Sit-down strike, today at 18:00 UTC

Man, I hope that while Gaile is going over her survey results for PayPal she takes into mind where she is asking. Countries are different.

Personally I don't see the big deal about the missions, too. Anet just seems to try to be making more cash, and these missions don't seem like anything special than to do just that. They have a whole new game coming out and a new expansion, they're just trying to fund it. I've played other games in which you buy special made content separately online, this isn't a new idea.

I hate downloading games and not having the install CDs, as well as missing out on the box and printed goodies therein, having to remember passwords and where to go if/when I uninstall but want to go back and reinstall etc. Its why I dislike the bonus mission model. Its hardly "free" and should be advertised as a "buy online promotion." Miffs me a bit Anet advertises that content as "free" but it is a minor point. Anyone who wants the bonus mission material simply has to go buy GW:EN online now. Much as I dislike that, suppose if I buy GW:EN now its the only way to go. Just wonder what happens to all the in-store retail pre-orders that will need to end up being cancelled. Smartest thing to do since its not worth paying $30 certainly for a box, which is what it comes down to if you buy the in-store version and then have to go spend $30 in the store to get the bonus content.

Sit down strike though? Meh. Anet's just trying to make extra money. They arent actually forcing us to spend more. They are forcing us to choose. Slight bit of difference there. A sit down isnt going to change anything I'm afraid.

If they want to make money they should allow us to spend money.

This is really an odd thing for people to rally against. Go to Google News and check out what's going on in the world. Spend at least 5 minutes reading headlines, you don't even need to actually read the article.

If you're involved in a GW sit strike after reading those headlines, then you should reexamine your priorities (unless you're a child, if you are, you have plenty of time to worry about the world later).

The only thing you can do to annoy Anet is to not buy their products. But we all know that's not going to happen, right? After all, if you care enough to join a sit strike, or read a thread about one, you'll definitely be buying their expansion and GW2.

I'm sorry, but whilst on holiday over christmas, I used my Visa DEBIT card everywhere, i didn't take cash at all, in france, german, belgiam (ok, just into belgiam though) and used it everywhere...

I used it at restaurants, shops, the hotels, taxi's (ok, one taxi i needed cash, but thats it)

Hey, that reminds me of a clarification that has been handed by gw.onlinewelten.de, one of the three german sites that have initiated the protests...
I'll try a quick translation
Clarification on the planned sit-down strike by Kronos1980, 08.07.07 - 10:24

As there still seem to be some misunderstandings about the strike, we see the need to clarify here, why we are doing it.

We are not against the Mission Bonus Pack, just against the style, how it is brought to us. That a cash-making oriented company tries to make money isn't evil or bad. But since the onlineshop has been introduced, it has shown severe incapabilities (sorry, no better word for it). Not only that it isn't reachable at all for players without credit card, it is too expensive and what is offered isn't good at all.

That ANet wants to change something now, by adding those missions, is a good solution. Small content-packages for a small price could well achieve that Guild Wars runs on eternally. But some points have been skipped here - you can't introduce a bonus-system in a shop, when there is nothing in it you can apply the bonus to.

To most Fans, holding a box in hands is important. It is a fan-article, just like a mug, a poster or charr-plushies. Since there aren't many other fan-articles, it is an important point for a fan. But now you're given a hard choice: Buy a too expensive code and the - for fans - important missions - or buy the for fans important box.

We don't want to achieve that this action is cancelled. We want, that the bonus will be available for everyone. It must be said clearly: "Yes, these missions will be available after the bonus action, so everyone can buy them." - especially people, who aren't able to use the shop at present, although they would like too.

There is a product. (supply)
There is a demand.

So please, ANet, give us the possibility, to spend our money on the product.

On the planned strike:

It will be done as planned. But we want to ask all participants for a favor. Pro as well as Contra. Please, make this strike a peaceful one. The rules have not been suspended for this event. Spamming, flaming and insults are violations of the rules and especially for this strike we should be cautious, cause we want ANet to watch this event. So for this event, such actions might quickly result in a ban. A sit-down-strike is a peaceful way to tell your opinion and is completely silent in the ideal case.
So whoever thinks it a wise idea to disturb this event by spamming, flaming or insulting, can be sure to be reported to the support team rightaway, regardless of which side he or she is on.

---END of translation---

Sorry that it's maybe a bit awkward to read, but I did this just now, in some hurry as I wanted it to be here as soon as possible.... oh, and I totally missed out on using the word rally. Didn't come to my mind, sorry.

And... about other things. I got a 40€/year prepaid-cc just to buy character slots. But I like the boxes. Now forcing me to either make a decision on (fan-)box or (fan-)missions is just cruel.

thats where i stand.

and if im forced to make a decision between the two, i wont do either of them.

Ty for the translation, i must say i see nothing wrong in A-net making money, however as u stated urself, this thing forces a collector like myself to either, live whitout one of the things, either the missions or the box with the art and cd's and such. Or paying 29 EUR/ 30 EUR for 3 char slots. So i'm pretty unhappy about us not being able 2 buy the missions as a stand alone purchase.

I think the bonus pack is stupid, and way too expensive. Make it 10$ stand alone...
And then they use Gwen, that is such a cheap trick. They must be running low on funds...

thats what people have been trying to say, but gaile is totally avoiding the subject.

ive asked her in almost every thread she responded to about this option, and got no reply.

-edit-

and the sad thing is, people would buy these missions and they would get that extra revenue.

Exactly! Oh my, split the bonus up into the single missions, slap a 4€-pricetag on each and sell them separately. Or as pack, 15€ flat. I'd buy them.

