Free Trial for GW2?

[Inolis]

Just wondering if there has been any news of a free trial or a "starter edition" that a lot of MMORPG's are doing now. The game looks incredibly interesting and the world looks like a breath of fresh air compared to other games I've been playing. I know that for the original GW they had a 7 day pass you could pick up in stores for like a couple bucks, just wondering if there is news on something similar or if they are going to live on the hype to just draw everyone in and pay for the whole game.

Wondering about this because after I became bored with WoW at the end of Lich King I picked up the GW bundle for the first one thinking that it looked so interesting and the characters and classes looked flawless. Sad to say, I don't think I played it for more than 2 weeks before becoming bored. The mechanics felt clunky with targeting, I had little idea of what a lot of things were even after the tutorial multiple times. Maybe I just got a bad taste in my mouth because I had played WoW and because GW had become so established it was hard for a newcomer? This is why I hope there is a Trial edition or something for GW2, NCSoft games have left a huge scar on me with every game they have released and I can't see me putting down the full amount without being able to taste the game.

[Waltzinblack]

No, there weren't even any open betas.

[cityguy193]

Look for a trial 6 months after release

[Snow White]

No, there is no trial.

[Deleted]

Trial acc's at launch might be hard on the servers.

[Deleted]

Since this game has no subscription fee, I doubt ANet will give out free trials anytime soon.

[charlieprince]

Just wondering if there has been any news of a free trial or a "starter edition" that a lot of MMORPG's are doing now. The game looks incredibly interesting and the world looks like a breath of fresh air compared to other games I've been playing. I know that for the original GW they had a 7 day pass you could pick up in stores for like a couple bucks, just wondering if there is news on something similar or if they are going to live on the hype to just draw everyone in and pay for the whole game.

Wondering about this because after I became bored with WoW at the end of Lich King I picked up the GW bundle for the first one thinking that it looked so interesting and the characters and classes looked flawless. Sad to say, I don't think I played it for more than 2 weeks before becoming bored. The mechanics felt clunky with targeting, I had little idea of what a lot of things were even after the tutorial multiple times. Maybe I just got a bad taste in my mouth because I had played WoW and because GW had become so established it was hard for a newcomer? This is why I hope there is a Trial edition or something for GW2, NCSoft games have left a huge scar on me with every game they have released and I can't see me putting down the full amount without being able to taste the game.

I'm personally hoping there IS NO FREE TRIAL until a year has passed

personally am delighted that there was no open beta

so here's hoping my delight will be continued

[Karizee]

If they were hurting for sales, but they're not ;-)

[Shostie]

No MMO is going to do a free trial at launch unless they're well below their target for sales. Guild Wars 2 does not have this problem and the servers are going to be getting pounded at launch. They might do a free trial a few months after launch, once the population and servers have stabilized, but not before.

[Vexies]

It always amazes me to see this question come up with absolutely every new MMO that comes out. SWTOR did not have one, WoW did not have one, Aion did not have one, Rifts did not have one, Warhammer did not have one, The secret world did not have one... What are all these new MMO's that are giving out these starter additions at launch?

These things come but they are always a few months out from launch. The quicker the game see's a dip in new subs the quicker these hit the market. So long as growth is strong I wouldnt look for one any time soon.

[Cherrysoul]

It always amazes me to see this question come up with absolutely every new MMO that comes out. SWTOR did not have one, WoW did not have one, Aion did not have one, Rifts did not have one, Warhammer did not have one, The secret world did not have one... What are all these new MMO's that are giving out these starter additions at launch?

These things come but they are always a few months out from launch. The quicker the game see's a dip in new subs the quicker these hit the market. So long as growth is strong I wouldnt look for one any time soon.

There isn't any most games will only do free trials to existing ex customers to try and get them back, when subs drop or a year after the game has been out, jus because. I think the OP and others are just wishful thinking.

