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ArenaNet says 'responsible' MMO companies give away content 'for free'
ArenaNet is launching an all-out assault on subscription MMOs, according to a forum post by game designer Colin Johanson. "Guild Wars 2 will feature consistent free content updates and in-game events going forward. Our goal is to make it so you get more from GW2 for free than you get from a game you pay a subscription for," he told fans. The company isn't abandoning the concept of profit for a barter economy just yet, though. The Black Lion Trading Company will feature additional offerings as well as "large-scale expansion content down the road," according to Johanson. "We do appreciate that you'd like to buy lots of new content, but we'd prefer to give a lot of it to you for free, because that's what we think a responsible MMO company does," he said. [Thanks to Jamal for the tip!]
Flameseeker Chronicles: The game at the end of Guild Wars 2
Let's hear it for information! Last week ArenaNet developers Eric Flannum and Colin Johanson streamed a "TAD talk" (that apparently stands for The ArenaNet Developers, but I prefer to think it's something along the lines of Truthy And Designerrific or The Answer Dump) about endgame in Guild Wars 2. There was some pretty neat stuff. This, as a necessity, pretty much all relates to PvE. Sure, you could argue that PvP is endgame, as in it's something-to-when-you-are-level-80, but when you consider the way that PvP works in Guild Wars 2, it's actually something you do anytime you like. That might be all the time; that might be none of the time. So PvP and WvW will always be waiting there with open arms for you when you need to spice up your in-game life. They are constant. You don't fight your way up to level 80 and then think, "Gee, I'm competitive in PvP now!" That's part of ArenaNet's design philosophy. The team has a stated goal of not wanting to change the game drastically for endgame. If you're at the point in time that's marked "endgame," you've ostensibly enjoyed the game for the last 80 levels (otherwise, why on earth would you not quit?), so what ArenaNet doesn't want to do is suddenly give you something completely different to fill your days. That leaves some people feeling like there is no endgame because the endgame in Guild Wars 2 is strikingly similar to the rest of the game.
ArenaNet devs talk legendary weapons, endgame, and more
Have you always wanted to wield a unicorn bow and shoot trails of rainbows? (We know you have; don't lie to us.) If you have, ArenaNet developers Eric Flannum and Colin Johanson have confirmed today that Guild Wars 2 is the game for you. The two devs took to Guild Wars 2's Twitch page today to talk about late- and endgame content and progression for the game. To begin with, they talked about Orr, the erstwhile city of the gods, which has recently been turned into the abode of the dragon Zhaitan and his reanimated minions. Orr has no renown hearts, the quest-like activities that have been known to litter the lower-level areas, "because there are generally very few friendly NPCs in Orr." Instead, players' focus in Orr will be on huge events. There are roughly twice as many dynamic events in the Orrian areas as in other explorable zones; many of these are tied together as nets, rather than simple chains. Events tend to have farther-reaching effects than we've seen so far in lower-level areas, putting emphasis more on holistic zone control and cooperation than in the early game. Johanson suggested that players will need to recapture the fallen temples of the old gods and then keep control of those while also pushing deeper into the zone and fighting baddies at the frontlines.
Colin Johanson talks about Guild Wars 2 betas and more
In an interview posted this week, Colin Johanson, Lead Content Designer for Guild Wars 2, took the time to talk with Guild Wars 2 Hub about the importance of beta weekend events, ArenaNet's design process, and the company's attitude as launch gets ever closer. Johanson talked about how "incredibly nerve-wracking" taking the first demo to Gamescom two years ago was and how those nerves have transitioned steadily into "excitement as the game edges closer to release with each beta weekend." He also described how the beta events invigorate the team and get everybody champing at the bit to get back into making the game better. "Pride and hubris are dangerous things in this industry, though," he added, saying that the team members work diligently to listen to and incorporate feedback and remember who it is they are making the game for.
ArenaNet asks of Guild Wars 2, 'Is it fun?'
Colin Johanson, Lead Content Designer for Guild Wars 2, has just posted an update to the ArenaNet blog. In it, he discusses some of the company's philosophy regarding measuring the success of Guild Wars 2 and how best to achieve that success. A big part of that philosophy is to constantly evaluate how fun the game is and whether that fun makes the content compelling enough to stand on its own. To that end, he relates that the fairly standard gear treadmill has been more or less removed from the game. While there is item progression through levels, rare items are made desirable by visual, not statistical, distinction. Dungeons, rather than having a tiny chance of dropping high-demand items, reward players with tokens that can be traded for items. Within those dungeons, variations have been made possible so that players can choose different routes to explore rather than be forced to do the same exact run again and again.
