It's possible that GW2 won't have payed expansions at all

[Alkaholic]

The game hasn't been out a year and people are whining about an expansion, though they've been given damn near monthly content? Wow...

[Gray_Matter]

They are really setting the industry on it's ears with this innovative approach. Expansions, who needs 'em? They will roll out new races and new zones in patches.

http://www.gamebreaker.tv/video-game...-guildcast-77/

I am sorry but I don't buy it. The gem store won't be enough to fund the game in the long term unless they add expansion type of content to it. If they add things like new profession unlocks through gems, then maybe, but if the existing additional content is anything to go by then no. I love that they have given us fractals and the seasonal events but how different will they be next year? You can't compare southsun shore to something like the human starting area as far as content goes. They are not even in the same league. Expansions provide content with meat and that's something that they will need to include. Zones with things to do (hearts, lots of varying DE's, etc) has to be paid for. Gems with random skins etc only work for things like living story (temp content).

[Karizee]

I am sorry but I don't buy it. The gem store won't be enough to fund the game in the long term unless they add expansion type of content to it. If they add things like new profession unlocks through gems, then maybe, but if the existing additional content is anything to go by then no. I love that they have given us fractals and the seasonal events but how different will they be next year? You can't compare southsun shore to something like the human starting area as far as content goes. They are not even in the same league. Expansions provide content with meat and that's something that they will need to include. Zones with things to do (hearts, lots of varying DE's, etc) has to be paid for. Gems with random skins etc only work for things like living story (temp content).

Actually they can, and they will.
Right now they have 4 Living World teams rolling out content every two weeks PLUS large feature teams that will also roll into the patches.

Looks like Cantha and Elona will make comebacks in these patches too

http://www.gamerzines.com/mmo/guild-...tha-elona.html

[Gray_Matter]

Actually they can, and they will.
Right now they have 4 Living World teams rolling out content every two weeks PLUS large feature teams that will also roll into the patches.

Looks like Cantha and Elona will make comebacks in these patches too

http://www.gamerzines.com/mmo/guild-...tha-elona.html

The problem with living world content is that its temporary. My biggest bugbear with WOW was that you can't just quit for a month and then go back because you have to wait for a patch to be able to catch up. Temporary content is a slightly different problem but also one where you can't take a six week break and then come back to 6 weeks of new content. You come back to 2 weeks of new content and 4 weeks of expired content. What content from the original GW2 release has expired? It will be the same with expansions. I want to be able to play when I want because I want to, not be forced to play every 2 weeks otherwise I will miss something. I am exaggerating a bit but you get the drift. Living content type of content is not same as the content you will see in an expansion. New content that appeals to me is things like more fractals, new zones (including starting zones - not 1 new zone in 8 months, I am talking about 6 in 12 months), new trait lines for professions (for example, a machine gunner engineer), new dungeons, new world bosses, new professions, new recipes and big additions to crafting, new gear types (ear warmers), etc. Give me a reason to get a new gear set, not just open 3000 boxes to get 3 tickets for weapon skins. Living story content is tailored to the gem store. Everything about it screams "buy x from the gem store", expansions are about making the content worth the players money and not about what gem store trinket can be pushed out next.

Edit: Anything new in the game has to be funded expansion funding is about making the expansion worthwhile for people to buy. What is included with the expansion needs to justify the spend on that expansion. That makes that type of content far more beneficial and valuable to players, IMHO.

[Karizee]

Remember me going on about the crazy technology they have back in the beta?

They have unlocked the tech that allows them to work on patches, features, zones, etc., simultaneously within the current build AND simultaneously/concurrently with other teams working on other builds - not stopping the current game to work on an expac which is arbitrarily tacked onto the end, but letting these things unfold naturally within the current game.

This is groundbreaking

[Smitzelplix]

They don't want to add new professions. They consider that 'expansion content' as stated in the article. However, I do think they'll add new zones in later releases.

They stated the exact opposite actually.