[charlieprince]

There isn't any most games will only do free trials to existing ex customers to try and get them back, when subs drop or a year after the game has been out, jus because. I think the OP and others are just wishful thinking.

more like fence sitting

they want to, they feel betrayed by their feelings.. their desires.. THEIR YEARNINGS

yes, YEARNING to embrace Tyria

feel her supple umm, wait what

look, they want to try it, unsure if they want to spend money on it, but they're dying to try

hence they want a free trial

badly

fence sitters betrayed by their animalistic lusts

o_O

[Exedore]

GuildWars has no subscription fee and has a free trial. The trial has a timer of 10 days or 10 game in-game hours (whichever is first). I'm sure they'll do something similar for GW2. However, they most likely will not incorporate one until at least a month after release. They need to wait for servers to stabilize and such before they start letting more people pour in. Interestingly enough, a certain other big-name game releases about a month after GW2, so a trial becoming available in around 2 months, wouldn't be a bad decision.

[Deleted]

I doubt there will be any trials soon, ofcourse they want people to buy the game before they decide they dont like it!
unfair, but its business i guess

[Shostie]

GuildWars has no subscription fee and has a free trial. The trial has a timer of 10 days or 10 game in-game hours (whichever is first). I'm sure they'll do something similar for GW2. However, they most likely will not incorporate one until at least a month after release. They need to wait for servers to stabilize and such before they start letting more people pour in. Interestingly enough, a certain other big-name game releases about a month after GW2, so a trial becoming available in around 2 months, wouldn't be a bad decision.

Some WoW players will be tired of the MoP expansion a month or two after it goes live. If ArenaNet has a free trial available by then, they'll be in a good position to snatch some customers.

[Lane]

It always amazes me to see this question come up with absolutely every new MMO that comes out. SWTOR did not have one, WoW did not have one, Aion did not have one, Rifts did not have one, Warhammer did not have one, The secret world did not have one... What are all these new MMO's that are giving out these starter additions at launch?

Rift had a week long open beta though. Tera also had a 4-day weekend open beta before launch. Like the OP, I was disappointed GW2 didn't have any sort of open beta. I couldn't get my hands on a code to any of the beta weekends. I'm also gun shy to outright buy GW2 after my disappointment with Tera.

[Kelesti]

Rift had a week long open beta though. Tera also had a 4-day weekend open beta before launch. Like the OP, I was disappointed GW2 didn't have any sort of open beta. I couldn't get my hands on a code to any of the beta weekends. I'm also gun shy to outright buy GW2 after my disappointment with Tera.

So have friends that will play GW2 (I'm certain you've got at least one). Have them tell you first hand their experiences with it post-launch, and get it then. The game's not going anywhere.

[DrakeWurrum]

I'd say just go for it, and don't bother waiting for a trial. Take a chance on $60. Worst comes to worst, you just paid for a single-player game.

[Derah]

There isn't any most games will only do free trials to existing ex customers to try and get them back, when subs drop or a year after the game has been out, jus because. I think the OP and others are just wishful thinking.

Not necessarily. You guys seem to think that Free Trials are nothing more than a desperate move from a game that is bleeding customers. They're not. More often than not, Free Trials are a great way to advertise your game, allowing you to play a tiny sample of it to get the ball rolling and encouraging you to buy the full thing.

Besides, as others pointed out GW1 has a free trial.

To th OP; this game WILL have a free trial, I'm fairly sure of it, however, don't count on it arriving this year. Free trials are generally offered after several months have passed since launch. The earliest we can hope for a GW2 trial would be December. (So that other people can taste how the game is like, and then use the Christmas money to buy it.).

Honestly, it would be a smart business move from Anet to provide free trials, as they are often the best way to advertise your game. Something gets "lost in the translation" when you watch gameplay videos on youtube, or "Lets play" sessions. its never the same as actually playing the game for yourself.

Honestly I dunno why some people have this mentality that a free trial is something that only happens due to desperation. If that was the case, then single-player games would never offer demos available on the internet. The idea behind those demos is precisely so you can have a small sample of how the game is like, and be encouraged to buy the full thing. Same principle is behind free trials for online games. But obviously during the first months of launch is when servers are the most full as new players arive and start playing. Some of them will find the game fascinating and stay, while others will find its not their cup of tea and leave. If on launch you have actual clients and then people on trial, the chaos would be HUGE.

[|Dexter|]

Some WoW players will be tired of the MoP expansion a month or two after it goes live. If ArenaNet has a free trial available by then, they'll be in a good position to snatch some customers.

Lol much faster them that I am already tired of the MoP expansion I feel like I already did all there is too do in the beta and there is no point to do it all again on live...