What's the point of the pre-purchase headstart?

[Cattleya]

All right if you are gonna get funny about it. Latest news just out, Guild Wars 2 launch date has just been put back another week to 4th September, however you can still buy the game starting from the 25th and start playing any time from then if you want. How stupid does that sound?

Launch date 28th doesn't mean a thing, it's just words, anyone can start playing from the 25th!

Anyone who pre-purchases the game, yes. The point you're making is like saying the Mists of Pandaria beta is an open beta, because anyone could get in it by buying the annual pass.

[Squirrelbanes]

That you get to play 3 days early? Beta test etc.
...Makes great business sense in every way. You get ur dedicated fanbase willing to give good beta feedback...get early income...

What a strange post lol.

[Twoddle]

So I don't get what he's trying to emphasize.

No you don't do you.

Wouldn't mind if a mod deleted this whole thread now. Half the posters in here have the intelligence of a peanut.

[Arklain]

I would honestly laugh if Anet stopped pre-purchase downloads anywhere from today-24th to stop people from just buying it last second for early access.

[Azjenco]

It means I'm going to have a whole weekend to enjoy the game, while you will only get to experience the game on the Tuesday. Pretty big difference, I'd say.

Plus, I've had three brilliant beta weekends, and I will receive an in-game item. I've paid for the game, not ordered, paid, and that displays the level of confidence and trust I've placed on the developers and their product. Thus, they allow me the chance to see the game before those who'd rather wait to see reviews and make up their minds before hand. They also allow me the chance to choose what server I want to start on, without lists of population caps, and I get to choose the exact names I want for my characters.

Wouldn't mind if a mod deleted this whole thread now. Half the posters in here have the intelligence of a peanut.

So, people are unintelligent if they disagree with your understanding of a topic. That's rather shortsighted.

[Rumpy]

I've pre-purchased my copy mainly so I can get my name, but also for those extras 3 days before the people who pre-ordered flock in, thats really all its for.

The only thing is I also want a Collector's Edition (I have one pre-ordered, no head start sadly) and still debating if I should cancel it or not, I'd be effectively paying for 2 copies of the game, the only CE pre-purchase I can find is from a company that I don't trust with the code or the delivery, heh. Guess I'll just have to shell out if I want my Rytlock.

[DrakeWurrum]

In the end, it's kind of a marketing ploy, when ya think about it. I'd never have bothered to prepurchase if it weren't for the headstart access. Not that I wasn't interested in playing, of course, nor does it cost any extra - but it's certainly a marketing ploy with the goal of getting some early cash in ANet's pocket, which has been used to fund the last bit of GW2's development and get NCSoft off their back.

[Bacon of Light]

The headstart only somewhat affects the box copies. For digital copies, it's a marketing gimmick, a false sense of privilege. Let's rationally think about the digital version in terms of the purchase dates and the access dates.

Case #1
With the premise that servers are up, people who purchase on and after 8/28, can...
not play before 8/25.
not play during 8/25 and 8/27.
play on and after 8/28.

In plain English:
People who purchase the game on a date after 8/28, can play on that date and afterwards.


Case #2
With the premise that servers are up, people who purchase the game during 8/25 and 8/27, can...
not play before 8/25.
play during 8/25 and 8/27.
play on and after 8/28.

In plain English:
People who purchase the game on a date during 8/25 and 8/27, can play on that date and afterwards.


Case #3
With the premise that servers are up, people who purchase the game before 8/25, can...
play before 8/25,
play during 8/25 and 8/27.
play on and after 8/28.

In plain English:
People who purchase the game on a date before 8/25, can play on that date and afterwards.


Conclude those 3 plain English sentences:
People who purchase the game on some date, can play on that date and afterwards.

Can anyone see through the marketing trick now? The correlation between the "time of purchase" and the "time of access" is about "when", as in I bought this on date X, so I could play on date X.

Moreover, the correlation is not about any early privilege as a result of joining some headstart program, as in I bought this early as a member of the headstart program, so this program granted me the right to play early than someone else. That is what smart businessmen whould like to trick people into thinking.

One simply gets to play the digital copy whenever the purchase is made, provided that the servers are up ,which are open to every buyer regardless of time of purchase. It's as simple as that. For digital copies, this so-called privilege of early access granted by the headstart program is only a marketing gimmick.

[terrahero]

snip

And your point is?

I enjoyed playing the Beta events aswell, something someone who buys it on the 25th will never have had. I also wouldnt want to try to buy it on the 25th and be stuck in endless server queus because a whole wave of other people had the same bright idea.

And thats assuming i had this planned for a while and pre-downloaded the client, if i wanted to do that on the 25th well hold on to your hats boys and girls. You're in for a long ride.
While also assuming there are no eventualities, Arenanet has closed down digital sales before to limit the influx of new players for the sake of quality ensurance. And that was just during a Beta, theyd be more worried about a smooth launch then a smooth beta.