Player's real-life journey honored in Guild Wars 2
Guild Wars player Kelly Wells became inspired to go on a real-life adventure due to her explorations of Tyria and an encouraging TED talk -- and so she did it. Starting from Maine, Wells and her faithful dog crossed America to California by foot, ending the trip with a visit to ArenaNet in Seattle. The developers were so impressed by Wells' journey that they decided to make her part of Guild Wars 2. In a new ArenaNet blog post, Lead Content Designer Colin Johanson shares how bowled over the devs were when they met Wells and why her epic journey had to become part of Guild Wars 2. "If we all took that perspective on life, deciding to make positive changes and refusing to let anything get in our way, it'd be amazing to see how much we'd all be able to accomplish," Johanson said. The team then collaborated to come up with a similar figure for its upcoming title. Thus was born Ameranth, a Sylvari explorer who traverses the width of Tyria with her trusty dog, Anna. When players encounter her, Ameranth is known to say, "Ever since emerging from the Pale Tree, I've had the itch to see what the world has to offer. And what better way than with my own two feet?"
Flameseeker Chronicles: Dynomatic
After the first mostly-open beta weekend event, reaction to the dynamic event system of Guild Wars 2 is mixed. Some people see it as the revolution of gameplay that was promised, others think it's a refreshing and solid system, and others feel that it falls short. All of those are fair, although it mightn't be hard to guess that I don't share all of those opinions. Some people expecting the dynamic event system to be the trumpet that would herald the arrival of the salvation of the MMO world were rather let down. There've been a couple of bits of confusion about the nature and scope of dynamic events, so let's look into them.
Take a behind-the-scenes tour of ArenaNet's (totally awesome) offices
Guild Wars 2 fans are surely champing at the bit to get their hands on the game next week in the game's first public beta weekend, but you know what's cooler than taking part in GW2's beta weekends? Doing so at ArenaNet's offices in Seattle, which is exactly what the folks at Eurogamer got to do just recently. Not only did they get the opportunity to sit down and play the Guild Wars 2 beta with the team, but they also got the chance to chat with many of the key figures behind it all. Virtually every department of development is represented in the lengthy article, which includes interviews with head honcho Mike O'Brien, QA manager Mike Zadorojny, art director Daniel Dociu, lead content designer Colin Johanson, and many, many more. So if you're interested in a behind-the-scenes look at the studio behind what could be this year's biggest MMO, just head on over and check out the full piece.
Guild Wars 2 to provide private server functionality? [Updated]
One of the more interesting reveals to come out of the post-PAX news glut is a blurb about player-created PvP servers in Guild Wars 2. Yeah, we did a double-take as well, and the post over on MMORPG.com is pretty light on the actual details while promising more info later in the week. Apparently, ArenaNet's Colin Johanson and Eric Flannum let slip that GW2 will allow players to "create and host their own servers or games with specific rule-sets as well." The thread title mentions PvP servers, but the "specific rule-sets" bit above seems to indicate that the mechanic could cater to roleplayers, PvEers, or any number of other specialized groups who desire a customizable play experience apart from the meddling masses. Is Guild Wars 2 following the trail that Neverwinter Nights blazed a decade ago? Is it all a misunderstanding? It looks like we'll find out later this week. [Update: ANet has clarified this topic by posting the following: "In the interview {Eric} mentioned that we are considering allowing players to 'create' their own PvP servers, it is not for certain. And we never mentioned anything about 'private PvE server' -- that is something we will definitely not do."]
The MMO Report: Guild Wars 2 edition
In today's MMO Report, Casey Schreiner takes his viewers to Bellevue, Washington for a trip to ArenaNet's offices to preview Guild Wars 2. Casey talks to two members of ANet's team: Game Designer Jeff Grubb and Lead Content Designer Colin Johanson. Jeff spends most of his time filling Casey in on the lore of Guild Wars 2, detailing the story that leads to the alliance between the Humans and the Charr and the addition of the other three races of the game. He also discusses how the choices players make will influence their story experience. Colin, on the other hand, is more focused on the gameplay end of things. He talks about how the game's classes will function without the omnipresent holy trinity, explaining that classes can fill various roles, which can be swapped between in combat. Dungeons are another topic covered, and Colin explains the differences between the story mode dungeons (which are more casual, story-driven experiences) and the exploration mode dungeons (which are tailored for more hardcore players seeking a challenge.) For the full, info-packed video (plus an inside look at the swanky ArenaNet offices), click on past the cut!
