NCsoft "Anticipating" Closed Beta in 2012 [Video]

[Newbryn]

Can't understand why people are getting bent outta shape if they don't go into beta this year or not. I mean 2012 is just one month and couple weeks away so if they choose to do it early next year I don't see it messing with the unconfirmed release date.

[Iselde]

As much as I'd like Guild Wars 2 as soon as possible, they're making it entirely too hard to not respect and love them for polishing every little detail possible. Far too many games have left a bad taste in my mouth after the developers have released them seemingly incomplete. That said, if the ultimate release is delayed anywhere beyond 2012, people will lose interest. There has to be a release schedule set. In my opinion, if they go any later than Q3 without a release, things might begin to look a bit grim. I have faith, though.

[Durzlla]

Most of the people complaining about having to wait having been waiting long at all.

People that have been waiting 3 years are all "meh delay"
People that have been waiting 3 months are all "omfg this is fucking bullshit so fucking sick of waiting".

lol it does seem that way doesn't it?

As for the delay, it's not that big of a deal, sure it sucks that i wont be able to play GW2 yet, but it gives me more time to get my raccoon!!

[Peta]

At a marketing standpoint this is a disaster.
If CBT is early 2012. you can count the game will be in the store no earlier than Q4 next year aiming for a christmas end of year launch. Most money to made. However MoP will be out already. How will you nibble away at the wow community? The best time to do that is in-between announce of expansion. Thats when the loyalist are the most displeased and stop playing to wait for new content. The wow community is substantial and they want a part of it to play this game. The closed beta should have started already.

[Creepjack]

At a marketing standpoint this is a disaster.
If CBT is early 2012. you can count the game will be in the store no earlier than Q4 next year aiming for a christmas end of year launch. Most money to made. However MoP will be out already. How will you nibble away at the wow community? The best time to do that is in-between announce of expansion. Thats when the loyalist are the most displeased and stop playing to wait for new content. The wow community is substantial and they want a part of it to play this game. The closed beta should have started already.

I will paste this here again:
http://www.guildwars2guru.com/forum/...8&postcount=73

I do agree on the timing - it's crucial. I'm pretty sure we will see new class reveal at the end of this month or right at the beginning of December. Closed beta will start at the end of December (perfect xmass gift if you ask me ;p). Realistically we are looking at early Q2 release date. Lots of time for CB, OB etc. Anything earlier and it may be rushed, anything later and it can go bad...

[Rivehn]

I'v been waiting since the original announcement and even i'm getting abit annoyed. I mean then went like 5 months saying Closed beta this year. Then at the last second they change it.

lol what ever...back to skyrim.

[Mothhive]

I'v been waiting since the original announcement and even i'm getting abit annoyed. I mean then went like 5 months saying Closed beta this year. Then at the last second they change it.

lol what ever...back to skyrim.

Umm, they haven't changed it at all. Closed Beta is still going to start this year... I think people are misreading something here.

I think you all need to take a deep breath and calm down. The essence of the earnings call is: Nothing changed from what we have said in the past. We will enter CBT before the end of the year, and depending on the results we get from it, we will decide on Open Beta and Launch.

[Eldanir]

It would make lot more sense to start closed beta after Christmas and new year, so that devs can have proper holidays. It would be bad for devs to come back from holidays and being flooded with bug reports from beta testers.

This.
Rested devs are happy devs. Getting them some vacation will give them motivation to come back and make a better game.

Look at the Cataclysm release in december and how during the following two months hotfixes were pushed out every other day, possibly completely burning out the dev team (depriving them of the holidays) and (in my opinion) causing the delay with Firelands being pushed out to 4.2 instead of going in with the meager 4.1.

Does anyone remember the release of the Burning Crusade? Idiots were calling for a Christmas release "else sales will be bad, because everyone release games for christmas!" and at that time, Blizzard was still true to its "ready when it's ready". So they skipped the holiday season and released the next year.

Like previous posts above me, I think it's better to ship a game when it's done, and not based on a date set by a marketing VP who has no idea of dev cycles.

[MalazanFan]

I'v been waiting since the original announcement and even i'm getting abit annoyed. I mean then went like 5 months saying Closed beta this year. Then at the last second they change it.

Did you already forget the reply with an ArenaNet quote to your "so much bullshit" post on the first page? Even if it was changed to early 2012, that's a little over a month away. If you can't wait another month for them to finish the 8th class and other finishing touches (which is what I imagine they're still working on), then you have some RL issues.

[Solidito]

If the release date is made longer, then tbh i'm happy that they're not rushing things. I've waited nearly 5 years, i can wait longer.

[Saggypoo]

The original quote from the investor call mentioned the closed beta before the end of the year still. What is being confused is the part they're talking about a larger, more 'commercial' closed beta at the start of next year. I don't know what the plan is exactly, but it seems like they're going to do a small, internal beta to start out with, and then open things up to a larger audience through fan sites and giveaways. After that, they mention how they should expect the game in the first half of next year, but it's still possible it could slip to the latter half. In the end, everything still seems to be on schedule.

We are planning on conducting a CBT within this year, but for us to conduct a large scale CBT test that can be significantly felt within the market, I think that we are anticipating about the beginning of next year to do that. Therefore, we don't have a concrete schedule yet with regards to the full commercialization schedule for Guild Wars 2, but I'm thinking that it will be not too late part of next year, but some time in the latter part of next year that would be possible, perhaps. But, we will have to wait and see the testing results this year to come up with the final schedule.

[Barrowmore]

I waited for Paper Mario 2 for 3 years, and that was when I was 10. I think I can wait a few more months for this game.

[Tury123]

Wish they would publicly release the demo at least

[Kalla]

Though I would be very angry at not having a beta of sorts this or next month, i'll still wait patiently. Can't even make myself log onto WoW anymore, and too much LoL is bad for you.

Beta or not, I'll be preordering Collectors edition GW2.

I just discovered LoL O.O That game will keep me pretty occupied until GW2 comes out

[AggroCrag32]

Good thing I bought Skyrim, it shall hold me over for a while.

[PandarianLeakage]

They just want to see how SWTOR will fare up in the market so they can release at an appropriate time methinks.

[Durzlla]

I just discovered LoL O.O That game will keep me pretty occupied until GW2 comes out

Meh, i did too, but LoL is pretty meh to me... GW1 on the other hand is keeping me very very occupied in my free time =D!!

[Purple]

My favorite release date from a developer is always: "When it's done."

CBT: This year, as they said.

OBT: Sometime next year, as they said.

So far I'm not seeing anything to gripe about, they're doing what they've said they were going to do. As for, "Five Years" well, surprise surprise, there are plenty of games with Five year development cycles, and higher, out there. Nothing new.

The impatient, "I've been waiting too long" sentiments I've seen any number of places, in regard to any number of games, always irks me. I don't want it until it's done, be that a few months, a year or another five years.

[Primernova]

Everytime I remember GW2 has an NCsoft influence, I just cringe.

[det]

Everytime I remember GW2 has an NCsoft influence, I just cringe.

I was wondering about that. Isn't Aion by NCsoft as well? I do remember people who spoke against Aion that one of the reasons why they do not have high hopes is the involvement of NCsoft who had (allegedly) a history of churning out game after game, but not really caring for them.

Hearsay, I know, but maybe you guys have something more to add?