Some valid points there. Paying ful price for something still under NDA without beta testing going nada nada nada? Are people that ... haam haaam ?
People watching red signs all over.. still opt to ignore them.. do they want to believe so much that red is green or is it a sign of times? amazing stuff.
NDA or not, there is so much information available about GW2 that you would have to be absolutely oblivious to not have seen it. Not only is there no NDA for the press but there are so many leaks from the last batch of beta testers that there really is no excuse.
And what "red signs" pray tell?
having information here and there is not the same as playing a game, feeling it, see its potential or lack of.
About the absense of NDA for the press.. i am not so naive that i would believe press to be honest and tell he truth about whos paying their bills.. unfortunaly long gone are the days where you could get independent press and believe on what was said by them.
Some of the red signs for GW2:
Sending a email to a loadcrap of players inviting them to sign in for a beta that they have to pay now in order to participate..
Paying for something that is at the moment still under nda. I have not seen.. ever EVER on any business a company demanding cash for something that is under secretism about its features. The excuse of having several videos on youtube and screenshots around doesnt work here. At this point, anyone who have clopsed beta test GW2 is not allwed by law to speak of the game, of its techinical issues, of how it will it perform and evolve. Nada..
A game beeing sold for an excessive price compared to what games on market sell for at this epoch.. and still including a shop for pay2win and w/e stuff. This doesnt make sense at all.. and dont tell me the shop is needed in order to support the game servers,, wich aint true. Gw1 proved that a game can be sucesseful wihtout a monthly fee and without shops. This format now presented for gw2 has a unique simple explanation : G r e e D.
Some valid points there. Paying ful price for something still under NDA without beta testing going nada nada nada? Are people that ... haam haaam ?
People watching red signs all over.. still opt to ignore them.. do they want to believe so much that red is green or is it a sign of times? amazing stuff.
NDA or not, there is so much information available about GW2 that you would have to be absolutely oblivious to not have seen it. Not only is there no NDA for the press but there are so many leaks from the last batch of beta testers that there really is no excuse.
And what "red signs" pray tell?
having information here and there is not the same as playing a game, feeling it, see its potential or lack of.
About the absense of NDA for the press.. i am not so naive that i would believe press to be honest and tell he truth about whos paying their bills.. unfortunaly long gone are the days where you could get independent press and believe on what was said by them.
Some of the red signs for GW2:
Sending a email to a loadcrap of players inviting them to sign in for a beta that they have to pay now in order to participate..
Paying for something that is at the moment still under nda. I have not seen.. ever EVER on any business a company demanding cash for something that is under secretism about its features. The excuse of having several videos on youtube and screenshots around doesnt work here. At this point, anyone who have clopsed beta test GW2 is not allwed by law to speak of the game, of its techinical issues, of how it will it perform and evolve. Nada..
A game beeing sold for an excessive price compared to what games on market sell for at this epoch.. and still including a shop for pay2win and w/e stuff. This doesnt make sense at all.. and dont tell me the shop is needed in order to support the game servers,, wich aint true. Gw1 proved that a game can be sucesseful wihtout a monthly fee and without shops. This format now presented for gw2 has a unique simple explanation : G r e e D.
More red signs needed?
im sure you guys can figure up a few aswel
Really now, how often do you get to try a game before you buy it? This is the only genre where I actively see people saying "I'm not going to buy the game until I try it." How many console or single player PC games do you try before purchasing?
The game is being sold for the same price as all the other games. At least in my region. Besides, even if the game is sold higher than average, there is no monthly fee, so you save money anyway. And as far as that cash shop p2w comment, educate yourself before spouting nonsense. There is no p2w in the cash shop and GW1 does have a cash shop.
Personally I find it to be brilliant business planning. Why pay employees to test your product when there are plenty of people willing to PAY YOU for the chance to test yor game for you?
Really now, how often do you get to try a game before you buy it? This is the only genre where I actively see people saying "I'm not going to buy the game until I try it." How many console or single player PC games do you try before purchasing?