Guild Wars 2 is skill-based, says lead designer
Although Guild Wars 2 has had many reveals lately, much of the game is still shrouded in mystery, and ArenaNet has generally remained tight-lipped about specific game information. However, in a recent interview with Guild-Hall.cz, Lead Designer Eric Flannum did let fans in on a few tidbits. A concern for a lot of players is skill vs. level. Flannum revealed that skill will play a significant role in Guild Wars 2 and clarified it by saying, "For really large level spreads of say 10 or more levels, then the gear and raw power of the character is going to be a huge factor. When you are talking about smaller level differences then skill plays a very large role." Given the more action-based combat mechanics of the game, we think this makes a lot of sense. In a related question, Flannum was asked about the quality of dropped gear vs. crafted gear. "It will be possible to craft items that are comparable in power to the best items available through drops and other rewards," he assured readers. For the whole interview with Flannum and designers Jon Peters, Jeff Grubb, Colin Johanson, and Ree Soesbee, hop to Guild-Hall.cz.
Guild Wars 2's Johanson: MMO class trinity is "tired"
Have you ever wondered where all the hype comes from regarding Guild Wars 2? Sure, the original game was a financial success, and the sequel has NCsoft's considerable financial muscle behind it. When you get right down to it, though, ArenaNet is a company with one game to its credit, yet the firm still has the courage to openly challenge Blizzard as well as the rest of the crowded MMO market. In a new interview at Eurogamer, lead content designer Colin Johanson says ANet's success and confidence largely stem from a culture of creative fearlessness. How does this attitude translate into a next-gen MMO? Johanson says the best example is the dev team's willingness to scrap one of the themepark MMO genre's sacred cows: the holy trinity. "We're basically saying, listen, this as a core game mechanic is tired, we can do something better, we can do something more interesting than this," Johanson explains. The interview also touches on ArenaNet's release-it-when-it's-done mantra, and Johanson elaborates on why Guild Wars 2 has been so long in the making. "We're going to do all of this, we're going to make this the game that offers something for everybody, and we're going to get that right, and if it takes us a little longer to do that, the trade-off is totally worthwhile," he said. Head to Eurogamer for the full report.
Redefining MMOs: More developers weigh in
In 2009, the staffers of Massively were more than aware of the changes happening in the MMO industry. The game was changing; technology was allowing the MMO to step out of its turn-based comfort zone and take on new challenges. We began to see the MMO-shooter, the MMO-RTS, and the MMO-does-that-even-fit-in-a-genre. The staff penned a series of articles called Redefining MMOs. Have things changed in two years? On the surface, I'd say no. We still can't figure out exactly what an MMO is. If you ask six different people the same question, you'll get six different answers (if not more). In fact, while I was at PAX East, I did just that. I spoke to six different designers: three from the most anticipated games of this year, two from studios that have been doing this MMO thing for a long time, and one from a studio that refuses to label its game as an MMO. After the break, find out what developers of Guild Wars 2, Star Wars: The Old Republic, City of Heroes, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Lord of the Rings Online, and Firefall have to say about the new definition of MMOs.
Flameseeker Chronicles: The best souvenir from PAX East
When Massively staffer Larry Everett was writing about a PAX East panel he attended, he asked me to help him find a picture of Colin Johanson. I begged him to use the one above, created by GuildWars2Guru member Rolin, but my pleas were unheeded. Since today's Flameseeker Chronicles is in part about Colin, I finally got my way -- albeit indirectly. Since I didn't get the pleasure of attending PAX East, Larry sent me a wonderful souvenir: recordings of a couple of casual chats he had with Colin and Mike Zadorojny all about the MMO industry and Guild Wars 2's place in it. They were such fun to listen to that I decided to share some of them with you guys in today's column. Follow along after the jump for the best bits of Larry's discussion with these two!
PAX East 2011: The future of MMOs from the mouths of the developers
The PAX East panel that almost made me late for the Star Wars: The Old Republic Meet 'n' Greet was a panel hosted by MMORPG.com and featuring some of the heavy hitters in MMO development for this year. I am certainly glad I did not skip this one. This was the chance for the fans to hear what the future of MMOs will bring from the people who are making them. Let me give you a rundown of the panel members -- and tell me you don't just stand in awe of these guys: (from left to right) Curt Schilling, the founder of 38 Studios; Craig Alexander, the VP of Product Development for Turbine; Jeremy Gaffney, Executive Producer at Carbine Studios; Scott Hartsman, Executive Producer for Trion Worlds; Brian Knox, Senior Producer for En Masse Entertainment; James Ohlen, Creative Director for BioWare; and Colin Johanson, Lead Content Designer for ArenaNet. The opening question really set the stage for the panel. It let us know where the minds of these producers and executives are. The question was simple: Where do you see online games going in the next 10 years? Follow after the cut to find out their thought provoking answers.
Guild Wars 2 unleashes a new demo for PAX East!
