Boycott the Storage Update!

Please try to use a little sense here. Do you want GW2 to come out in a timely manner? The time it would take to add the new content you would like, would add time on to the GW2 release. Be happy they are still adding something to the game and it is optional.

I bet a significant part of the community is not only not poor, but also willing to give the $10 (be it for the convenience of not having to swap chars/GWx2 accounts, "supporting Anet", or because they're rich and $10 is not much compared to other MMO monthly fees, for example).

In the end Anet is the one directly affected by how much people will buy it (they probably are paying for the provision of more space, hoping to get at least a certain number of purchase). We're only indirectly affected by bad sales.

Linsey already explained (see her wiki journal) the process they'd need for that and it requires a massive amount of resources that Anet hasn't commited to GW1.

/notsigned

I can't believe this fail thread isn't closed.

How many more times do we have to say OPTIONAL.

At the Gamestop down the block from me, GW Plat is 9.99 USD. Factions is 14.99 USD, and the rest are a little more. At Walmart, almost all of them are 9.99 USD.

Bad marketing is bad (even Linsey admitted that you're only paying for the convenience of not having to transfer items).

Seems to me whatever way you gain your storage is a win for ANET.

I'm actually suprised that there is an issue to begin with since this is a solution to a problem that is long overdue.

To put it simply. Running guild wars costs money. They money from us not from subscriptions, but by selling us content. The issue that we had was not enough storage, the issue they had was not enough server space to give us more storage. The solution is simple, create more server space which will be funded by sales of said storage. The fact that they are planning on giving everyone equipment storage and a slot for a third bag is a plus on it's own.

It's the same issue as extra character slots, if you don't want them, don't buy them, you'll get more storage for free anyway. Judging by the poll so far and ingame talk, most people are overjoyed that they are giving us this option and will happily pay the measly $10 for it.

Furthermore, Plaync are not a third party company. The are a Division of NCSOFT which handles sales and customer service.

Are you sure? 1 slot for this convenience forever = $10 = 1 month of WoW or any other monthly-fee MMO

We have no idea what's behind this pricing decision, but there can be a lot of very different scenarios (disclaimer: this is purely hypothetical, I have no insider information):
1) Anet decided to get more money to accelerate the release of GW2;
2) Anet needs this money to be able to release a bigger GW1 update later this year or next year;
3) Anet needs this money to be able to not downside their future GW1 projects;
4) compared to most products of similar features (i.e. not only storage space, but time to move stuff around) it's roughly what people pay;
5) given how people have bought stuff from the online store, $10 seems like a good value for this extra;
6) this is the actual amount +25% that is needed to expand their storage facilities without affecting server performance.

Unless you've made a marketing analysis of this yet-to-be-released offer (and you share it with us), it's just empty words.

7) They want to make a profit.

I don't blame them, but don't kid yourself. The mark-up is more than 25%.

if you have 32 characters and all of them are full on storage you seriously need to think about doing some cleaning...

I have to get involved in this thread.

Selling extra storage is just another step in Anet's movement to completely selling everything in the game for real money. They have already begun selling in game items/skills/slots and now they have moved on to selling "conviences". People need to stop with this "conviences" argument and get into their head that this nothing more than selling players a way to get around the game shortcoming of low storage capacity. We have moved far beyond the days of them just selling accounts.

I will not be shocked at all if many things in GW2 will be available for purchase from the beginning. This is the direction Anet has chosen.

Many people here are using the argument that it is ok because it is optional. This is a stupid argument for several reasons. What if god mode was optional for purchase? Would that be ok too? Also, it was optional for Anet to give us extra storage for free and they didn't. The idea that being optional in and of itself makes it ok is dumb. You have to give us better reasons.

Other people are saying that since there is no monthly fee it is fine for Anet to charge us for optional conviences. Hmm ok...but lets think for a second. For starters Anet lied to us because they explicitly stated in the past on numerous occasions that they would never sell in game items/conviences/etc. I will pull the quotes if I must, but it shouldn't be neccessary.

They should just come out and admit that they have changed their stance due to need of more money. They should come out and admit to us that their marketing system wasn't good enough on its own and they changed it along with everything else.

There are a lot of people who bought this game with the idea that in game crap wouldn't be sold for real money. I remember the good old days when skill was supposed to be the determining factor of everything in the game. Now I can spend real money to get anything I need in the entire game without even having to play. I can get infinite zaishen keys, infinite characters, infinite storage, infinite skills and items, and hell I can even buy a gold cape if I want to (not directly from Anet but I can sure as hell trade the items I bought from Anet and put in my bought storage from Anet to trade for one).

