That really got me thinking.
Since Gaile seems to have flunked her college math courses big time with her 6 x 200% vs 4 x 100% logic, then again we can't blame her, she seems to have a penchant for communication skills as well as that certain quality possessed by all sales persons and lawyers alike, so I figured she is doing a real good job.
Since the loyal customers actually receive LESS (2 less account slots IS less), why not give them more in another way instead?
For one thing it is in the best interests of Anet's business model to sell as little content as they can get away with for as much money as *er humph* their loyal followers would bear, so why not seek to encourage such customers?
As it is Anet's marketing mouthpiece has stated that Guild Wars is a free game which requires no subscription fees to play, and it also goes to follow that if player Joe liked Prophecies, hates Factions, but liked Nightfall, he can simply buy 2 chapters and exactly what he wants! SURE.....
How about having a special locked area that comes with each and every chapter that is only released to players who have applied the keys of every released chapter to their accounts? To even further weed out the bottom feeders, incorporate a cutoff date for each chapter such that for each release's key it must be applied to your account (say) within 2 months of release. Afterall it is not in Anet's best interests to give goodies to cheapos who only pick up their AMAZING title when it is in the bargain bin!
The benefits of this?
1) Anet gains, obviously.
2) Core players will still get to enjoy the quantity and quality of content they have come to love and enjoy with the Prophecies(tm) campaign.
3) Think.. every SF-like/tombs area incluuded in for with each chapter!
4) Persuades people not to sit out on chapters, which is a definite win for Anet.
5) Doesn't even cost them anything, they can always incorporate the cost of producing this extra content into the pricing of each sale, and simply deny access to them from the bottom feeders.
6) Players who merge will, as usual, pay 50 dollars for another 2 discs packed full of fedex quests and to add salt to injury, receive 2 less account slots when the merge their accounts, but on the plus side, they will have exclusive access to content that is only available to them, solely because they have loyally been getting the short end of the stick! One extra incentive for merged accounts!
It doesn't even have to be very hard to implement, access to this zone can simply be restricted by a guard outside a zone who'd say "Oh <name>, I heard you have travelled far and wide and your name is heard all over Tyria and Cantha, we have some troubles here.. blah blah blah, Would you help us?" for the priviledges customers, and in contrast simply say "This area is sealed off due to <troubles> by <ruler's name> decree. What do you want to do?" (Player has no other choice other than to say "Nothing"). Nevermind the irony that a party of 8 is turned away by a single puny lvl 20 human
Of course, should anyone from Anet reads this, part of you will tinge to the sarcasm loaded in this post, but another part of you (let's just say the marketer in every business person) will find it so amazingly alluring and seksy and twisted
Discuss.
), while non-merged players will have to take a much harder/longer path to get to the outpost.
