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Guild Wars 2 dodges subscription fee in China
ArenaNet announced that it will not institute a subscription model or introduce free-to-play elements when its MMORPG Guild Wars 2 launches in China this year, subverting the region's dominant time-based, pay-to-play trends for online games. Guild Wars 2 will launch in China as a one-time purchase supported by frequent free updates, maintaining the same business model supporting the game since its launch in 2012. The upcoming Chinese version, which ArenaNet will produce in a publishing partnership with KongZhong Corporation, will see timely updates that mirror content additions in North America and Europe. The Chinese version of Guild Wars 2 will enter a two-week closed beta test on March 11. [Image: ArenaNet]
Guild Wars 2 reveals China strategy
As Guild Wars 2 prepares to make inroads to its first Asian country, ArenaNet announced some of its plans for how it will handle the game in China. The Chinese version of Guild Wars 2 will retain the buy-to-play model that the game currently employs in the West, which is a departure from the typical business models in the region. So what about the rapid pace of its content releases and the progression of the living story? The Eastern and Western versions of the game will not exist independently in this regard, but will be synced up so that both get the same updates. There will be a few changes to the tutorial for Chinese players, however. Guild Wars 2 will be published in the region by KongZhong and is planning to go into closed beta testing on March 11th. [Source: ArenaNet press release]
The Daily Grind: Do you play the MMO lockbox game?
The infamous marketing phenomenon known as the lockbox has been the subject of much disdain since F2P took over the MMO market because lockboxes are perceived by players to be an annoying lottery mechanic, but they don't seem to be going away. Studios like Cryptic have gone on record as saying they're incredibly profitable, and that means lots of players do buy them (or the keys to open them, as the case may be). Or do they? The top-supplied item on the Guild Wars 2 auction house is the locked Black Lion Chest. As of this screencap last week, almost 7,000,000 lockboxes are sitting on the market unbought, waiting for someone with a purchased or looted key to come along and crack them open. Add to that number the 50 or so sitting idle in my bank! That's a lot of dropped lockboxes that failed to entice someone to whip out his wallet and pay for a key. Are you among the resistant players, or do you play the MMO lockbox game? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Guild Wars 2 NPC inspires player with multiple sclerosis
A disabled non-player character in Guild Wars 2 has made a profound impact on a real-life player who shares similar traits. Player Christina put a post on the GW2 forums stating that she has multiple sclerosis and was "overjoyed" when she found a fictional game counterpart in a young Asura named Taimi. "The friend I was playing with pointed her out, and I think I shrieked loud enough to wake the dead," she enthused. Taimi has a degenerative disease that prevents her from walking far and requires her to use a golem to help her get around. She was introduced in a recent living story update and hangs out at the Vigil Keep. At least for Christina, Taimi has inspired her through the NPC's character and place in the story: "I don't know where you're going with Taimi. But honestly I don't care. Because now, in Tyria, I can imagine having a giant golem cart me around when I can't feel my legs or when they hurt too badly to walk. Now when I get derisive or pitying looks, I can take a minute to imagine I'm sitting on a golem's shoulder like a complete kitten. So thank you for thinking of people like me. Thank you for thinking about how someone with a disability might get along in your world. And thank you for making her awesome."
Flameseeker Chronicles: Meeting fun halfway in Guild Wars 2
Lion's Arch is gone. What's left of our city is rubble and fire and the echoing screams of terrified survivors. The day Scarlet Briar's army attacked dawned clear and mild; by the end the sky was choked with smoke, poison, and the silhouette of Scarlet's massive drill ship. Thousands of people died, are dying, and will continue to die -- all we can do for now is to try to save as many as we can. Escape From Lion's Arch is a truly impressive piece of storytelling and atmospheric set design, and I found it immediately comparable to similar missions in games like BioWare's Mass Effect series. I've never really played anything like it in an MMO, and I think ArenaNet has done a wonderful job of capturing the feeling of a city under attack. It's been a bittersweet time for fans of Guild Wars 2; as I discussed last week, roleplayers have responded to the release with a flurry of creative activity, and the general consensus seems to be that the story, dialogue, atmosphere and artwork are all excellent -- if only we weren't forced to mindlessly farm for loot! Wait, we're what?