The game is being sold for the same price as all the other games. At least in my region. Besides, even if the game is sold higher than average, there is no monthly fee, so you save money anyway. And as far as that cash shop p2w comment, educate yourself before spouting nonsense. There is no p2w in the cash shop and GW1 does have a cash shop.
Every... single... time. If it's online I wait until beta access or free trials once the game goes live. If it's console I rent it or borrow from a friend. It's all about being a smart consumer. The need for instant gratification and lack of self-control are difficult for some people.
Really now, how often do you get to try a game before you buy it? This is the only genre where I actively see people saying "I'm not going to buy the game until I try it." How many console or single player PC games do you try before purchasing?
The game is being sold for the same price as all the other games. At least in my region. Besides, even if the game is sold higher than average, there is no monthly fee, so you save money anyway. And as far as that cash shop p2w comment, educate yourself before spouting nonsense. There is no p2w in the cash shop and GW1 does have a cash shop.
Every... single... time. If it's online I wait until beta access or free trials once the game goes live. If it's console I rent it or borrow from a friend. It's all about being a smart consumer. The need for instant gratification and lack of self-control are difficult for some people.
Exactly.
The sickeningly ironic part of this whole delusional cycle is that most of the same people who are hyped up will be bitching about something about the same game a few months from now, ranting about how the industry keeps pumping out terrible games.
Pro-tip: stop blindly throwing money at developers and funding mediocrity.
I'm not by any means saying that GW2 will be a bad game, but people seriously need to get a grip on reality and stop getting sucked into the same old marketing hype machine. Apparently people have learned nothing from TOR, not to mention almost every other MMO's release over the last six years...
Really now, how often do you get to try a game before you buy it? This is the only genre where I actively see people saying "I'm not going to buy the game until I try it." How many console or single player PC games do you try before purchasing?
The game is being sold for the same price as all the other games. At least in my region. Besides, even if the game is sold higher than average, there is no monthly fee, so you save money anyway. And as far as that cash shop p2w comment, educate yourself before spouting nonsense. There is no p2w in the cash shop and GW1 does have a cash shop.
Every... single... time. If it's online I wait until beta access or free trials once the game goes live. If it's console I rent it or borrow from a friend. It's all about being a smart consumer. The need for instant gratification and lack of self-control are difficult for some people.
I'm talking about purchasing the game at or before release. Because that is what the whining is about. 90% of the time there are no open beta for single player games, yet people have no problem with paying $60 for a game they haven't played, one that is covered by the NDA.
When it comes to MMOs, all of a sudden "OMG the game is under NDA and I haven't played it so it's a red flag!"
Really now, how often do you get to try a game before you buy it? This is the only genre where I actively see people saying "I'm not going to buy the game until I try it." How many console or single player PC games do you try before purchasing?
The game is being sold for the same price as all the other games. At least in my region. Besides, even if the game is sold higher than average, there is no monthly fee, so you save money anyway. And as far as that cash shop p2w comment, educate yourself before spouting nonsense. There is no p2w in the cash shop and GW1 does have a cash shop.
Every... single... time. If it's online I wait until beta access or free trials once the game goes live. If it's console I rent it or borrow from a friend. It's all about being a smart consumer. The need for instant gratification and lack of self-control are difficult for some people.
Exactly.
The sickeningly ironic part of this whole delusional cycle is that most of the same people who are hyped up will be bitching about something about the same game a few months from now, ranting about how the industry keeps pumping out terrible games.
Pro-tip: stop blindly throwing money at developers and funding mediocrity.
I'm not by any means saying that GW2 will be a bad game, but people seriously need to get a grip on reality and stop getting sucked into the same old marketing hype machine. Apprently people have learned nothing from TOR, not to mention almost every other MMO's release over the last six years...
That's the point I think the rabid fanbois are ignoring- while there are certainly people out there saying the game will fail many of us are just pointing out that nothing is in stone and despite how much desire one has for this to be the greatest MMO EVAR one simply cannot make a truly informed judgment until you've played the game. Period. It is both sad and entertaining (on a morbid level) seeing this cycle of hype and disappointment continue.
For me personally, I'll wait to see the cries of outrage during betas, then moreso upon live release, then try it myself and make an informed decision once there is a free trial.