You're hypothetical situation only applies if said player cared not a single damn about beta weekend events (which were awesome in their own right, with special events) and has a perfect connection to the server.
The rest of us already knew we were going to play Gw2 anyway, so why wait till the last moment?

[Deleted]

Don't know if talk of marketing gimmicks rings true for me - the thing is, I *really* want to play the game...and I want to play it as soon as possible. I haven't been tricked or seduced in to wanting to play it...I haven't been ripped off or taken for a ride or paid over the market value because they threw in a cheap food processor.

The reality of the situation for me is: I want to play GW2 next Saturday...there's an option so that I can...I purchased that option. Where's the gimmick?

[Nerph-]

All right if you are gonna get funny about it. Latest news just out, Guild Wars 2 launch date has just been put back another week to 4th September, however you can still buy the game starting from the 25th and start playing any time from then if you want. How stupid does that sound?

Launch date 28th doesn't mean a thing, it's just words, anyone can start playing from the 25th!

That has to be one of the most stupid things ive read this week. If the launch date was to be set back to 4th September, headstart would be 1st September, and the official launch date would still be 4th September. Stop trying to make up hypothetical situations that don't even make sense to try "prove" your point at all.

The official launch date is 28th August because that is when it is available to purchase EVERYWHERE in any game shop. Only people who pre-purchased can play from the 25th, who bought the game before it has even come out. Fact that anyone can do it is irrelevant, the official release date of the game is the 28th, would you just accept that and move on?

---------- Post added 2012-08-18 at 05:22 PM ----------

No you don't do you.

Wouldn't mind if a mod deleted this whole thread now. Half the posters in here have the intelligence of a peanut.

How you fail to understand a headstart != official release date after its been explained 5 times simple enough for you, baffles me. Then you come up with some hypothetical situation about the game being pushed back to 4th September but the headstart remaining 25th August? It's like you don't have the comprehension to understand what a headstart is, its access to the game 3 days before the official release date, and in your silly example the headstart would then be 1st September.

It's pretty clear to me who here has the "intelligence of a peanut".

[Deleted]

All right if you are gonna get funny about it. Latest news just out, Guild Wars 2 launch date has just been put back another week to 4th September, however you can still buy the game starting from the 25th and start playing any time from then if you want. How stupid does that sound?

Sounds kinda reasonable - living in central london I live about a stones throw from quite a few good galleries. When there's a new installation or collection they have a specific launch date to use on fliers and marketing etc. However, members of the gallery get to see the new stuff a few days in advance - before it opens to the public.

Anyone could potentially sign up, become a member and have access...but, in english, it would be considered misleading/ambiguous/incorrect to say "oh yes, just pop along - everyone has access". Taken to its logical extreme - everyone does have access, a (poorly programmed) computer might agree with you...but there're conditions and those conditions mean that we treat it differently when communicating with each other...and why there's an official "launch" date that gives the specific information about when the exhibit/game/whatever is totally open to the general public.

[Deleted]

so players can choose names like naruto, ichigo kurosaki, orihime, byakuya, kakashi, batman, troll, pedobear, pussinboots, bane, noob, candy, cupcake, zero, and go on!

[Deleted]

so players can choose names like naruto, ichigo kurosaki, orihime, byakuya, kakashi, batman, troll, pedobear, pussinboots, bane, noob, candy, cupcake, zero, and go on!

That ones mine :-)

[Hockeyhacker]

So the game is being released on the 28th but you get to start on the 25th if you pre-purchase?? What's the point? Why don't they just call it a 25th August launch date? What's the difference?

Two main differences. The first being that it gives the people who have been following the game for some time and who have spent money oni it early some time to get ahead of your standard "Tuesday game browser" of someone who may have much less interest in the game who picks it up because they have spare cash on Tuesday. Which brings me to point two, maybe you have not noticed but in the US (almost) all games come out on Tuesdays, that is the "new game day" and allows your gamers who realize this trend to know when to check out their local store for new games to play. Because of this their official launch is on Tuesday since that is when new games come out in the US, yet they give the 3 day head start since many MMO players are weekend players so giving them a chance to play the game when it launches as a pose to getting the game four days before they can even have a chance to play.

The 3 day "head start" is purely to keep their release date as your standard "Tuesday new game day" that the US has while not alienating their "weekend players".

[charlieprince]

So the game is being released on the 28th but you get to start on the 25th if you pre-purchase?? What's the point? Why don't they just call it a 25th August launch date? What's the difference?

Technicality

you can never release on a non-weekday, specifically, a BUSINESS DAY

there, happy?

[Korgoth]

I think it's a conspiracy involving arena net and the cable companies to cause subscribers to go over their data caps and pay fines! Since they can't play GW2 on the real launch day with a Disc install and have to download the full 25gb! Muhahhaha.