The final battle for Lion's Arch begins in Guild Wars 2's next content release
After long months of planning, preparation and manipulation, Scarlet Briar finally made her move on what appears to be her ultimate target: Lion's Arch, the central hub city of Guild Wars 2. Zhaitan's rise flooded it, Risen attacked it, and everything from dead kings to Karka have destroyed its landmarks, but an overwhelming air raid finally reduced L.A. to rubble. In the upcoming GW2 content release, Battle for Lion's Arch, it'll be up to the good people of Tyria to rally, avenge the fallen, and try to reclaim their city. Massively got to chat with ArenaNet's Colin Johanson about the Lion's Arch rescue effort, rewards for good behavior, and what L.A.'s feathery neighbors think about all of the screaming, dying, and carrying on. Click past the break to check it out, along with a brand-new teaser trailer!
Watch Lion's Arch fall in Guild Wars 2
Lion's Arch is a center for both Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2. It has endured through countless trials. And now it's nothing more than ash and wreckage. Whether you've had a chance to experience the latest patch to Guild Wars 2 or have yet to sift through the damage, you can watch it fall in the latest trailer out of the ArenaNet community team. Admittedly, the trailer doesn't go into full detail showing the lengthy siege that took place, but you can fill in some of those details yourself. And it's quite a sizable chunk of destruction, razing familiar features across the city and reducing the game's iconic location to little more than rubble. Click on past the break to see the devastation unfold before your eyes. [Source: ArenaNet press release]
Flameseeker Chronicles: How Guild Wars 2's living world can liven up roleplay
Scarlet Briar is planning an attack on Lion's Arch, the central hub city of Guild Wars 2. L.A. is the city where all of the playable races -- and plenty of individuals from others -- live together in one big, piracy-flavored metropolis; despite the theme of ruthless capitalism, it's also a place that symbolizes peace and camaraderie. Humans in Kryta may view diversity as an astonishing novelty, but the people of L.A. chortle at the hayseeds and go about their business. Among the GW2 roleplayers I know, several have characters who live in Lion's Arch. A few of them were born and raised there. After watching some of us chat about the massive upheaval the city's destruction will create in the lives of those characters, one of my favorite people ventured that this was probably a bad time for her to dip her toes into GW2's RP scene, right? Nope. In fact, there hasn't been a better time to jump in since, well, ever.
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A requiem for Guild Wars 2's iconic city of Lion's Arch in today's content release
The great city of Lion's Arch is under a devastating attack today with the release of Guild Wars 2's latest content update, Escape From Lion's Arch. Sylvari supervillain Scarlet Briar has unleashed her armies and terrible weaponry on the city as her massive, drill-tipped airship begins to churn the waters of Sanctum Harbor. Whatever her purpose might be, she's willing to literally rip Lion's Arch apart to accomplish it. Players will join forces with the living world's iconic characters to evacuate civilians, but you'll have to contend with Scarlet's forces and the threat of a creeping poison rendering parts of the city uninhabitable. As refugee camps form in safer areas, Vigil Keep in Gendarran Fields will act as an impromptu base of operations for the time being. You'll need to stand fast if you want to save Lion's Arch -- but by the time Scarlet is done, there may not be anything left to save.
Guild Wars 2 phasing out Glory on March 18th
In just about a month, there will be no more glory in Guild Wars 2 PvP. We don't mean that you will no longer have the chance for glorious battles; we mean that the currency will no longer be awarded as of March 18th. Chests will be removed as well, and bonus rank points will be rolled into end-of-match rewards where relevant. So if you want some more Glory to spend, you'd better start earning it now. For players who do have a lot of Glory stocked up, the vendor introduced on December 10th will remain in-game for a bit after Glory is discontinued. That vendor will remain in place until the new reward system is implemented, and new rank rewards will also be released when Glory gets banished to the land of wind and ghosts. No word yet on exactly when players can expect new reward systems to be implemented.