Really now, how often do you get to try a game before you buy it? This is the only genre where I actively see people saying "I'm not going to buy the game until I try it." How many console or single player PC games do you try before purchasing?
The game is being sold for the same price as all the other games. At least in my region. Besides, even if the game is sold higher than average, there is no monthly fee, so you save money anyway. And as far as that cash shop p2w comment, educate yourself before spouting nonsense. There is no p2w in the cash shop and GW1 does have a cash shop.
Every... single... time. If it's online I wait until beta access or free trials once the game goes live. If it's console I rent it or borrow from a friend. It's all about being a smart consumer. The need for instant gratification and lack of self-control are difficult for some people.
I'm talking about purchasing the game at or before release. Because that is what the whining is about. 90% of the time there are no open beta for single player games, yet people have no problem with paying $60 for a game they haven't played, one that is covered by the NDA.
When it comes to MMOs, all of a sudden "OMG the game is under NDA and I haven't played it so it's a red flag!"
Yet I demo single player games before I pre-order them.
I don't know if this is a well known factoid, but those who signed up for the original beta event are still in the lottery system to get an invite. Even if they haven't pre purchased. Buying the game only assured you an invite.
Really now, how often do you get to try a game before you buy it? This is the only genre where I actively see people saying "I'm not going to buy the game until I try it." How many console or single player PC games do you try before purchasing?
The game is being sold for the same price as all the other games. At least in my region. Besides, even if the game is sold higher than average, there is no monthly fee, so you save money anyway. And as far as that cash shop p2w comment, educate yourself before spouting nonsense. There is no p2w in the cash shop and GW1 does have a cash shop.
Every... single... time. If it's online I wait until beta access or free trials once the game goes live. If it's console I rent it or borrow from a friend. It's all about being a smart consumer. The need for instant gratification and lack of self-control are difficult for some people.
I'm talking about purchasing the game at or before release. Because that is what the whining is about. 90% of the time there are no open beta for single player games, yet people have no problem with paying $60 for a game they haven't played, one that is covered by the NDA.
When it comes to MMOs, all of a sudden "OMG the game is under NDA and I haven't played it so it's a red flag!"
Yes, I understand what you are saying. It's an ignorant decision to make and a poor practice as a consumer. Purchasing a game at or before release despite the amount of information a player has read on the interwebs or how many youtube videos he/she has watched but without having played the game is a poor choice as a consumer. It sends the message to devs/pubs that you don't have to follow through on gameplay, you can sell people with hype alone.
Are you guys for real? This game only costs four months of WoW play time.
Think what you could do during that four months! You could play hundreds of AV matches where you would enjoy hours of reporting botters...or you could run around stormwind pulling out your various mounts...or you could join a pug raid and wipe 20 times on the first boss because everyone is in blue pvp gear....so much fun to be had for your $60 instead of buying GW2.
Really now, how often do you get to try a game before you buy it? This is the only genre where I actively see people saying "I'm not going to buy the game until I try it." How many console or single player PC games do you try before purchasing?
The game is being sold for the same price as all the other games. At least in my region. Besides, even if the game is sold higher than average, there is no monthly fee, so you save money anyway. And as far as that cash shop p2w comment, educate yourself before spouting nonsense. There is no p2w in the cash shop and GW1 does have a cash shop.
Every... single... time. If it's online I wait until beta access or free trials once the game goes live. If it's console I rent it or borrow from a friend. It's all about being a smart consumer. The need for instant gratification and lack of self-control are difficult for some people.
Exactly.
The sickeningly ironic part of this whole delusional cycle is that most of the same people who are hyped up will be bitching about something about the same game a few months from now, ranting about how the industry keeps pumping out terrible games.
Pro-tip: stop blindly throwing money at developers and funding mediocrity.
I'm not by any means saying that GW2 will be a bad game, but people seriously need to get a grip on reality and stop getting sucked into the same old marketing hype machine. Apprently people have learned nothing from TOR, not to mention almost every other MMO's release over the last six years...
