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60 bucks for 1 Beta Weekend per Month?

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  • IstavaanIstavaan Member Posts: 1,350
    Originally posted by bcbully

    If I buy now, before there is a release date, how many beta weekeds will I get?  1 BWE a month?  That just doesn't seem right when they advertise "order now and play beta weekends." Unless they don't plan on not releasing for a long time. Well I guess 2 makes it leagal.  The standard 4-5 would be nice, but that would mean release is 4-5 months away :( Idk.

     

    To be honest it kind of feels like a hardcore money grab because production cost ran over or something. 

     

     

     

    It's not 60 bucks for a beta weekend it's 60 bucks for the game. stop being such a dumbass.

  • ComfyChairComfyChair Member Posts: 758
    Originally posted by Istavaan
    Originally posted by bcbully

    If I buy now, before there is a release date, how many beta weekeds will I get?  1 BWE a month?  That just doesn't seem right when they advertise "order now and play beta weekends." Unless they don't plan on not releasing for a long time. Well I guess 2 makes it leagal.  The standard 4-5 would be nice, but that would mean release is 4-5 months away :( Idk.

     

    To be honest it kind of feels like a hardcore money grab because production cost ran over or something. 

     

     

     

    It's not 60 bucks for a beta weekend it's 60 bucks for the game. stop being such a dumbass.

    Oh god a million times this.

    This thread's title is possibly the most stupid statement i've seen in a long, long time.

     

  • adam_noxadam_nox Member UncommonPosts: 2,148

    Until it's released he's gotten nothing for full purchase price.  This is kind of a new thing in mmos, and almost unheard of in any other industry as well.  Often times there are preorder deposits of small amounts to reserve a place, but prepurchasing is a bit different, and some of you need to acknowledge that.  The fanboyism doesn't help anything or further the discussion.

    In effect, you give someone money in advance of getting the capital returned in some form, that's a loan.  And Anet took out a big one.  You pay interest on loans normally, unless you borrow from our stupid government who is trying to prop up our stupid stock markets.  Anyways... it's always been obvious that it's a money grab, but the motivation of why they do it this way we can only leave to speculation.

    The one thing is certain, that people who pay full price with no release date should be treated as well as possible by the loanee.  One beta weekend a month to me seems kind of sad as far as rewarding those who prepurchased.  In fact, I wouldn't even count that as a reward, since most mmos (this practice was popular for a few years at least) allowed beta access with a simple preorder, gave out special items with a simple preorder, gave headstart with a simple preorder.

    But for putting so much more faith and money into their pockets (heck preorder money usually just went to retailers anyways), what are people getting?  Mostly just flamed on forums for speaking their mind from what I can tell.

  • bcbullybcbully Member EpicPosts: 11,838
    Originally posted by adam_nox

    Until it's released he's gotten nothing for full purchase price.  This is kind of a new thing in mmos, and almost unheard of in any other industry as well.  Often times there are preorder deposits of small amounts to reserve a place, but prepurchasing is a bit different, and some of you need to acknowledge that.  The fanboyism doesn't help anything or further the discussion.

    In effect, you give someone money in advance of getting the capital returned in some form, that's a loan.  And Anet took out a big one.  You pay interest on loans normally, unless you borrow from our stupid government who is trying to prop up our stupid stock markets.  Anyways... it's always been obvious that it's a money grab, but the motivation of why they do it this way we can only leave to speculation.

    The one thing is certain, that people who pay full price with no release date should be treated as well as possible by the loanee.  One beta weekend a month to me seems kind of sad as far as rewarding those who prepurchased.  In fact, I wouldn't even count that as a reward, since most mmos (this practice was popular for a few years at least) allowed beta access with a simple preorder, gave out special items with a simple preorder, gave headstart with a simple preorder.

    But for putting so much more faith and money into their pockets (heck preorder money usually just went to retailers anyways), what are people getting?  Mostly just flamed on forums for speaking their mind from what I can tell.

    Spot on and well said. 

    "We see fundamentals and we ape in"
  • DerpybirdDerpybird Member Posts: 991

    Is prepurchasing a game worse than buying an unfished one with an ongoing sub and a cash shop?

    "Loading screens" are not "instances".
    Your personal efforts to troll any game will not, in fact, impact the success or failure of said game.

  • DAS1337DAS1337 Member UncommonPosts: 2,610

    How is this a money grab?  The game is still 60 bucks, no?  They are giving people access to beta weekends as a bonus and this is bad?  What is wrong with you people?

  • ExcessionExcession Member RarePosts: 709

    Well, I guess the whole prepurchase = money grab thing could be worse, it could be like TSW, where you prepurchase, then pay a subscription, and have a cash shop too....

    A creative person is motivated by the desire to achieve, not the desire to beat others.

  • bcbullybcbully Member EpicPosts: 11,838
    Originally posted by DAS1337

    How is this a money grab?  The game is still 60 bucks, no?  They are giving people access to beta weekends as a bonus and this is bad?  What is wrong with you people?