There may be the doubt "if it is enough" - you know, people judge differently on things depending how they got it. You know what? Even if those missions would be so easy that I could "solo them naked with my mesmer"* in 20 Minutes, I'd be happy if I bought them - far happier than if I don't get my GWEN boxed and at a "normal"** price.

* Someone told me to do exactly that, once. Don't know exactly why.
** Ironically, stuff is sold cheaper by retailers than on ANet/NCsofts own Online Store. (which, considering the benefits of boxes/install CDs, is paying more for less, actually)

I'm impressed by the huge amount of players that attend the strike. I took a few screens to give an impression of it:

Temple of Balthazar - International District 1
Temple of Balthazar - International District 2
Temple of Balthazar - International District 3
Temple of Balthazar - International District 4
Temple of Balthazar - International District 5
Temple of Balthazar - International District 6
Temple of Balthazar - International District 7
Temple of Balthazar - International District 8
Temple of Balthazar - International District 9
Temple of Balthazar - International District 10
Temple of Balthazar - International District 11
Temple of Balthazar - International District 12
Temple of Balthazar - International District 13
Temple of Balthazar - International District 14
Temple of Balthazar - International District 15

Please note that districts 1 to 5 were full at first, so I took those screenshots later on. Feel free to mirror these screens to your own webspace, because I'm not sure how many data traffic my host allows me to have.

Ok, I understand their point.

For me, I'll just buy GWEN from the online store in order to get the missions, and although I'll miss the box and I'll have to pay a lot to download it I don't mind.

Although I'd rather the bonus missions were available on their own and when you spend over $30 and were perminant content rather than a 1 month only fling.

The bonus pack is FREE ffs. In the same way that skill pins are free if you show up at certain game cons. The fact that you would have to pay for the gas to get there and pay admission etc doesn't change the fact that the skill pins are free. I don't see people complaining about those.

I have said this time and time again; there is no CE for EotN.

Look at the offer.

The Guild Wars Mission Pack will be released sometime between November 1 and November 30, 2007. The contents will then be permanently available to the accounts of those who spend $29 USD (€26/£17) or more in the Official Guild Wars (online) Store between 12 p.m. (Noon) PST July 5, 2007 and 12 p.m. (Noon) PST October 31, 2007. This promotion is limited to one per account. The Guild Wars Mission Pack is not transferable and will only be available to the exact account that fulfills this promotion.

I'll interpret what that has to do with your post. You can get the Bonus Mission Pack when you spend over $29 in the Online Store, not when you buy EotN. The Online Store contains many things not available elsewhere. Therefore, you cannot say they are effecting the retailers in any way (legally speaking).

Another person who fails to understand the tech aspect of Guild Wars.

You do not have to download anything you would not normally be downloading when you buy from the Online Store. All data relevant to EotN is automatically downloaded/streamed slightly before it is released. All the CD has on it is the basic Gw.dat file that lets you execute the game.

I haven't had to touch any of my game disks since I got Prophecies. All data for Factions and Nightfall were downloaded/streamed to me automatically. I can access them only because I entered the keys that grant my account access.

skillpins dont = ingame content.

I just want a fair price for ALL items in the in game store and a better payment method. I mean £29.99 for nightfall, £19.99 for factions or the first guild wars???? They sell for £9.99 each now in shops also why do people from Europe have to pay an extra $10 to qualify for the mission promotion?

That is a part of the protest. The lag in europe, the price, and the lack of payment options people have there.

LOL I hope A-Net adds on to the bonus mission pack no and brings in more content and availability to get new rare items only there. I wish people would quit whining, its just a few bucks and if you cant get it, its not the end of the world you dont need to pull out the razor blade.

lol funniest thing ive seen yet today

QFT.

If you really want to "boycott" Guild Wars... don't buy GWEN!

Ever been outside the U.S.? To continental Europe for example? Let me know where you bought your prepaid CCs while you were there.

And besides what Gli said, which is very true, doesn't that also take away a large pre from online buying if we could get the CC prepaid? It would mean I'd still have to get out of my "lazy" chair.

Fact is that the way the GW store is set up right now, it's kind of ancient. They should update the possibilities and open themselves up to a bigger market. But instead it seems a lot of people who are content with the current paying method are working against those who would like to be able to buy from the store as well through different methods. Why is that? Does it really harm you if besides your option, more options become available?

So, who here wants to get on a totally ruin this thing with me? lol

In short, to answer your question: yes.

For the record, by all means Anet, increase your profits!

More means of payment = good.

For the record, I don't think we'll ever see Visa, MasterCard or anyone introduce prepaid CCs over here. They'd really only ever sell any to people who need one for a situation exactly like this: paying for an international online service that doesn't accept other modes of payment. In other words, the things would have no marketability at all.

They aren't playing, they're sucking bandwidth. They're leaving their games running when they normally wouldn't be logged-on.

Bandwidth costs money. No company likes spending money.

Man, really amazing that people really feel entitled to have content for free.

On the other hand I can understand the worries that this is the first step in a direction of which Anet always had said it would never go. Like pay 2 euro for an event or whatever.

Still, I dont think this is the case. They just want to make money. If you dont like that you can sit/strike whatever you want, but you ll never going to change that.

eh........how many times has Gaile said that this content is.........free?

You didn't read a single post before posting did you?You just saw sit down strike and saw some people complain about others complaining about having to pay,while that was not even the point of the discussion in the first place,some people just decided to jump on the wagon and add their own concerns.

We know they want to make money , we WANT to give them money, but guess what we CAN'T cause most of us here in Europe don't own a CC, your from the Netherlands ,you should know this.The main concern we put foward was that we will not be able to get the bonus missions which will be available for a limited time only, ow btw guess what, you probably wont be able to get it either.