That's the point I think the rabid fanbois are ignoring- while there are certainly people out there saying the game will fail many of us are just pointing out that nothing is in stone and despite how much desire one has for this to be the greatest MMO EVAR one simply cannot make a truly informed judgment until you've played the game. Period. It is both sad and entertaining (on a morbid level) seeing this cycle of hype and disappointment continue.
For me personally, I'll wait to see the cries of outrage during betas, then moreso upon live release, then try it myself and make an informed decision once there is a free trial.
You can wait 6-12 months until there is a trial and make your decision to purchase and still get burned as very often the trial or a demo is not enough to make an educated decision. Trials, open betas, demos are all marketing tools used to get you to buy the game by presenting it in the best light possible.
Really now, how often do you get to try a game before you buy it? This is the only genre where I actively see people saying "I'm not going to buy the game until I try it." How many console or single player PC games do you try before purchasing?
The game is being sold for the same price as all the other games. At least in my region. Besides, even if the game is sold higher than average, there is no monthly fee, so you save money anyway. And as far as that cash shop p2w comment, educate yourself before spouting nonsense. There is no p2w in the cash shop and GW1 does have a cash shop.
Every... single... time. If it's online I wait until beta access or free trials once the game goes live. If it's console I rent it or borrow from a friend. It's all about being a smart consumer. The need for instant gratification and lack of self-control are difficult for some people.
I'm talking about purchasing the game at or before release. Because that is what the whining is about. 90% of the time there are no open beta for single player games, yet people have no problem with paying $60 for a game they haven't played, one that is covered by the NDA.
When it comes to MMOs, all of a sudden "OMG the game is under NDA and I haven't played it so it's a red flag!"
Yet I demo single player games before I pre-order them.
Not all of them offer demos and even then a demo is rarely enough to make an educated decision.
You can wait 6-12 months until there is a trial and make your decision to purchase and still get burned as very often the trial or a demo is not enough to make an educated decision. Trials, open betas, demos are all marketing tools used to get you to buy the game by presenting it in the best light possible.
Who goes through the trouble of waiting for a free-trial for an MMO, but doesn't bother to read through reviews and community feedback on an MMO they're interested in?
Personally I use several different sources of information before making a decision, and waiting for feedbck from release only broadens the sources and accuracy of information. Hell, it saved me $60 from TOR.
Really now, how often do you get to try a game before you buy it? This is the only genre where I actively see people saying "I'm not going to buy the game until I try it." How many console or single player PC games do you try before purchasing?
The game is being sold for the same price as all the other games. At least in my region. Besides, even if the game is sold higher than average, there is no monthly fee, so you save money anyway. And as far as that cash shop p2w comment, educate yourself before spouting nonsense. There is no p2w in the cash shop and GW1 does have a cash shop.
Every... single... time. If it's online I wait until beta access or free trials once the game goes live. If it's console I rent it or borrow from a friend. It's all about being a smart consumer. The need for instant gratification and lack of self-control are difficult for some people.
I'm talking about purchasing the game at or before release. Because that is what the whining is about. 90% of the time there are no open beta for single player games, yet people have no problem with paying $60 for a game they haven't played, one that is covered by the NDA.
When it comes to MMOs, all of a sudden "OMG the game is under NDA and I haven't played it so it's a red flag!"
Yes, I understand what you are saying. It's an ignorant decision to make and a poor practice as a consumer. Purchasing a game at or before release despite the amount of information a player has read on the interwebs or how many youtube videos he/she has watched but without having played the game is a poor choice as a consumer. It sends the message to devs/pubs that you don't have to follow through on gameplay, you can sell people with hype alone.
That can be applied to every single product out there. Do you read reviews before you buy a bag of potato chips that you've never had? Why not? It's an ignorant decision and poor practice as a consumer.
The OP is welcomed to his opinion. The only thing I would say is that people should only purchase under these circumstances if they are well aware that they may be sending their money off into the abyss. In my opinion, the chances of that being true are slim and none. Now, I don't do this for just any game or just any company. ArenaNet has more than proven they are a stand-up company in my eyes.
Anyway, in the grand scheme of my life, $60 is one trip out for sushi, so I don't really feel like I'm making a major financial decision here.