A Looking For Group tool will be "slipped" into a Living World update when it's ready, and something as significant as a new character profession could too - an example he used with a heavy "not that we're talking about this" caveat.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...expansion-pack

[zito]

I am sorry but I don't buy it. The gem store won't be enough to fund the game in the long term unless they add expansion type of content to it.

But they are doing it now and stated there are no plans for an expansion because micro-transactions are enough. I don't see the point in lying at this stage since GW1 was all about expansions and that's what everyone was expecting so they get no real benefit from lying.

So I'll take their word for it that they are financially doing well with the gem shop.

[Gray_Matter]

Remember me going on about the crazy technology they have back in the beta?

They have unlocked the tech that allows them to work on patches, features, zones, etc., simultaneously within the current build AND simultaneously/concurrently with other teams working on other builds - not stopping the current game to work on an expac which is arbitrarily tacked onto the end, but letting these things unfold naturally within the current game.

This is groundbreaking

I am not questioning the technology, I am questioning how they chose to apply it. I have no doubt that they can do a lot with their engine. For example, they could easily have left living story dungeon in place.

[zito]

I am not questioning the technology, I am questioning how they chose to apply it. I have no doubt that they can do a lot with their engine. For example, they could easily have left living story dungeon in place.

It wouldn't make sense story wise for it to remain where it was. They talk about putting them back into fractals though.

However the living story team is specific. They add temp content (mixed with a few perm content like JP) to make the world feel alive and progressive. There are other teams in the background working on more permanent content that will roll out when it's ready.

It's not the living story team that's only going to be doing content. It's just the team we are seeing the most because it's suppose to be frequent.

[Gray_Matter]

But they are doing it now and stated there are no plans for an expansion because micro-transactions are enough. I don't see the point in lying at this stage since GW1 was all about expansions and that's what everyone was expecting so they get no real benefit from lying.

So I'll take their word for it that they are financially doing well with the gem shop.

I am sure that they are, to a certain extent. I think that the gem sales have been skewed a bit by the permanent picks, etc. This must have brought in a ton of gem sales. It's not something they can repeat as a lot of people have already bought them. I have personally bought 8 of each.

But more to the point, the type of content that they are releasing is not necessarily the type of content that people want to see. Already people are complaining that the dragon event is valentines day in another skin. There is only so much of this sort of content that they can push out before people will get bored. It may be something that is bringing in money at the moment but it won't be sustainable in the long term. You also need to look at NCSoft's sales figures to see just how much of a difference an expansion will do to the bottom line. A $30 expansion selling to 50% of the client base brings in $50 million. That's nothing to be scoffed at.

[Lane]

Temporary content is a slightly different problem but also one where you can't take a six week break and then come back to 6 weeks of new content. You come back to 2 weeks of new content and 4 weeks of expired content.

Agreed. At least in WoW the only 'temporary' content were the holiday (and pre-expansion) events and even if you missed them the achievements/rewards didn't change and you could complete/obtain them the next year.

GW2 has made their temporary content about as bad as I could imagine in terms of players missing out if they don't log in during that time. Exclusive vanity items either via gem store or achievements, titles, etc. Not to mention with the achievement point system they're planning to implement that's going to be anywhere from 20-25 achievements every two weeks that you won't get if you don't log in, putting you much further behind than others who do.

[Gray_Matter]

There are other teams in the background working on more permanent content that will roll out when it's ready.

How do they pay for this content? Gem store sales put a price on the game. They dictate the type of content that get's released. Additional open world content needs to be funded somehow. I don't like gem store funded content in it's present form. Rng boxes with skins to suit the present portion of the story.

Please don't get me wrong, I like fractals and some of the other additions since the games release. The seaonal events are also nice. It's just not the same thing as what an expansion includes.

[zito]

How do they pay for this content? Gem store sales put a price on the game. They dictate the type of content that get's released. Additional open world content needs to be funded somehow. I don't like gem store funded content in it's present form. Rng boxes with skins to suit the present portion of the story.

They won't reveal numbers but they say it's enough it's enough. There is no reason otherwise to say gemstore isn't enough then they would be doing expansions.

