This post proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that people never read patch notes. Rift has been balancing pve and pvp skills separately since March 2011. Despite what Blizzard has led you to believe it is possible. If there is a god please ask for proof because I will be delighted to link page after page of patch notes where the notes clearly indicate this.
There is no single gauge of success. Believing so is a very narrow minded approach. It varies from person to person. Some think Profit. Some think Fame. Some think Family. Etc, Etc.
Anet wants to retain players just as much as any other company. They may not rely on it for profit, even though it does help the cash shop, but it is vital to their success. There will be competition, regardless of how stupid it is. Even if Anet doesn't partake in it, the fans will do it, has done it. They are both MMOs, unlike your comparison. Anet has already said they want GW2 to beat WoW, so apparently they see them as an adversary, whether as a rivalry or an enemy.
I think it's safe to say that NO it didn't deserve the hype, but it completely FULFILLED the Hype. I haven't had so much fun playing a game like this since the first time I picked up World of Warcraft back in Burning Crusade. This game feels, and plays like a next generation MMO. The questing is fun, the combat is addictive, and on the side of "Massive Multiplayer" it delivers. Running around all the zones helping out random players was what really got me. It rewards teamwork, and even teamwork with complete strangers. It's streamlined questing at it's best. It looks, absolutely gorgeous. The controls are fluid, and responsive. The spells/abilities are Unique and play off each other in a great way. And, it's all about fun.
There's no such thing as a "Messiah" in gaming, but we are looking at an incredible experience that truly delivered on what so many people wanted from it. Can't wait to play it again.
Ouch, you missed the point there. Street Fighter with only Ryu as a playable character would be equally balanced, or even more. For the simple reason that you start and finish on equal terms. The same counts for chess, both players have the same pieces, with Inteligence as the only variable.
Once you offer variety, it becomes way trickier. Why do you think wow's classes became so homogenised?