A sure sign that you are in an old, dying paradigm/mindset, is when you are scared of new ideas and new technology. Don't feel bad. The world is moving on without you, and you are welcome to yell "Get Off My Lawn!" all you want while it happens. You cannot, however, stop an idea whose time has come.
You can wait 6-12 months until there is a trial and make your decision to purchase and still get burned as very often the trial or a demo is not enough to make an educated decision. Trials, open betas, demos are all marketing tools used to get you to buy the game by presenting it in the best light possible.
Who goes through the trouble of waiting for a free-trial for an MMO, but doesn't bother to read through reviews and community feedback on an MMO they're interested in?
Personally I use several different sources of information before making a decision, and waiting for feedbck from release only broadens the sources and accuracy of information. Hell, it saved me $60 from TOR.
I don't purchase video games on a whim. When I pre-purchased GW2, I knew exactly what I was getting. The information I had was enough for me to make an informed decision and I know that this game will entertain me for at least a week or two. Most single player games cost the same but rarely offer the same amount of content, so the way I see it, I win either way.
You can wait 6-12 months until there is a trial and make your decision to purchase and still get burned as very often the trial or a demo is not enough to make an educated decision. Trials, open betas, demos are all marketing tools used to get you to buy the game by presenting it in the best light possible.
How does this support your view that buying upon release or pre-release (when you only get second-hand information about gameplay) is a good practice? All you're doing now is trying to cast doubt upon the quality of gameplay from those that have actually expoerienced the gameplay.
Is it possible to get burned? Absolutely- SWG players can attest to that. Hell, I can attest to it after having a wonderful experience in RIFT beta then upon release and afterwards the live game going in a completely different direction.
The point is you cannot possibly make an accurate judgment about the gameplay of a game without playing it.
General no, I don't think you should pre-order games. I am certainly not going to pre-order/purchase GW2.
However, it easy to make the case for people who have pre-ordered/purchase this game. Especially for an MMO, this game has all it's cards on the table. If you wanted to, you can find out almost everything about this game possible short of playing it.
With the information available, you ought to be able to make a decision whether you want to buy the game or not. Whether you ultimately like it is a different issue, as with everything.
Someone has to try the game first. For this particular game, I can't fault anyone for pre-ordering/purchasing, but I am happy to remain silent and let other people try it first for me.
Yes, I understand what you are saying. It's an ignorant decision to make and a poor practice as a consumer. Purchasing a game at or before release despite the amount of information a player has read on the interwebs or how many youtube videos he/she has watched but without having played the game is a poor choice as a consumer. It sends the message to devs/pubs that you don't have to follow through on gameplay, you can sell people with hype alone.
That can be applied to every single product out there. Do you read reviews before you buy a bag of potato chips that you've never had? Why not? It's an ignorant decision and poor practice as a consumer.
It absolutely is, and every single person has a threshold on how much experience with something they require to make a purchase (often based on price). Let me ask you a question in the same vein- would you buy a car without ever having driven it? Would you buy a house without ever having seen it in person? Why not? When you start trying to make comparisons to other products your argument has effectively fallen apart.
You can wait 6-12 months until there is a trial and make your decision to purchase and still get burned as very often the trial or a demo is not enough to make an educated decision. Trials, open betas, demos are all marketing tools used to get you to buy the game by presenting it in the best light possible.
How does this support your view that buying upon release or pre-release (when you only get second-hand information about gameplay) is a good practice? All you're doing now is trying to cast doubt upon the quality of gameplay from those that have actually expoerienced the gameplay.
Is it possible to get burned? Absolutely- SWG players can attest to that. Hell, I can attest to it after having a wonderful experience in RIFT beta then upon release and afterwards the live game going in a completely different direction.
The point is you cannot possibly make an accurate judgment about the gameplay of a game without playing it.
My point is that even trying the game does not guarantee that you're making a correct decision.
In any other circumstance I would've said 'yea.. right. No thanks.' The key difference here is I'm not making my decision off of hype. I'm not getting this game because others 'say it's good'. I'm getting it because I like what I see, I've played it at the cons and had a blast, and I'm very much looking forward to playing it again.