The worst part is the conviences (such as UAX and storage) should have been in the game from the beginning. The fact that they are being sold and it is ok is just sad to me. Anet selling storage is the equivalent of Blizzard selling an update that allows you to select more than 12 units in Starcraft. There would be a public outrage, but with Guild Wars it is ok! Anet has suckered all of you. Yes I know this post has went on several tangents, but I am trying to get my point across. I personally did not buy Guild Wars for all these optional purchases. If I wanted a game where I could buy everything in the game I have plenty of other options. Selling storage is just another step in Anet's path to selling everything. To me this is not what Guild Wars was supposed to be.

If I'm not mistaken, this new "MMO business model" was forecast about 2 years ago as the one that would be dominant in the future. Given the current economic climate, it becomes even more important to make money in the short term, if GW2 has to have any chance of not being "handicaped" (Anet has no monthly fee to be protected from the current economic climate, see Activision Blizzard Q4 2008 loss but profit over a year).

I believe what Linsey said, and to me that seems the only reason why I'd buy this, because I'm seriously fed up of swapping char and exchanging items in my Xunlai Storage. GWx2 may be convenient but it's eating my comp resources, and the prospect of simply sharing everything via the Xunlai Storage is worth some money (I haven't bought anything GW-wise in a while, people would shout that this is a blasphemy to the concept of f2p game are unrealistic or greedy).

Very bad comparison: the storage brings no game advantage whatsoever. It's a feature that allows you to spend less time swapping chars/accounts. Every1 has been playing for years without it, it was difficult but perfectly doable. It was about the way you have to manage your storage. Now you're offered an easier way to do it.

We already know this can't happen. Linsey said that they can't further expand the inventory window (F9) because it will result in an increased minimum resolution requirement.

Incorrect. This is what she said:

If we decide to increase bag sizes (which we would like to do at some point) we will need to increase the minimum resolution available.

So they'll attempt at one point to increase it, together with the game requirements.

Fine...I just want Anet to come out and say everything is different now, because I am going by all previous accounts of what they said.

I disagree. I think it can offer advanges in many situations for many people.

Same thing with the example I gave.

Instead of being given an easier way to do it. They are selling a way around a game shortcoming and something people have been complaining about for years! That is even worse than selling something that is more than neccessary like character slots (which are often used specifically for more storage I might add). But what if they were selling everything else people have been wanting for years now? Auction house? Name changer? Hair stylist? Blah blah blah. When do you draw the line? Its either all or nothing, there is no in between.

Minimum resolution, as in 1024*768?

/BOYCOTT this bs or say goodbye to the good old GW business model.

Starting with EotN they're giving us much less for much more and this trend is only expanding, getting to absuridiculous proportions with this new offer.

Next step if you support it: Single storage slots for $1 each, buy as many as you want!

Next step: GW2 with very very little features, slots and storage space if you buy just the base game. Whole game designed in a way so you HAVE to buy A LOT of OVERPRICED $10 microtransactions crap to be able to comfortably play the game. So you'll end up paying as much as for a monthly fee game, but you'll be still playing game supported and updated like a FREE game, because it's all OPTIONAL.
ultimate failure.

It should stop NOW - it may be a point of no return. A point of Death.

Well,i cant disagree.
If things like this keep happening more and more,and you get to a point where there is a "premium account",means one thing.

/notsigned.

(Didnt read the whole QQ fest, dont care. Just here for my vote and 2c )

I appreciate that there went a lot of work into this and that people who did this draw salaries every month. I do think the $9.99 tag is a bit heavy for some peeps though. $4.95 would have been so much more like it...

Anyway, more than happy about the other stuff I saw in the update notes.
A

It is optional.

Buy it or not.

If you dont, you'll have as much storage as you do now.

When it goes live, you still get an equipment slot per character for free.


I didnt play guild wars because theres no monthly fee, but reading this thread, it appears alot of folks do.

Stricly speaking, nothing is different. When they offered the BMP for buying stuff in the online store or character slots, the game itself still followed the same model. We're talking about little things (althoug, as I said before, I'd prefer a "smaller" price tag on these storage tabs).

What advantages?

You mean uber-mode? This is ridiculous, storage tabs aren't the same as game mechanics element (unless you show a convincing "advantage", see above).

(EDIT: if they did that, even me, that people will label me "fanboy" undoubtedly, will quit GW1 and not buy GW2)

They're going to offer everyone something free, probably the equipment pack. Plus a one-time promotional offer on the storage tabs.

What were you expecting? "Free 5 storage tabs for all"?

We're customers, we'll collectively judge that and Anet's marketing decision directly affect them. It's how things work, not following some theoretical model (look for example at how many pages it took for people to start listen to the "convenience" explanation instead of solely invoking the "it costs less to buy a char slot/account").