- - - Updated - - -

But more to the point, the type of content that they are releasing is not necessarily the type of content that people want to see. Already people are complaining that the dragon event is valentines day in another skin.

That's bull crap and we both know it. Nor does some peoples comments count for the majority. This content for the most part is what people want, but they want it to stay (but it's not designed around to stay).

There is only so much of this sort of content that they can push out before people will get bored. It may be something that is bringing in money at the moment but it won't be sustainable in the long term. You also need to look at NCSoft's sales figures to see just how much of a difference an expansion will do to the bottom line. A $30 expansion selling to 50% of the client base brings in $50 million. That's nothing to be scoffed at.

No duh. That's a given for any game. Content will get boring eventually weather it's temp content or not, but it gets people to still play the game.

[Kazgrel]

Can't say this is a shocking development at this point. The expansion pack concept is old, anyway, from a time when broadband/high speed internet was basically nonexistant so the only way to get that much content out was via CD(s), thus expansion packs.

Just because Blizzard still does it that way doesn't mean it's the only way updating an MMO with large content/changes/etc. is done.

[Fencers]

Can't say this is a shocking development at this point. The expansion pack concept is old, anyway, from a time when broadband/high speed internet was basically nonexistant so the only way to get that much content out was via CD(s), thus expansion packs.

Yea, this is kinda true. So much of PC gaming now is digital. It's kinda silly to charge a premium for a DVD with 4gbs of data on it only to download another 6 gbs. Such out of date nonsense.

I really love the way The Secret World handles their content- ala carte, "mini" expansions/chapters. It's a great system imo.

[Svifnymr]

Yea, this is kinda true. So much of PC gaming now is digital. It's kinda silly to charge a premium for a DVD with 4gbs of data on it only to download another 6 gbs. Such out of date nonsense.

I really love the way The Secret World handles their content- ala carte, "mini" expansions/chapters. It's a great system imo.

While my cable is good speed and it doesn't take too long, I still prefer to buy the disc's. Sure I have to worry about losing that disc, but it makes installs easier and I have the product code handy. When I have to reinstall, it's still a lengthy patch, but not nearly as bad.

GW2 also was handy with a little "keyboard layout" sheet!


Either way, I can see a more piecemeal expansion system. Add on a couple zones (1-15 and 16-25 level) for the new race, then charge for the actual new race, could work well.

The GW2 level system would allow low level stuff to be added, rather than Southshore's method of upleveling.

[Lane]

While my cable is good speed and it doesn't take too long, I still prefer to buy the disc's. Sure I have to worry about losing that disc, but it makes installs easier and I have the product code handy. When I have to reinstall, it's still a lengthy patch, but not nearly as bad.

Same. Except in my case my internet is terrible and having to reinstall GW2 (for example) takes about 4 days of downloading. (No, I'm not kidding.)

Either way, I can see a more piecemeal expansion system. Add on a couple zones (1-15 and 16-25 level) for the new race, then charge for the actual new race, could work well.

I've often wished games would sell everything separately. It would be interesting to see where the money flowed, but I'd be a little worried it wouldn't be to new zone development. It's hard to gauge whether that's something the majority of the players want just from reading the forums.

[Deleted]

I'm fine without expansions for now, as long they keep pumping out the content although i feel the content is lacking a little depth at times.

[Edge-]

They are really setting the industry on it's ears with this innovative approach. Expansions, who needs 'em? They will roll out new races and new zones in patches.

Quite the claim, considering they haven't completely ruled out expansions, and there are games that either release expansions for free (Aion) or games that don't really release official expansions at all (Vanguard, Champions Online). Granted they don't release as much content as GW2, but ArenaNet is hardly being very "innovative" with this approach.

It's praiseworthy if they can stick to it, but nothing mind blowing or radically different that what we've seen.

[Deleted]

I think expansions help to revitalise a game and bring new interest also. If you're constantly being drip-fed small incremental additions there's nothing 'big' to look forward to.