I very much know what I'm getting, and I don't have a problem with that. And while I don't support all of Anet's decisions, I approve of what they are trying to do, and I find their design mentallity to be a huge breath of fresh air; after so many games have been using their game designs as gimmicks, instead of fully fleshing them out.
To me, this is basically my endorsement for Anet. They are one of the few developers I would give money to as a token of good faith, and so that is what I did. It's not all about the beta.
- If you are unsure about the game, it would be absolutely stupid of you to pre-purchase it, and I wouldn't if I were you. You can still apply for the beta for free, without the guaruntee. You can still wait to get a more 'solid' verdict once the game comes out. I can tell you right now it won't be for everyone. You could even pre-order it, and see if they add in beta invites later. I'd be surprised if they don't have a more 'open' beta before launch.
Yes, I understand what you are saying. It's an ignorant decision to make and a poor practice as a consumer. Purchasing a game at or before release despite the amount of information a player has read on the interwebs or how many youtube videos he/she has watched but without having played the game is a poor choice as a consumer. It sends the message to devs/pubs that you don't have to follow through on gameplay, you can sell people with hype alone.
That can be applied to every single product out there. Do you read reviews before you buy a bag of potato chips that you've never had? Why not? It's an ignorant decision and poor practice as a consumer.
It absolutely is, and every single person has a threshold on how much experience with something they require to make a purchase (often based on price). Let me ask you a question in the same vein- would you buy a car without ever having driven it? Would you buy a house without ever having seen it in person? Why not? When you start trying to make comparisons to other products your argument has effectively fallen apart.
You're absolutely right, it's all about that threshold. Most of us wouldn't care about that $3 bag of potato chips, even if they taste horrible, because $3 is nothing, although it is a poor practice as a consumer.
I feel the same way about this game and $60. Even if the game fails and I get burned, which I highly doubt, I'm not going to lose any sleep over it.
General no, I don't think you should pre-order games. I am certainly not going to pre-order/purchase GW2.
However, it easy to make the case for people who have pre-ordered/purchase this game. Especially for an MMO, this game has all it's cards on the table. If you wanted to, you can find out almost everything about this game possible short of playing it.
With the information available, you ought to be able to make a decision whether you want to buy the game or not. Whether you ultimately like it is a different issue, as with everything.
Someone has to try the game first. For this particular game, I can't fault anyone for pre-ordering/purchasing, but I am happy to remain silent and let other people try it first for me.
Very true, and for some people it's even easier than that. Having played GW1 and being a long time customer of ANet, I have seen them prove themselves as a stand up company that is interested in making great games for their fans. They aren't the same as other game companies I have dealt with over the years. Frankly, their initiative in trying to change the genre with this game is worth $60 for me. If they asked me for the money to years ago on kickstarter.com I would have gladly given it up.
A sure sign that you are in an old, dying paradigm/mindset, is when you are scared of new ideas and new technology. Don't feel bad. The world is moving on without you, and you are welcome to yell "Get Off My Lawn!" all you want while it happens. You cannot, however, stop an idea whose time has come.
Comments
having information here and there is not the same as playing a game, feeling it, see its potential or lack of.
About the absense of NDA for the press.. i am not so naive that i would believe press to be honest and tell he truth about whos paying their bills.. unfortunaly long gone are the days where you could get independent press and believe on what was said by them.
Some of the red signs for GW2:
Sending a email to a loadcrap of players inviting them to sign in for a beta that they have to pay now in order to participate..
Paying for something that is at the moment still under nda. I have not seen.. ever EVER on any business a company demanding cash for something that is under secretism about its features. The excuse of having several videos on youtube and screenshots around doesnt work here. At this point, anyone who have clopsed beta test GW2 is not allwed by law to speak of the game, of its techinical issues, of how it will it perform and evolve. Nada..
A game beeing sold for an excessive price compared to what games on market sell for at this epoch.. and still including a shop for pay2win and w/e stuff. This doesnt make sense at all.. and dont tell me the shop is needed in order to support the game servers,, wich aint true. Gw1 proved that a game can be sucesseful wihtout a monthly fee and without shops. This format now presented for gw2 has a unique simple explanation : G r e e D.