Anet may be risking the future of their company by not taking action. I said "may" because it's only one possibility. As customers, we're not in a position to judge the economic health of Anet.

You dont get it.
First of all,boycotting this has "alterior" motives.
The thing is,they are selling every little thing for real money.
You want skills!5$
You want storage space!10$
You want 100? 20 $
You want premium accounts! 50 $

Thats about how it goes.A few "free" MMOs have already experienced it.
First it is realy too much,secondly it is even worse because it doesnt give a advantage,because that means it is a thing that should have been done when the game first came out!
Your ignorance is making me /sign this.

Using "optional" as an argument DOES NOT work. Everyone alreadys knows its optional. That does not solve the issue one bit.

The issue is whether the option is worth the money.

Its fair to say its not worth the money due to the fact that you can buy a whole content for the same price. You can buy a whole extra character slot for the same price. Those are examples of solid reasons possibly against the $10 per panel.

Come up with real reasons why the price fits the product or doesn't fit the product.

If the pane is $10 or a new char is $10 wouldn't you just buy the new char to use a pack animal. Once you give it the extra bags the new char has more storage doesn't it, and its get a mini every year just for standing around (I have a 3 year old mesmer in Ascalon lvl 3 with full bags now). Not sure point of the poll other than will you or won't you buy extra storage, I guess I would if I coouldn't buy any more chars (of course I still have two more accounts to load up with junk *ahem* PRICELESS TREASURES)

Not one thing they are offering is NEEDED for you to play the game.
Everything being SOLD is things that the PLAYERS have ASKED for, and are as far as gameplay goes irrelevant.
You want the BLING, pay for it.

dumb thread is dumb

I think some of the people here would really flip out if they found out I spent money on a universal remote control even though I already had a remote control for everything, or an expensive KVM for my computers (expensive at this resolution - 2560x1600) even though I could have just switched cables every time I wanted to use another computer (or used VNC/RDP for that matter since its local).

Yeah, I have a budget that includes luxury expenses. Convenience is a luxury and I'm all for it. 10 dollars per slot may not be optimal, but it's not a rip-off in my mind (for some making minimum wage they value the dollar differently than me since it's harder to come by) and it sure beats the hell out of switching characters or accounts back and forther to move stuff around.

10 dollar account (run or switch between 2 clients) < 10 dollar character slot (log out of current character and switch through mules to find what I'm looking for) < 10 dollar tab (it just works) in my mind. I can afford to be lazy and not be inconvenienced. If it was 20 or 50 dollars per tab, then even I may have problems with the convenience/value ratio, though someone in a much larger pay category than me may disagree.

remember, the "I am Rich" app did sell. to me that was a waste of moeny, but to the people that had more money than they knew what to do with, it wasn't a waste because their socks probably cost more than that (hello Ms Hilton).... value is always relative to the amount you have compared to the amount you need. kids don't value it until their parents won't pay for it, then their value is skewed because they don't have any. people with money don't value it as much as those that don't because they have a surplus. I'm off work today, but judging by the forums I take it there are a lot of non-workers here or at least people that have plenty of time in the middle of the day (excepting those surfing from work) :-)

The Beatles made this simple:

Let It Be

/not signing till I see the update and how it affects the game. Also not sure what "various sizes means" as in how large/small.

Good point here, thing is i got a feeling for gw2 anet will deliberetly skimp on storage for and just sell extra storage in the store.

Of course anet gonna give the playerbase a free storage upgrade, it makes people forget that more and more stuff is making its way via the online store.

There's now nothing to stop anet skimping on game features and selling it in the store, if its optional its ok right?

Ultimate argument.

MotherRED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GOing Anet giving me a free bag slot on all of my characters, giving a xunlai storage upgrade, AND THEN having the audacity to charge me money if I want even more storage. Next thing you know they will be trying to make money and start a business or something.

There has never been anything stopping them from doing that on day 1 of the guild wars store. But they haven't. Go whine to Capcom who decided to charge $5 to unlock the multiplayer mode of RE5, Anet has yet to charge for actual game-relevant features.

Nodakim=wants everything for free. <how exactly do you think these guys meet payroll? i mean they are entitled to meet budget right? If you want free play runescape. OOOPS thats not free either. you listed all these "OPTIONS" you need to pay a SMALL fee for. note the CAPS on OPTIONS and SMALL.

to GRJ. A-net is entitled to do whatever they like with Guild Wars. it belongs to them. They simple sell you a liscence to use it. If they decide to charge for OPTIONAL features, thats for them to decide. so to answer your sarcastic question. yes it is ok if its optional. until you are a stockholder in the company you can just excercise your rights as a consumer. No more no less.