ArenaNet is always reaching beyond the players' expectations. The demo at PAX Prime received incredible reviews from most people who played it. It even turned the heads of a certain reporter who was there for another game entirely. Unfortunately, Community Manager Martin Kerstein said in a recent entry on the ArenaNet blog that the most exciting thing ANet has planned for the upcoming PAX East is the presence of Game Designer Colin Johanson. The smart-alec Kerstein followed that up with, "Oh, and in addition to Colin, we will have a brand-new Guild Wars 2 demo for you, with loads of new content." He did not elaborate on the specifics but promised to reveal that at a later date. In addition, Lead Graphics Programmer Jim Scott has created an iPad application called Sketch Club, and ArenaNet would like to see what its fans can produce with the creative tool. This month, the team is throwing a Guild Wars 2 armor competition. Use a Guild Wars 2 character model as a start, then create the best armor you can think of with Sketch Club. For all the information on everything ArenaNet is doing at PAX, jump to the announcement, or if you're interested in joining the GW2 Armor Compo check out the contest rules.
An ArenaNet retrospective: "We're not a video game company, we're a community building company"
"I don't think I've seen a studio more passionate about its work." Massively contributing editor Larry Everett made this comment regarding ArenaNet in our recent Staff Choice Awards, and his timing couldn't have been better. ArenaNet has begun 2011 in a big way with the ArenaNet retrospective. The 15-minute video is a trip back in time to the earliest days of ArenaNet and Guild Wars, but it doesn't stop there. Over 20 ArenaNet team members give their perspectives on where the company has been, where it's going, the company's take on Guild Wars 2, and what makes it great. If you loved the Manifesto video, you're likely going to find this one an even bigger treat. Follow along after the jump to see the ArenaNet retrospective video and Massively's take on it.
Quaggan sad: A look back at the Guild Wars 2 Dynamic Events panel
At the top of my to-do list for Saturday morning at PAX was Designing Dynamic Events, a Guild Wars 2 panel with designers Eric Flannum and Colin Johanson. Talk and video of the panel have been everywhere this week, and I wanted to take a little bit of time to give my thoughts on what they did and how it was received. The panel was billed as a discussion about "how Guild Wars 2 designers create events in the dynamic, living game world and the many factors to consider when designing any kind of MMO content." It sounded interesting, but it was a ticketed event with limited attendance, which seemed strange to me. I managed to get a ticket and was even more confused when I walked into the relatively tiny room. Why such a small place for something that would certainly have drawn a huge crowd? It all became clear very soon, so follow along after the cut to hear more about my take on the new things we learned in Designing Dynamic Events.
Flameseeker Chronicles: PAX 2010 travel diary
It's Sunday night and PAX is over. My iPhone and laptop are screaming for mercy. It's been a wild ride, I have the Con Crud, my feet hurt so much I keep checking to make sure they're not stumps, and all I want is to turn the clock back to last Friday so I can do it again. I had appointments and interviews with so many different game studios, and I was excited about every single one of them, but you guys know I was making Guild Wars 2 a top priority. I squeezed in time to indulge at every opportunity and have a lot to say. When I was spending time with Guild Wars 2 this weekend, something struck me over and over. Every employee whom ArenaNet could possibly spare from the office was there in force. I asked at one point and was told that every person wearing that white shirt was an ArenaNet employee. They were out there doing everything they could to spend time with the fans, and more than one developer told me that it was a huge thrill to finally be able to share all of this with people who love it as much as they do. The inability to share all of this exciting news has been as frustrating for them as it was for us, but it was for a good cause, and I think every fan at PAX this weekend agreed it was worth the wait. With that in mind, it was an easy decision to share my weekend experiences and photos with you guys for today's Flameseeker Chronicles. Follow along after the jump while I go find more Nyquil.
ArenaNet preparing for gamescom and PAX
As gamescom and PAX approach, a fair amount of attention is on ArenaNet -- specifically Guild Wars 2. The prospect of being able to play GW2 for the first time is an exciting one for fans. ArenaNet has released a few details of what we'll see during gameplay over the past week, including the information that we'll be playing with some staff back at the ArenaNet offices. In the most recent blog post, we hear directly from four of those staffers. Bob Green, Joe Belousek, Anthony Ordon, and Joe Longworth are members of the Guild Wars 2 QA team, the group working to make sure the demo runs smoothly. Check out the latest ArenaNet blog entry to see what they're most looking forward to in the demo. While the demo is easily the main focus of ArenaNet's presence at these events, there is more to check out while you're there. The event schedule for PAX Prime was finally released yesterday, and it includes a Saturday morning presentation entitled "Guild Wars 2: Designing Dynamic Events." Eric Flannum and Colin Johanson will give insight into how the dynamic event system in GW2 was created -- it's a talk that fans won't want to miss. It's a ticketed event, so be sure to check the schedule for details on how to attend.