More red signs needed?
im sure you guys can figure up a few aswel
Really now, how often do you get to try a game before you buy it? This is the only genre where I actively see people saying "I'm not going to buy the game until I try it." How many console or single player PC games do you try before purchasing?
The game is being sold for the same price as all the other games. At least in my region. Besides, even if the game is sold higher than average, there is no monthly fee, so you save money anyway. And as far as that cash shop p2w comment, educate yourself before spouting nonsense. There is no p2w in the cash shop and GW1 does have a cash shop.
Personally I find it to be brilliant business planning. Why pay employees to test your product when there are plenty of people willing to PAY YOU for the chance to test yor game for you?
seems like a winning strategy to me.
Every... single... time. If it's online I wait until beta access or free trials once the game goes live. If it's console I rent it or borrow from a friend. It's all about being a smart consumer. The need for instant gratification and lack of self-control are difficult for some people.
Exactly.
The sickeningly ironic part of this whole delusional cycle is that most of the same people who are hyped up will be bitching about something about the same game a few months from now, ranting about how the industry keeps pumping out terrible games.
Pro-tip: stop blindly throwing money at developers and funding mediocrity.
I'm not by any means saying that GW2 will be a bad game, but people seriously need to get a grip on reality and stop getting sucked into the same old marketing hype machine. Apparently people have learned nothing from TOR, not to mention almost every other MMO's release over the last six years...
I'm talking about purchasing the game at or before release. Because that is what the whining is about. 90% of the time there are no open beta for single player games, yet people have no problem with paying $60 for a game they haven't played, one that is covered by the NDA.
When it comes to MMOs, all of a sudden "OMG the game is under NDA and I haven't played it so it's a red flag!"
That's the point I think the rabid fanbois are ignoring- while there are certainly people out there saying the game will fail many of us are just pointing out that nothing is in stone and despite how much desire one has for this to be the greatest MMO EVAR one simply cannot make a truly informed judgment until you've played the game. Period. It is both sad and entertaining (on a morbid level) seeing this cycle of hype and disappointment continue.
For me personally, I'll wait to see the cries of outrage during betas, then moreso upon live release, then try it myself and make an informed decision once there is a free trial.
Yet I demo single player games before I pre-order them.
I don't know if this is a well known factoid, but those who signed up for the original beta event are still in the lottery system to get an invite. Even if they haven't pre purchased. Buying the game only assured you an invite.
Yes, I understand what you are saying. It's an ignorant decision to make and a poor practice as a consumer. Purchasing a game at or before release despite the amount of information a player has read on the interwebs or how many youtube videos he/she has watched but without having played the game is a poor choice as a consumer. It sends the message to devs/pubs that you don't have to follow through on gameplay, you can sell people with hype alone.
I lol'd. hehe
President of The Marvelously Meowhead Fan Club
You can wait 6-12 months until there is a trial and make your decision to purchase and still get burned as very often the trial or a demo is not enough to make an educated decision. Trials, open betas, demos are all marketing tools used to get you to buy the game by presenting it in the best light possible.
Not all of them offer demos and even then a demo is rarely enough to make an educated decision.
Who goes through the trouble of waiting for a free-trial for an MMO, but doesn't bother to read through reviews and community feedback on an MMO they're interested in?
Personally I use several different sources of information before making a decision, and waiting for feedbck from release only broadens the sources and accuracy of information. Hell, it saved me $60 from TOR.
That can be applied to every single product out there. Do you read reviews before you buy a bag of potato chips that you've never had? Why not? It's an ignorant decision and poor practice as a consumer.
Survey says: You are correct!
TRUST THE COMPUTER! THE COMPUTER IS YOUR FRIEND!
Stay Alert! Trust No One! Keep Your Laser Handy!
Yellow Clearance Black Box Blues!
The OP is welcomed to his opinion. The only thing I would say is that people should only purchase under these circumstances if they are well aware that they may be sending their money off into the abyss. In my opinion, the chances of that being true are slim and none. Now, I don't do this for just any game or just any company. ArenaNet has more than proven they are a stand-up company in my eyes.