Happy Valentine's Day from ArenaNet! Here's the corpse of your vanquished foe
Remember when you were in third grade and some other little kid put worms in your desk, and your teacher said he did it because he liked you? Or maybe you were the one expressing the depths of your feelings by delivering creepy crawlies. Either way, giving worms to people has long been associated with affection, and tradition mandates the trading of worms between friends and paramours alike on Valentine's Day. ArenaNet, the developer of Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2, has set the bar a little higher this year. We didn't receive just a worm from ArenaNet: It's a giant jungle wurm, one of the terrors of the Bloodtide Coast. Its terrorizing days are over, according to the text on the thoughtful card, which reads, "We pulled this wurm fresh from Tyria just for you! This one won't be bothering Bloodtide Coast any more!" Looking at its bright blue innards, we here at Massively are overcome with emotion. We're also a little bit hungry, and that's causing some mixed feelings. Thank you, ArenaNet. If you're looking at the tub of nightcrawlers you planned to present your special someone with tomorrow and feeling a little inadequate, it's OK. The bait store is probably still open.
The Soapbox: Old content should stay relevant
The archetypal themepark MMO model, as popularised by World of Warcraft, is a race to the level cap in order to unlock the best content on offer. New content is tacked onto the endgame regularly, accompanied by improved gear and perhaps a higher level cap. It's a system that's designed to keep people playing by keeping them on a progression climb that's constantly getting steeper. As a consequence, endgame activities render older content obsolete since these outdated activities carry little real benefit for fully leveled characters. Exploring old content for the sake of experiencing it is not enough of a motivator for many players since this content simply cannot present the same challenge as it once did. Although you can technically go back and play through old dungeons, they will never be as fulfilling when tactics become optional and you can solo once-formidable opponents. In this week's Soapbox, I will mourn the loss of fantastic older content that was rendered obsolete through vertical progression, using WoW as a key example. I'll go on to suggest a solution that I think might allow for both old and new content to exist together in relevancy without significantly compromising the themepark MMO's existing progression mechanics.
Flameseeker Chronicles: Guild Wars 2's adventures in babysitting
I'm having a great time in Guild Wars 2's new Edge of the Mists map. It's rekindled my love of World vs. World. I've spent so much time there that I've gotten pretty good at not accidentally running off ledges (although I've probably just jinxed myself), and my collections of empyreal fragments and badges of honor are steadily growing. Against all odds, I also managed to tear myself away long enough to write this column, which is good because there's a lot to talk about this week: What's so great about this cluster of floating rocks? How is Braham handling his new caretaking responsibilities? Why do people keep referencing the Zerg from Starcraft when they talk about GW2?
Prepare to escape from Lion's Arch in Guild Wars 2's next content release
For over 250 years, the city of Lion's Arch has been a place for players of Guild Wars 2 and its predecessor to call home. It's iconic enough that the ruins of the original city can still be explored beneath Sanctum Harbor. Unfortunately, one of Scarlet Briar's mysterious probes has been discovered within those ruins -- and if she gets her way, the people of Tyria may not have to wait very long at all to pick through the ruins of the city's current incarnation. On February 18th, Scarlet will bring her armies and all of their horrible weaponry to the city in the Escape from Lion's Arch release. Players will join forces with the Orders of Tyria, the allies they've gained through the living world story, and each other to help innocent citizens evacuate and try to mount a counterattack. ArenaNet's Colin Johanson, Steve Hwang and Steven Waller sat down with Massively to deliver both a new teaser trailer and a grim warning: Nothing lasts forever.
MMO Mechanics: Comparing vertical and horizontal progression
MMO players strive to obtain some kind of tangible progression each play session, but the method by which that progression is delivered varies greatly across the genre. Archetypal themepark titles frequently rely on level-based progression that culminates in climbing through gear tiers at endgame, but the freeform nature of sandbox MMOs lends itself to a more open progression system that focuses on the holistic development of characters. These two progression systems are described as vertical and horizontal progression: Traditional gearing or leveling is commonly described as a vertical climb, while wider choice-based progression is more often expressed as a non-linear journey. The relative merits of these two diverging approaches to progression are commonly debated by modern MMO players. Many players wish to see a blended hybrid approach to progression that emphasises the horizontal, multi-faceted growth of their characters over rattling through yet another gear tier. Despite this, players still favour a goal-oriented attainment system and perhaps progressive gear that doesn't require a long run on the grinding treadmill. This balance can be very hard to achieve, so titles such as Guild Wars 2 have taken some knocks on the path towards perfect horizontal and vertical progression balance. In this week's MMO Mechanics, I will look at what is meant by both vertical and horizontal progression, how they are mechanically implemented in MMOs, and what each type of progression means for the playerbase.
