Can Anet pull this off?

[Kelathos]

No monthly fee.

When you think about how awesome this game is with its wide ranging features and incredible 'persistent' world, do you think ArenaNet is capable of handling its own game without a monthly fee? I cannot picture how they can do something like this on a grand scale, with such a popular game, and keep the lights on at their office.

I'm in love with what I'm reading, and hearing, but I fear what might happen if the severs end up lagging or having to be reduced in number. If the technical aspects of it all cannot be managed on their budget.

So the question is, will they do it, can Anet pull this off?

I'd be heart broken if such great ideas were tarnished by choosing the wrong financial model for the game.

[Malthurius]

[Deleted]

Yes. Plenty of games have increased their profits when they removed monthly fee. I think choosing this business model in advance can only benefit the game, as the game is designed with B2P in mind.

[Mamut]

Can you explain me why you think its "wrong financial model for the game"?

[Borzo]

When you think about how awesome this game is with its wide ranging features and incredible 'persistent' world, do you think ArenaNet is capable of handling its own game without a monthly fee? I cannot picture how they can do something like this on a grand scale, with such a popular game, and keep the lights on at their office.

Electricity is cheap. Office lights don't cost as much as you may think they do.

I'm in love with what I'm reading, and hearing, but I fear what might happen if the severs end up lagging or having to be reduced in number. If the technical aspects of it all cannot be managed on their budget.

Servers are one of the cheapest things and is probably on the bottom of there expenses sheet.

So the question is, will they do it, can Anet pull this off?

Yes. Watch the video above.

I'd be heart broken if such great ideas were tarnished by choosing the wrong financial model for the game.

I see no evidence suggesting this is the "wrong financial model", at all.

[Fencers]

So the question is, will they do it, can Anet pull this off?

Sure. They did it in the first Guild Wars through 3 expansions. Enough cash was made to warrant a sequel. Cash Shops are also highly lucrative- which GW2 will have.

Subscription games are on the way out. SWTOR might be the last successful sub MMO we see for a while.

[Eternal Champion]

It worked for GW, I don't see why it wouldn't for GW2.

And I'm glad they don't ask for more money after I purchase the game. Unlike some greedy bastards.

[Cthuhlu]

I think they will get a lot of players interest, just by not having a monthly sub fee. Hell, its what got me into GW1 (and I still play that from time to time 4 years later). IF the game is good, it should retain 500k - 1 mil active users (if not more). Seeing as they are throwing a lot of things away (like 'The Trinity') it will either be a huge success or it will be a complete flop. Only time will tell. I, for one, will be buying GW2 the day it comes out

[Valeron]

Eternal Champion,

Your avatar is mesmerizing.

[Jibjub]

I don't have any facts, but ...

I'm assuming most the sub cash blizzard makes on WoW is profit -- which is why they can spend so much time developing new games, like Diablo 3, and then give it away for free to people playing (and paying for) WoW. These days, games charge a monthly fee because they can ... hopefully because of GW2, they won't be able to anymore.

[Niku]

You have to realise, subscription based mmorpgs are usually screwing you over. It only exists because people are willing to pay.

[Deleted]

Eternal Champion,

Your avatar is mesmerizing.

I was just thinking that *exact* thing :-)

[Jasyn]

Electricity is cheap. Office lights don't cost as much as you may think they do.

Servers are one of the cheapest things and is probably on the bottom of there expenses sheet.

Yes. Watch the video above.

I see no evidence suggesting this is the "wrong financial model", at all.

Server infrastructure is NOT cheap, and neither is the electricity to run them.

[zito]

You have to realise, subscription based mmorpgs are usually screwing you over. It only exists because people are willing to pay.

Pretty much this, blizzard makes what? 150mill in a month off subscription fee's alone for WoW alone.

[Fawxey]

Server infrastructure is NOT cheap, and neither is the electricity to run them.

I do believe at one point, WoW servers were costing Blizzard almost $140,000 per day to maintain. Not cheap at all.

[Blufossa]

Even if they did have to ask for $10-15 a month (hell, even $5) I would gladly cancel my subscription to WoW to play/pay GW2.

Until then, I'll keep playing WoW and then GW2.

[Hellgaunt]

Server infrastructure is NOT cheap, and neither is the electricity to run them.

No it isn't, but it's also not a massive investment. For mortals like you and I that don't have virtually endless money on our names it is - but for a company of the size of Anet it isn't - it actually barely makes it into the accounting book (figure of speech).

My company runs a serverpark that stores and logs trillions of TB of data daily, and we hardly look at the cost of the server park. It costs FAR FAR more to pay employees a competitive fee

[Lucky_]

It worked for GW, I don't see why it wouldn't for GW2.

And I'm glad they don't ask for more money after I purchase the game. Unlike some greedy bastards.

Technically they do. They want you to buy expansions, and there will likely be a lot of them, at a reasonable release speed (GW1 goal was one every 6 months). That's how their business model works.

If too few buy expansions, the model fails. Of course, judging by success of GW1, that's a pretty unlikely scenario, unless GW2 fails as a game on its own merits.

[Borzo]

Server infrastructure is NOT cheap, and neither is the electricity to run them.

If you look on their financial statements, servers and electricity to run them is one of their cheapest expenses.

[Hellgaunt]

Even if they did have to ask for $10-15 a month (hell, even $5) I would gladly cancel my subscription to WoW to play/pay GW2.

Until then, I'll keep playing WoW and then GW2.

I wouldn't. As was mentioned earlier in another thread it would mean if I stopped paying it I would loose access to everything and wouldn't be able to log in without paying for 30 more days. I (and others) fought hard and long to remove subscription fees from my company - and we were right. Your business model is FAR more solid when you give customers value for money... as opposed to milk them for money.