    It's essentially a gamer  funded no intrest loan, that at some undetermined time they will try to repay with game time. for the tune of 5,000,000 + dollars. This makes me wonder if they went over budget and ran out of money. Why else would they do it?

    "We see fundamentals and we ape in"
  • bcbullybcbully Member EpicPosts: 11,838

    delete

    "We see fundamentals and we ape in"
  • AsheramAsheram Member EpicPosts: 5,071
    Originally posted by bcbully

    If I buy now, before there is a release date, how many beta weekeds will I get?  1 BWE a month?  That just doesn't seem right when they advertise "order now and play beta weekends." Unless they don't plan on not releasing for a long time. Well I guess 2 makes it leagal.  The standard 4-5 would be nice, but that would mean release is 4-5 months away :( Idk.

     

    To be honest it kind of feels like a hardcore money grab because production cost ran over or something. 

     

     

     

    They didnt "grab" my money,I gave it to them because I liked what I saw and knew I wanted to buy it before I gave it to them because they showed enough of their game for me to know i wouldn't regret the $60 I spent for the lifetime sub, and I have no regrets know either after having been in a beta and a stress test.

    If you are not 100% sure you should not buy it therefore they can't "grab" your $$$.

  • NeferaNefera Member Posts: 426
    Originally posted by bcbully
    Originally posted by DAS1337

    How is this a money grab?  The game is still 60 bucks, no?  They are giving people access to beta weekends as a bonus and this is bad?  What is wrong with you people?

    It's essentially a gamer  funded no intrest loan that. That at some undetermined time they will try to repay with game time. for the tune of 5,000,000 + dollars. This makes me wonder if they went over budget and ran out of money.

    My guess would be that they made a good amount of cash here to keep the publisher (NCSoft) happy, in order to avoid a set release date pressed on them, and being forced to release before the game is finished. Sort of expected with the amount of "I'm throwing my money at the screen, but nothing's happening!" comments, and a fairly good move when there's so many people already decided on purchasing the game when it releases.

     

    (edit: spelling)

  • ExcessionExcession Member RarePosts: 709
    Originally posted by bcbully
    Originally posted by DAS1337

    How is this a money grab?  The game is still 60 bucks, no?  They are giving people access to beta weekends as a bonus and this is bad?  What is wrong with you people?

    It's essentially a gamer  funded no intrest loan that. That at some undetermined time they will try to repay with game time. for the tune of 5,000,000 + dollars. This makes me wonder if they went over budget and ran out of money.

    hahaha, so now you are trying to imply the game will not be released...lol

    Having seen GW2 during the BWE and stress test, and seeing TSW during the first BWE and this one, I have to say, GW2 looks as though it is closer to being release ready than TSW, yet TSW's release is supposed to be a month away...

     

    A creative person is motivated by the desire to achieve, not the desire to beat others.

  • GjonGjon Member UncommonPosts: 18

    There's an easy way around it, don't pre-purchase. Problem solved.

  • SidhardhaSidhardha Member Posts: 25

    I bought the game and played BWE and stresstest,  i love it so far and intend to stay and play it with my guild for YEARS.

    Yet i am surprised to actually see so many people defending the undefendable - ArenaNet preorder policy. While yes, we are thankful to expirience the game we all love before its release - objectivily speaking the current situation IS a bad policy and IS a money grab.

    You pay money not for a game, but for a PROMISE of a game with no set release date.  I can understand indie developers trying to get some cash by very early preorders, giving access to beta for money etc. But ArenaNet and NC Soft are not in that category.

    First of all - priority access to beta, IS a bad policy AND a money grab (even though i having bought it benefit from it personally). There is no reasoning absolutely to defend it from the standpoint of player - its just new method of getting money  out of air. Keep the BWEs once per month, give limited amount of random key giveways or whatever you need for proper testing. Paid BETA is a con though.  No matter how much i might love the game, its not a honest and respective to player approach, and, franckly speaking - would it be not a software we are speaking about, but real product  the implication would be even worse. We are just too used to play BETA of games and pay for them for like 2 or more years after release, so we are getting so easelly fooled as to pay for the unready product willingly...

     

    Secondary -  selling "promise" of the product with absolutely no obligation and guarantees from seller side, with no set release date: is really really bad policy. You might have paid willingly, they might surprise you and deliver the game earlier than later, but it does not change the fact you were coned.

    Its up to people themselve to decide wether to buy the game or not and wether they are happy with it or not. However from reputation standpoint - both of the above listed things are really bad for the company.

    People should at last learn to consider computer games a real product, no different from any phisical one. Which means one wants a working and without issues product when you buy it, and  that you will not have to pay your own money to crashtest some automobile makers car. If you act like whimps and let the industry get away with whatever - they will abuse and exploit you even more.

    That said.. the above might sound a bit hypocritical, soncidering i bought a game and had a blast playing it :)

This discussion has been closed.