Question about the "no subscription system".

[Mercadi]

I bet this topic was brought up before, but I wasn't able to find anything specific.

So GW 2 would not have a monthly subscription, I get that part. But would the money that the developers get once per expansion be enough for them to keep developing new patches every few months, like in WoW type of MMO? Where will they be getting the money to work on new content, besides purchases of the game? Again, I apologize for the noobish question.

[Kraiten]

There is also a cash shop that sells purely cosmetic items.

[Mercadi]

There is also a cash shop that sells purely cosmetic items.

Ah, I see. Thank you.

[Recondition]

I believe they'll be selling some form of microtransactions, probably similar to those offered in Guild Wars 1.

[Uriel]

this has been discussed alot of times already.. there is even a Video with a guys showing exactly why and how they gonna do it. I dont have that Video right now but i am sure you will find the answere in one of those Postings in this Forum.

[Jit]

Ill just leave that here.

[Deleted]

You don't need a monthly fee to keep a game going, even the big dog Blizzard themselves say they could of done WoW without a P2P model.

[cleaude]

You don't need a monthly fee to keep a game going, even the big dog Blizzard themselves say they could of done WoW without a P2P model.

Just out of curiousity, I'd like a source for that please.

OT:

But would the money that the developers get once per expansion be enough for them to keep developing new patches every few months, like in WoW type of MMO?

The way I understand it, GW does not release those kinds of patches (content patches), instead they only have the regular bug fixing patches and for content you buy expansions. As a result, they make a lot of expansions.

[Durzlla]

Just out of curiousity, I'd like a source for that please.

OT:

The way I understand it, GW does not release those kinds of patches (content patches), instead they only have the regular bug fixing patches and for content you buy expansions. As a result, they make a lot of expansions.

Nope, they do release those sorts of patches, i believe sorrows furnace was a patch, i know for a fact that Hearts of the North, Winds of Change, and War in Kryta were all big multi stage patches, and then the elementalist just got a pretty big overhaul a few days (maybe a few weeks) ago. They also said in an interview that they WILL be performing regular content patches in GW2.

[Deleted]

As far as I'm aware, they also release expansions more quickly to help with income?

DISCLAIMER: I'm not implying they skip quality in content. Anyone who's even looked at GW1 knows that's not the case.

[Durzlla]

As far as I'm aware, they also release expansions more quickly to help with income?

DISCLAIMER: I'm not implying they skip quality in content. Anyone who's even looked at GW1 knows that's not the case.

I've noticed their Xpacs coming out more quickly then games like wow and such, they've both been around roughly the same amount of time (i think wow has a year or 2 on it) and they have same amount of xpacs, but guildwars stopped making more for GW1 after they announced 2 coming out...

Also one thing i like, is if you think that an Xpac looks lame (assuming they stick with the GW1 model) you do NOT need to buy it. I know quite a few people that wish they could've skipped over BC stuff in WoW, or WoTLK stuff but were forced to buy the xpac so they could get the one after it.

[Zoneseek]

Ill just leave that here.

That video does a great job of outlining just how badly blizzard is gouging us all with sub fees, expansion costs and expensive service charges to move characters and such.

[skillym]

You don't need a monthly fee to keep a game going, even the big dog Blizzard themselves say they could of done WoW without a P2P model.

Yeah, without a monthly fee, game developers rely on "whale hunting" to keep MMO games going. This involves suckering a few dupes (whales) into dumping a ton of cash into making their characters super powerful/"cool" looking, while the majority of the playerbase (freeloaders) can cuss, grief and act like the 4chan kids they are with no consequences to their parents' wallets. I would rather pay monthly for GW2 than deal with the poor game environment that F2P inevitably fosters.

[probert]

WoW managed 2 patches (lets face it, 4.1 and 4.2 should have been one patch) in the course of a year and the expansion is over. I'd argue the subscription for WoW is no longer market competitive.

Trion offers new content every 6-8 weeks for Rift; at least in that case you're *getting* regular content patches and new content.

But if GW2 is a persistent online world, without subscription... I think it will turn the MMO world on its ear.

[Burton68Zeppelin]

Yeah, without a monthly fee, game developers rely on "whale hunting" to keep MMO games going. This involves suckering a few dupes (whales) into dumping a ton of cash into making their characters super powerful/"cool" looking, while the majority of the playerbase (freeloaders) can cuss, grief and act like the 4chan kids they are with no consequences to their parents' wallets. I would rather pay monthly for GW2 than deal with the poor game environment that F2P inevitably fosters.

This is a faulty assumption. WoW is P2P and they have just as bad of a player community as any F2P game I've seen, possibly worse. The difference in GW2 is that 'whales' can't make their characters more powerful by purchasing things, so your 'freeloaders' won't have any need to cuss/grief/act like 4chan kids because they have no need to purchase anything.

[Durzlla]

Yeah, without a monthly fee, game developers rely on "whale hunting" to keep MMO games going. This involves suckering a few dupes (whales) into dumping a ton of cash into making their characters super powerful/"cool" looking, while the majority of the playerbase (freeloaders) can cuss, grief and act like the 4chan kids they are with no consequences to their parents' wallets. I would rather pay monthly for GW2 than deal with the poor game environment that F2P inevitably fosters.

So... according to you those kids wont be on any P2P games? Have you SEEN the wow community? And in a B2P game they'd be far more likely to actually ban people because you know what? they already got their money, and they don't need to keep them around so they can keep getting their 15 a month. And i've seen a much better community on GW, LoL, and Rift ( i know it's not F2P but w/e) then i have EVER seen on WoW.

[AggroCrag32]

Most people have heard of the original GW, that was B2P and worked fine, why does this keep getting brought up?

[cleaude]

Nope, they do release those sorts of patches, i believe sorrows furnace was a patch, i know for a fact that Hearts of the North, Winds of Change, and War in Kryta were all big multi stage patches, and then the elementalist just got a pretty big overhaul a few days (maybe a few weeks) ago. They also said in an interview that they WILL be performing regular content patches in GW2.

Indeed they do, I stand corrected.

This is a faulty assumption. WoW is P2P and they have just as bad of a player community as any F2P game I've seen, possibly worse. The difference in GW2 is that 'whales' can't make their characters more powerful by purchasing things, so your 'freeloaders' won't have any need to cuss/grief/act like 4chan kids because they have no need to purchase anything.

So... according to you those kids wont be on any P2P games? Have you SEEN the wow community? And in a B2P game they'd be far more likely to actually ban people because you know what? they already got their money, and they don't need to keep them around so they can keep getting their 15 a month. And i've seen a much better community on GW, LoL, and Rift ( i know it's not F2P but w/e) then i have EVER seen on WoW.

You do realise you don't actually gain something by bashing WoW? I enjoy WoW, I may also enjoy GW2, who knows, but I definitely don't enjoy a bunch of kids teaming up in another MMO just so they don't have to play "that other MMO" yet talking about it all day long and congratulating each other that they all agree how bad it is.

[Fernling306]

The game will have a cash shop to help with the costs. As far as we know the cash shop will sell costumes, weapon/armor skins, t stones, character slots, bank/inventory slots. They also said they will probably be selling content as well(dungeons etc).

[Squirrelbanes]

Just want to point out that the cash needed to pay for development of patches can easily come from box sales and micro-transactions. Anet have been developing GW2 for 5 years. GW sales have kept them going this long...
With P2P...the monthly fee certainly doesn't mostly go into game development. Taking wow as the example...it's basically a massive "cash cow." Many game companies do very well without P2P.
So, you can survive and release content regularly without P2P