ever since.
next month I get my 3rd year mini can't wait.

I had finished the 2nd NWN expansion and was casting about for a new RPG to play and thought maybe I'd look into a MMORPG. I was active on the ArsTechnica forums and asked for some recommendations (this was about 3 months after GW launched). The choices were Everquest, Asheron's Call, WoW, Dark Age of Camelot and GW.

After discussing what I liked in a game and weighing the various merits of each, I went with GW. I liked the free-to-play aspect obviously since I was on a limited budget but it was the instanced world (no griefing) and the henchmen (I play at odd hours due to my work schedule) that really determined my choice.

I loved the game right from the start - the graphics, the music, the ease of playing (interface, char control, etc.). I started out with the wrong profession based on my RPG experience but a couple months in I made a new char and really started enjoying the game even more.

As I mentioned previously, a few months later I was diagnosed with cancer and what a blessing it was to have GW to take my mind off what I was going through during the chemo. (I'm fine now, thanks.) And here I am, over 2 1/2 years later, still playing several hours every day.

A couple of years ago...
It was mentioned at this one forum I was active at. They had a guild, played for a while untill they lost their souls to WoW.
I quickly forgot about Gw because I did not have it at the time.

One day my brother brings it home.

I haven't stopped since.

Same here. Saw it E3 preview. Played open betas. I've been playing 35 months now.

I first heard about GW when a friend of mine in Canada remarked that he played it. I was still heavily engrossed in the Dungeon Siege games at the time, so I didn't give it a second thought until a few months later.

My gaming partner from Germany came over to visit me and we came across GW Prophecies in the bargain bin at my local video game store. I remembered being told about the game and figured it would be worth a try, especially considering that the box said there were no monthly subscription fees involved (and considering that the game was on sale for £10 - a real bargain!).

Over a year and a half later, we're still playing

A friend told me about a Gaming-magazine that had a Beta-Key for a new Game called Guild Wars.
We bought the Magazines and played the GW-beta in January 2005.
After that, we participated in the remaining Beta-weekends and bought the game when it came out in April 2005.

i got married in june of 05' and then in July my husband brought a copy home. I was like, "i don't like computer games, i doubt i'll like this one".

Well, sure enough, i got hooked and made him buy me a my own computer and my own account. 2.5 years in and i'm still hooked with minimal periods of boredom.