Plea to Anet: Bundle GW1, with the purchase of GW2

As with all businesses, they are out to make money, but ArenaNet seem very proud of their creation, and I cannot see them just turning it off for the sake of profit. NCsoft, most likely, but not ArenaNet.

You missed the example entirely, you can replace the names with anything else that is an original with a sequel, it is the example that is being made that you should be looking at.

Similar to saying the same about any game. Use any game (with a sequel) you currently play and apply the example to it.

If <insert developer here> had the ability to "turn off" <insert original title here>, then players who play the second may want to play the first, but would be unable to.

I think you missed my point entirely. Bundling a free version of a stand-alone game costs the publisher nothing other than the small possible loss of future sales. Bundling GW1 for free, could cost ANet more server and bandwidth resources on an on-going bases.
It's like the difference between giving someone a free bed and giving them a bed in your house.

EDIT - I give up. It's obvious that some people can't see the difference between an online game (like GW or WoW) that is played on the companies servers, or an online game (Counterstrike, TFC, TF2) that is played on your server, and standalone games that play on your own PC or console. And, in the long run, why would I care?

No, he was right - The point if Mass Effect 1 would not get closed down is not of concern here.

The point is that, what is a sequel if you cant play the original? It kinda makes GW2, as a sequel moot.

That's the problem with making online sequels. D2 and SC are both over 10 years old. People can still play them. If GW1 gets closed down, nobody, not veterans not people coming in with GW2 will get the chance to play the original game.

ME1 does NOT have this problem. But if it did, it would suck. Because ME1 actually gives something to ME2, even though ME2 is the better and newer game. You see parts of the story the world, and the evolution of the gameplay!



You talk about more bandwith but it also sends a messege about - "wait.. so GW2 will only be alive for 5 years? But UO has been running since 1997, and that game never came close to 6 million sales! and SC and D2 are over 10 years old and run on free battle.net and are still widely played... but if GW1 gets killed after 5 years, then why should it surprise me that my GW2 characters get the axe in 5 more years, when GW3 rolls around?".

That a seriously depressing thought, when the cool thing about gaming online on the PC is that many online communities stick around. The old battlefields are still being played, counter-strike, CS, Quake 3... They have a larger lifespan.




But in the case of Guild Wars, despite being fairly populated right now - Its player base might(most likely) get chopped if Anet does not help it on its way to survive.
I see GW2 as a extention of GW1. I mean... you have the same world but jump forward in time. Why shouldnt you be able to play the already made game? take the servers away, and that experience and story is gone FOREVER.
It does not make sense from a business perspective to show weakness in your product like that. I know people who enjoy MMORPGs who would get very pissed off if the MMO they invested years in, only had a 5 year lifespan. Its not something people want to hear about. It raises uncertainty, and make people feel that GW2 will be a temporary stop to something better... Maybe many people will logically assume that Diablo 3 will stay alive for more than a decade because its predecessor did!?



Arenanet has to logically calculate how much money they are making. If the original trilogy is not selling anymore on steam or on retail, then for goodness sake, strengthen GW2 and give the trilogy as a freebie. then they might still get increased sales of EOTN. "you get 4 games for the price of one"! It already sounds great in the reviews.
And we all know that many people unfairly will judge this game based on reviews, particularly when they are going to spice up things that will make many people angry. People many places are cursing it for the route they are going with healers, comparing it to the failures of Fallen Earth which did the same.
It's being downright cocky, I think to assume that GW2 would not need it or benefit from it. And if GW2 could sell so much, there might be a considerable amount of people buying EOTN, increasing the sales of two titles.

Then they at least could make profit from the sequel AND the expansion instead to the first game, instead of just making money on the sequel! If the original trilogy(Prop, factions and nightfall) is still selling well on steam/retail I would urge them to just bundle one of the games, and make it new player friendly, and then that could be a catalyst for people to go out and buy the other games.
That's healthy business ethics. Not to leave your other products in the sand. Why invalidate yourself for the sake of the new product.

Thats like recieving a prostate leg for christmas, even though you have two perfectly healthy legs, and cutting on one of them off, just to use the prostate because you can! No, you would give the prostate leg to someone who needs it, who in return might give you something back, or deliver it back to the hospital where it was bought in exchange for an awesome pirate hook or something cool!