Most avid gamers spend countless thousands on games and expansions over the years yet cry like 5 year old girls when a game that has no monthly fee charges a few bucks for OPTIONAL game upgrades.

whatever


Cronk

Yes, and their business model relied on selling new content every six months or so, which they dropped in order to bring us GW2. GW2 is delayed, so they dropped the ball.

What is this, a bake sale? I will pay $4.00 for a box of Girl Scout cookies because they are a non-profit organization. ANet is in business to make a profit.

If I go to a restaurant, it doesn't matter how much I like the owner; if he tries to charge me $25 for a peanut butter sandwich, I am going to laugh and walk away. If he wants to charge me $25 for gnochi in a hazelnut cream sauce with a side of steamed asparagus, well then I'll play ball.

I will not just give my money to a company because I like them. There has to be value there. If ANet charged $3-5 for the tab, I could see myself buying it. If they offered another expansion for $20, I may purchase it. That is the support I will give the company. If they say, "We are closing the servers because we are broke, give us money," I would say thanks for the good times and go play Team Fortress 2. They are not giving us free gaming, we had to buy the game. They simply didn't follow up on the business model they had, which was a 'pay for new content' model. That is their mistake, not ours. We kept our end of the bargain (by buying the campaigns, character slots, extra accounts, etc.), and maintaining the play environment is theirs.

I think the point is that people have paid a lot of money, in various forms, and haven't recieved considerably new content. Granted, a lot of people complain about stupid crap. There is a big difference though between complaining and constructive criticism; when you pay for something, you have every right to have an opinion on it.

For those who say we should be forever grateful to ANet, I feel like those are the same people who are always happy to have whatever scraps are tossed their way in life. I prefer to let my displeasure be known. If we are vocal in what we are unhappy with (and for that matter, are very happy with), it allows ANet to provide a better product in the future at a price that more people will pay. In the end, I hope it makes them profitable, and us happy gamers. There is no reason we can't both win in this scenario.

Please, never compare Guild Wars to ANY free MMORPG with "pay to item/bonus" option. Storage, unlock packs DOES NOT give you advantage over others in terms of balance. Premium items in every single free MMORPG does. See the difference?

First, when i saw "9,99 for storage" thingy, i was kinda suprised, but then i though "hey, nice idea, keep it on!". And i still think like this. Its fair option. You get free storage upgrade too, if you want moar, go ahead and buy it. Except one thing - it should be cheaper than character slots, cuz that makes no sense.

I see now problem with it. Especially as they're also giving up a Weapons/armor storage, and that, I believe, is free.

So, my character storage will be automatically less stressed because of that, and if I need extra panes of xunlai storage, I'l simply buy that one pane at a time.

As things stand, I don't see myself buying any panes soon. But it's nice to know the option's there for when I'll need it...

who the hell really cares... they're trying to get some more profit, since they are not making another chapter. Who the hell do you think has to pay people to run the damn servers of the games you play.

Don't like it? don't buy it.

I have 10 PvE characters and each of them has at least 3 armor sets.This update will be giving me more than enough extra storage space, even if I don't get that one free Xunlai tab.

If you don't like the price, then go buy a char slot which gives more storage for your money and a free mini-pet every year.

A-Net gave us more free storage and some buy-able storage. For that, I am thankful.

/Not Signed.

The game is free to play. Charge for all the extras.
$10 Extra Characters
$10 per Extra storage panes
$10 to change facial features / hairstyle
$25 to change character names
etc...

If you don't want to pay, enjoy playing the game for free, and thank Anet for the opportunity.

Yeah...right.... Out of $4.00 box of girl scout cookies, the girls get to keep about 16% or $0.64. The rest goes to the money grubbing businesses (about $1.00 to the bakery, and about $2.36 to the national girl scout council for adminstrative costs...ie. their paychecks and benefits). So if I have a choice between $4.00 box of girl scout cookies and $10 Anet purchase, in my opinion there is no difference, the money is essentially going to businesses to make a profit. Better to donate the $4 straight to the girl scout local troop so they get 100% of the money. And with Anet, you have a choice to buy or not to buy. I like the business model myself. Charge for upgrades instead of monthly fees. I think $10 is pushing it, but that is personal opinion. This is probably a marketing test for GW2 to see just how much people will pay for various upgrades.

Give me a choice between donating $4 to the cute little girl scouts directly (not falling for the cookie profiteering scam), or giving my $4-5 to Anet for another page of Xunlai... hmmm... well... I guess I won't hear the little girl scouts crying on the other side of my front door when I slam it shut and run back to my 'puter.

If we get something for free with the option to buy more, thats great, but I have to say that $10 is a little pricey for what you get. $5 seems a bit more reasonable.