Do a large update because of the recession?

Oh, they're spending. Trust me, are they spending.

This recession makes me glad more than anything else that I work at a Gamestop, because the video game industry really is more or less recession-proof. I know my store did a significant amount more in sales than they did the same time the year before. People are still buying games because you spend $50-60 at a time and that can easily be entertainment for a month or two.

At any rate, I'd rather Anet work on GW2.

It's not really recession proof. Tons of layoffs and company restructurings this year. We might see some big closures this year at this rate. I assume Anet is safe because they sure charged enough for all their GW stuff, and NCSoft isn't in any rush to drop one of their few success stories.

Right, but the GW1 live team is very small. If ANet wanted to get the content out in a reasonable time, the GW1 live team wouldn't be able to do it alone. If it takes them ~3 months to update storage and the hall of monuments, how long do you think it'll take them to develop new content? Either the content would be released in quite a long time, or they take people working on GW2 to help so it can be released in a reasonable time. Either way, it's quite pointless. As much as I'd love to see new content like Sorrow's Furnace, it isn't going to happen.

Arkantos, would it be reasonable to say that once GW2 is out, all new contents for GW1 will cease to exist? I mean there would be no point for A-Net to invest in GW1 once they roll out GW2?

It’s a proven fact that people when laid off hang on to there video games as long as they can. Saw it on CNN so it has to be right So a major update and added content would be Awesome. CC waiting……… Sorrow Furnace…. Dredge anyone ???? They have to have a home in there somewhere.

What if the content was less graphic related things and more gameplay related things?

Such as:
1. Improved hero/hench AI
2. Improved mob AI in HM
3. Go through all the games and redo the mob skills and group composition.
4. Changing proph and factions weapons to be inscribable
5. Add some more weapons crafters to both add a money/mat sink and make a larger variety of weapons and offhands available.
6. Add a few small quests here and there.
7. Large skill balance
8. Make the proph 15 point quests happen earlier (like in presearing or just after it for example).

That wouldn't require much in the way of graphics so it'd be easier to do with fewer people.

How about in game monthly / weekly / contest? Something the average non elite solo person has a chance at winning. Something the average person that does not have to spend too much time to acquire.

Contest like this (for example)

Fort Aspenwood- Same as it is currently set (No Change) All entered start at a unique starting area (warped there by tournament agent from battle isle) You only get one access during the tournament. It opens 30 min before the tournament starts. While at this area you are set into a random selection of teams (No choice on sides) winners move on to next match. Losers are sent to battle Isle. Play goes on till there is only 1 team standing. Winners get a prize of z-keys / mini pet / trip to A-net to see the development of GW2 first hand Etc….

This could be done weekly to all sorts of things from Mission completion (fastest time) to Jade Quarry to Scavenger hunts etc…

so u agree that april's "big content update" isnt really a "big content update"?
(anet's exact words btw)


bolded for emphasis
anet: plz read

I think a recession may help a non-monthly fee game like GW sell better. People dont spend on luxury goods during a recession but they spend on comfort goods instead. GW is not a luxury item, it is not expensive and it makes people forget of their worries for awhile.

Releasing a new game like GW2, however, can be problematic because GW2 has to sell for a higher price than GW. And because it is a seperate realm, its success depends on whether it can get a critical mass of people to buy into it and join in.