How many times do you have to be told Lawnboy Mower that Anet has nothing to do with keeping GW1 alive. NCsoft OWNS the rights to the game DISTRIBUTION and when they say it goes IT GOES no IF's AND's or BUT's about it. Anet just designs and creates content nothing more. They do not determine the life of GW1, GW2 or GW3 if there is one except by one reason and one reason alone....they get tired of programming the silly content for them.

You best just go back and look at past histories of DEVELOPERS, sure some publishers are still around but the majority of old developers from the 80's and 90's aren't with them anymore. Microprose, SSI, Broderbund, Sierra, 3DO just to name a few. Gone kaput bye bye dead no more. Even the origional developers of Everquest are gone. And now just look at your precious GW1 krew. 4 top important designers and feature players are GONE. When you see majors like this making moves you best get ready for something major to happen within the game and its life.

As far as Diablo II Blizzard has made so much money on WOW they could keep the servers up for that game an 100 more for lifetimes. Anet doesn't have that kind of clout nor made it nor will they make it. Anet has no $15 a month income per account like Blizzard doess so I have no fear that Diablo II won't be around for a long long time. But, GW1? hahah just wait and see pal just wait and see.

Plus you won't see them bundle it either with GW2 another mark my words and wait and see. They are not going to throw money out the window just to apease a small crowd like yours.

What makes you think this about NCsoft? They kept Lineage 1 alive even now, when Lineage 2 has been out for years?

Lineage 1 and 2 are pay to play games big difference but you seem to keep forgetting that.

And you seem to ignore the possibility that giving GW1 for free, might make people buy the additional campaigns and expansions = more revenue for NCsoft and Anet. Again, long term strategy.

In one of the friday updates, Anet said that they had planned as many as 8-9 stand alone campaigns like Factions and Nightfall... That was the idea, to update the engine and the game for many many years. Of course they stopped doing it because they couldn't keep up with a new expansion every year, with more and more professions and armor and skills for everyone. It multiplied itself too much and became to extreme to balance and make.

But the point still stands I think that the game was designed to stay alive for a very long time, and as other posters noted out, the server and bandwith upkeep gets decreased every year, and now that GW is over 5 years old, I think they can maintain the servers if they colide the servers and districts into one, to also condense the amount of players. Population will be nit tighter and it will be more international with asians, europeans and americans in the same district(s)!

I think again you underrestimate the importance of an IP and not making it invalid. Many sequels wouldn't be the same without the context of their predecessors, and that's what you don't seem to understand, but you also seem to have a personal grudge Guild Wars, and I wonder why you are even here, if you think the game is boring!

You answered your own question. Guild Wars is worth... MORE than giving it away for free.

All they need to do is make sure the HoM rewards in GW2 are decent enough that new players to 2 will spend a day and 10-20$ on GW1 and buy the items for the HOM that they want in 2.

They can still make plenty of money on GW1 by decreasing the price a bit so that players are willing to buy it just for the rewards in 2.

How about you work on something for 5 years and then hand it away for free... tell me how that works out for ya, ok?

It would be an insult to bundle GW1 with a game it shares little beyond lore in common. In fact, let's just name GW2 the "World of Guildcraft" so people aren't confused in thinking that the two are similar in playstyle.

...

If the game does not sell anymore, and has already run its course in retail. 2 + 2 = 5, dude. Seriously...


Secondly, I doubt they would do HoM rewards "more worth it" because they don't want to put people off who didn't play the first game. It's a balance.

I do agree there is no point in my mind in bundle'n Guildwars 1 with Guildwars 2
This sums it up well...



Edit:had to resist the need to feed the trolls

If they were to do that, I feel it'd be better for a collector edition. It wouldn't really do much for most people who would order said edition as a hard copy because I'm guessing 9/10 would have it already.

I think this would be more to the benefit of people who tend to buy via digital distribution as a motivator, as well as a reason for a higher price.

The thing with GW is that, it'll be a lot of fun at the first time but eventually I doubt you'll last from Prophecies through Eotn with no one to play alongside you. Just couple of friends will be enough motivation. Sadly that's what killed GW for me in the last 2 years. No friends anymore to venture along with..

Sure I can farm in UW mindlessly or complete some HM missions alone, but it's a chore for me without someone to talk to. So, yeah, as long as many people will start from 0 again together, I bet GW will still be very enjoyable. Bundling it will be a smart move for Anet.

Agreed. Especially if they could give a release date and then use it as a pre order incentive. You know order now get hyped for guild wars, "enjoy the game that started it all" sort of thing.

Personally I'd think it'd be better to give NF instead of prophecies the Heroes are the true beginners helper imo.