Online spectator mode on the GW website - for people who DON'T have GW !!!!

I don't know how technically demanding this prospect is - but I think it has great long-term potential for GW and other games as well.

The idea is to have a live spectator "arena" on the GW website where select live GvG (PvP?) can be witnessed by anyone logging on. This "live arena" would be promoted on the major gaming sites, such as www.gamespot.com .... especially at the onset of major tournaments. This would serve as a great promotional tool to draw in the curious prospective GW customer to the GW website.

Ideally it would be nice to be able to retain the ability to toggle between different matches and switch between player POV (where you can see their interface and skillbar etc), but I understand this may be too technically demanding. At first, it might be reasonable to have a switching POV that is NOT user selectable - so all spectators are watching the same match from the same evolving POV. But I would insist that the matches were all "live." Recorded or streaming media would defeat the whole purpose of it.

The idea of a spectator mode isn't new ... but why restrict it to existing GW players? It could be one of the strongest promotional tools out there. Typical advertisement and the occasional news item are static ... a public spectator arena is a dynamic promotional machine!

If it's not technically feasable at this moment - at least it's something to look out for in the future. (And if, by chance, something of this sort IS implimented, a little ego-boosting in-game recognition for my small contribution wouldn't be unappreciated. )

Well FFXI has Vana'diel Wind, which gives you a live view of a given area.
I'm sure that what you're proposing could be done (and that it would be a heck of a lot more interesting than Vana'diel Wind).

haha... a live cam....

watch me and my friend get naught in front of the cay at 8:00, bring your credit cards.

thats a great idea. It would make a change from the usual "download the demo" thing, and give people a chance to view the action. Perhaps offer different views (third person, first person, overhead, sidelines, middle of the action) type things so that you could really get a feel for how a match plays out. Methinks leave out the chat though, as many pvp matches aren't really what you want the potential customer to be reading...

Yes it will definitely help ANET advertise the game.

I see no point in offering a unique form of advertising to a group of people who have the internet at their disposal and are already in the knowledge about upcoming/current releases.
A live spec mode has lots of disadvantages. What if people err7, abuse the other players or a match only lasts ten seconds?
It wouldn't appeal to me if i saw those happening.

Why a large title such as Guild Wars wasn't advertised on TV in a traditional manner, i don't know. TV has the potential to reach out to possible new customers who have never even heard of Guild Wars.
I remember watching call of duty on TV and that got me hooked. If it wasn't for the TV campaign, i wouldn't have ever bought it.

A live spec mode may seem fanciful but i think ArenaNet do a great job promoting Guild Wars with their videos and interviews.
I'm not sure if flogging a dead horse would be very effective.

TV FTW!

Damn double post. Bad start to the day.

The only potential problem I could see would be censoring. For example, don't have the camera viewing ToA when America doesn't have the favor. Some of the things that get said there would be worthy of a ban.

thats why i suggested you dont let them see the chat.

I don't think this would help the game.

Watching characters bash and cast spells on each other on 10 or so cramped, simple maps (ie: the Tombs maps) over and over again would get real boring, real fast.

I don't see how someone who watches a broadcast of that would be enticed to pick up the game. If anything, it would have a counterproductive sales effect IMO, with people saying "why would I wanna buy a game if that's all there is to PVP?"

Of course this may be entertaining to watch in some cases for people who understand what's going on with the spells and such, but the audience we're talking about in this thread would not be part of that.