World of Warcraftless: What would the world look like without World of Warcraft?
This year is a big one for World of Warcraft. It's the 10-year anniversary of the game's launch, meaning players have been able to enjoy themselves in Azeroth for quite a while. The franchise itself is turning 20, meaning it's almost old enough to legally drink. And whether you like the game or not, you can't deny that it's had a huge impact on games in general -- not just on MMORPGs but on the very landscape of what games are and how we think about them. So it's kind of natural that we'd start asking if we'd all be better off without it. You live with the same title dominating the industry for a decade, so it's only natural to think about what it'd be like if it weren't there. Personally, I think that's a kind of loaded question that also overlooks a far niftier option. Asking whether we'd be better off first requires one to figure out what the world would look like without World of Warcraft, and for my money that's much more interesting. So let's look at just that. What sort of scenarios might have unfolded if World of Warcraft had never come to pass at all?
Flameseeker Chronicles: Living on the Edge (of the Mists) in Guild Wars 2
Regular readers of this column may have noticed that I spend very little time discussing Guild Wars 2's PvP scene. Some of you may have even jumped to the conclusion that this is because I suck at PvP and my only reason for even entering the Mists-based sPvP lobby is to try on clothes in the locker, so I'm here today to set the record straight: You are absolutely correct. I do enjoy World vs. World, both in spite of and because I am terrible at traditional team-based PvP activities -- unless you count some special event minigames, which I am inexplicably OK at. On the whole, ArenaNet has done a pretty good job in GW2 at giving someone who has no business trying to poke fancy cutlery at other players avenues through which to do it anyway without bringing the whole structure crashing down.
Guild Wars 2's Edge of the Mists content release goes live today
Good news first: Guild Wars 2 players will be able to get their hands on the new World vs. World map Edge of the Mists in today's content update. Now for the bad news: Scarlet Briar's minions will be able to get their hands on it, too. If you want to help Braham Eirsson and Taimi, who have gotten themselves stranded on the mysterious floating land mass, then you'll need to fight off Scarlet's invading Aetherblades. Back in Tyria at the Dead End Bar, players can also help Marjory Delaqua and Kasmeer Meade puzzle out the terrible truth behind Scarlet's grand plan using clues from previous living world chapters. Edge of the Mists is a dedicated overflow map that will allow GW2 players to jump right in to playing WvW while queuing up for the bigger battle on the Eternal Battlegrounds and Borderlands maps. This release also features an overhaul of the WvW UI to make it more informative and streamlined.
ArenaNet co-founder heads to Undead Labs
Undead Labs announced today that it has hired Patrick Wyatt, co-founder of ArenaNet and co-creator of the original Guild Wars. Wyatt, who left ArenaNet in 2008, joins fellow Guild Wars co-creator Jeff Strain at the State of Decay studio, which has not been shy about its intention to build a zombie-themed MMO. State of Decay, codenamed Class3, launched in 2013 and was confirmed by the studio as a test run for an eventual MMO release, codenamed Class4. Here's Strain on the announcement: Today, I'm very happy to announce that Patrick has joined Undead Labs, and will be working shoulder-to-shoulder with Team Zed as we dive into the development of...well, what's next, and beyond. Undead Labs recently struck a multi-game agreement with Microsoft, paving the way for the studio to continue work on the Class4 project.
Guild Wars 2 Edge of the Mists Q&A with Devon Carver
The newest addition to Guild Wars 2's World vs. World map family, Edge of the Mists, began beta testing in late November of 2013. With February 4th's content release, ArenaNet will introduce it to the live game, at which point it will be set upon by Scarlet Briar's forces and players will most likely get to punt plenty of Aetherblades right off the edge of the Mists and into the formless void of the Mists proper. Gosh darn it, Scarlet, this is why we can't have nice things. It's a good thing Devon Carver, head of the WvW design team, has penned a blog post about the real business of WvW: players punting each other into the formless void of the Mists. Massively got to chat with him about the upcoming release, so jump past the break to get the scoop on what the WvW team has in store!