Anyway, in the grand scheme of my life, $60 is one trip out for sushi, so I don't really feel like I'm making a major financial decision here.
A sure sign that you are in an old, dying paradigm/mindset, is when you are scared of new ideas and new technology. Don't feel bad. The world is moving on without you, and you are welcome to yell "Get Off My Lawn!" all you want while it happens. You cannot, however, stop an idea whose time has come.
I don't purchase video games on a whim. When I pre-purchased GW2, I knew exactly what I was getting. The information I had was enough for me to make an informed decision and I know that this game will entertain me for at least a week or two. Most single player games cost the same but rarely offer the same amount of content, so the way I see it, I win either way.
How does this support your view that buying upon release or pre-release (when you only get second-hand information about gameplay) is a good practice? All you're doing now is trying to cast doubt upon the quality of gameplay from those that have actually expoerienced the gameplay.
Is it possible to get burned? Absolutely- SWG players can attest to that. Hell, I can attest to it after having a wonderful experience in RIFT beta then upon release and afterwards the live game going in a completely different direction.
The point is you cannot possibly make an accurate judgment about the gameplay of a game without playing it.
General no, I don't think you should pre-order games. I am certainly not going to pre-order/purchase GW2.
However, it easy to make the case for people who have pre-ordered/purchase this game. Especially for an MMO, this game has all it's cards on the table. If you wanted to, you can find out almost everything about this game possible short of playing it.
With the information available, you ought to be able to make a decision whether you want to buy the game or not. Whether you ultimately like it is a different issue, as with everything.
Someone has to try the game first. For this particular game, I can't fault anyone for pre-ordering/purchasing, but I am happy to remain silent and let other people try it first for me.
It absolutely is, and every single person has a threshold on how much experience with something they require to make a purchase (often based on price). Let me ask you a question in the same vein- would you buy a car without ever having driven it? Would you buy a house without ever having seen it in person? Why not? When you start trying to make comparisons to other products your argument has effectively fallen apart.
My point is that even trying the game does not guarantee that you're making a correct decision.
Honestly, I don't dissagree with the OP on this.
In any other circumstance I would've said 'yea.. right. No thanks.' The key difference here is I'm not making my decision off of hype. I'm not getting this game because others 'say it's good'. I'm getting it because I like what I see, I've played it at the cons and had a blast, and I'm very much looking forward to playing it again.
I very much know what I'm getting, and I don't have a problem with that. And while I don't support all of Anet's decisions, I approve of what they are trying to do, and I find their design mentallity to be a huge breath of fresh air; after so many games have been using their game designs as gimmicks, instead of fully fleshing them out.
To me, this is basically my endorsement for Anet. They are one of the few developers I would give money to as a token of good faith, and so that is what I did. It's not all about the beta.
- If you are unsure about the game, it would be absolutely stupid of you to pre-purchase it, and I wouldn't if I were you. You can still apply for the beta for free, without the guaruntee. You can still wait to get a more 'solid' verdict once the game comes out. I can tell you right now it won't be for everyone. You could even pre-order it, and see if they add in beta invites later. I'd be surprised if they don't have a more 'open' beta before launch.
You're absolutely right, it's all about that threshold. Most of us wouldn't care about that $3 bag of potato chips, even if they taste horrible, because $3 is nothing, although it is a poor practice as a consumer.
I feel the same way about this game and $60. Even if the game fails and I get burned, which I highly doubt, I'm not going to lose any sleep over it.
Very true, and for some people it's even easier than that. Having played GW1 and being a long time customer of ANet, I have seen them prove themselves as a stand up company that is interested in making great games for their fans. They aren't the same as other game companies I have dealt with over the years. Frankly, their initiative in trying to change the genre with this game is worth $60 for me. If they asked me for the money to years ago on kickstarter.com I would have gladly given it up.
A sure sign that you are in an old, dying paradigm/mindset, is when you are scared of new ideas and new technology. Don't feel bad. The world is moving on without you, and you are welcome to yell "Get Off My Lawn!" all you want while it happens. You cannot, however, stop an idea whose time has come.