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Why I Didn't Buy Guild Wars 2

yharyhar Member Posts: 16

I watched the videos on YouTube.  I read the reviews in magazines.  I read many forum threads.  I got excited about the game.  I went to GuildWars 2.com and clicked the Buy Now button.  I was ready to buy a copy for me and my girlfriend and we were gonna give this new adventure a try.

Digital version...SOLD OUT.   Digital Deluxe version...SOLD OUT.  The $150 Collector Edition...the only option.

Really?  Do you honestly think people in the 21st century believe you can sell out of a digital copy?  Your efforts did not net you $300 for two new players, it didn't even net you $120 as I was expecting to shell out.  It netted you $0 because of your greed.

Some might say, their servers are too full.  How long does it take to throw up another server?  Another dozen servers if needed.  If you don't have enough servers to meet the game demand.  Add servers.  Don't just create some artificial scarcity by which people have to buy a $150 version.

There are copies in stores, but I won't be buying it.  Not after the bad taste this shady strategy has left with me.  It could be an awesome game.  But I won't give it another look.  You had an opportunity to make a sale, and you refused it with your fail attempt to funnel people into an overpriced version of your game.  Fire your marketing people.  You guys are missing out on who knows how many thousand sales.

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Comments

  • AmjocoAmjoco Member UncommonPosts: 4,860

    They didn't sell out, they stopped selling them temporarily. 

     

    “Ensuring the best possible play experience for our fans is our highest priority. We’ve said before that we would be willing to temporarily disable first-party digital sales if we felt our high player concurrency may compromise player experiences. We have now reached that point.

    Death is nothing to us, since when we are, Death has not come, and when death has come, we are not.

  • Requiem1066Requiem1066 Member Posts: 274
    I understand the reason they stopped digital sales .. but it does seem a bit " off " if they have stopped them apart from the $150 one lol

    image

  • AmjocoAmjoco Member UncommonPosts: 4,860
    Originally posted by yhar

    I watched the videos on YouTube.  I read the reviews in magazines.  I read many forum threads.  I got excited about the game.  I went to GuildWars 2.com and clicked the Buy Now button.  I was ready to buy a copy for me and my girlfriend and we were gonna give this new adventure a try.

    Digital version...SOLD OUT.   Digital Deluxe version...SOLD OUT.  The $150 Collector Edition...the only option.

    Really?  Do you honestly think people in the 21st century believe you can sell out of a digital copy?  Your efforts did not net you $300 for two new players, it didn't even net you $120 as I was expecting to shell out.  It netted you $0 because of your greed.

    Some might say, their servers are too full.  How long does it take to throw up another server?  Another dozen servers if needed.  If you don't have enough servers to meet the game demand.  Add servers.  Don't just create some artificial scarcity by which people have to buy a $150 version.

    There are copies in stores, but I won't be buying it.  Not after the bad taste this shady strategy has left with me.  It could be an awesome game.  But I won't give it another look.  You had an opportunity to make a sale, and you refused it with your fail attempt to funnel people into an overpriced version of your game.  Fire your marketing people.  You guys are missing out on who knows how many thousand sales.

    So throw up a 20 servers or more, then after player population levels out you start shutting down servers forcing players to move? Not again!  

    Death is nothing to us, since when we are, Death has not come, and when death has come, we are not.

  • mearimeari Member Posts: 101

    Ehh, because the collector edition isn't a digital edition and you have to order from a retailer, the same reason standard editions are also still available from retailer?

  • Thornz2000Thornz2000 Member Posts: 135

    So you made a MMO account to share your feelings right?

    Well they halted sales for now to make sure they have servers for everyone. This is the 1st MMO I ever seen halting sales to get things lined up so the servers will not be over loaded.

    This MMO is well worth it, but sorry they put boo boo's all over your feelings.

    So thx for stopping in for a quick chat, but must get back to the game.

    The world we know is going away http://www.graystatemovie.com/
    Look up Agenda 21 as well.

  • fundayzfundayz Member Posts: 463
    Originally posted by yhar

    Some might say, their servers are too full.  How long does it take to throw up another server?  Another dozen servers if needed.  If you don't have enough servers to meet the game demand.  Add servers.  Don't just create some artificial scarcity by which people have to buy a $150 version.

    There are copies in stores, but I won't be buying it.  Not after the bad taste this shady strategy has left with me.  It could be an awesome game.  But I won't give it another look.  You had an opportunity to make a sale, and you refused it with your fail attempt to funnel people into an overpriced version of your game.  Fire your marketing people.  You guys are missing out on who knows how many thousand sales

    Do you think closet-sized computers just materialize out of nowhere?

    Do you think the server just hooks itself up?

    Do you think the software needed to run the server just installs itself?

     

    Seriously, get a grip on your tin-foil hat nobody is trying to force you to buy a Collector's Edition. Why would they even make boxed copies available if they wanted to do that?

  • AmjocoAmjoco Member UncommonPosts: 4,860
    Originally posted by Requiem1066
    I understand the reason they stopped digital sales .. but it does seem a bit " off " if they have stopped them apart from the $150 one lol

    I'm sure they would make way more money selling the digital over the CE one. They probably have obligations to whoever they buy the items that goes in those boxes. I'm guessing is all but I do understand your point.

    Death is nothing to us, since when we are, Death has not come, and when death has come, we are not.

  • yharyhar Member Posts: 16
    Originally posted by Amjoco

    They didn't sell out, they stopped selling them temporarily. 

     

    “Ensuring the best possible play experience for our fans is our highest priority. We’ve said before that we would be willing to temporarily disable first-party digital sales if we felt our high player concurrency may compromise player experiences. We have now reached that point.

    This comes across to me as an excuse, and a very weak one at that.  When server pops get too high, restrict new players from making characters on those servers temporarily.  If all your servers are too high in population, add more servers.  It shows lack of technical ability, lack of foresight and questionable business ethics (allowing the purchase of the $150 game but not the lesser expensive ones).  Three strikes.  Guild Wars 2 stood there and watched the ball whiz by.  Next batter.  You're out.

  • ChillbillyChillbilly Member Posts: 12
    They pretty much had to stop selling the download version as the servers were melting down. If you really want to play just go get a boxed copy, before they all sell out lol.
  • AerowynAerowyn Member Posts: 7,928
    Originally posted by yhar
    Originally posted by Amjoco

    They didn't sell out, they stopped selling them temporarily. 

     

    “Ensuring the best possible play experience for our fans is our highest priority. We’ve said before that we would be willing to temporarily disable first-party digital sales if we felt our high player concurrency may compromise player experiences. We have now reached that point.

    This comes across to me as an excuse, and a very weak one at that.  When server pops get too high, restrict new players from making characters on those servers temporarily.  If all your servers are too high in population, add more servers.  It shows lack of technical ability, lack of foresight and questionable business ethics (allowing the purchase of the $150 game but not the lesser expensive ones).  Three strikes.  Guild Wars 2 stood there and watched the ball whiz by.  Next batter.  You're out.

    not really the best way to go about things as seen from many other games in the past.... besides you can buy the game from any retail store just not direct from Anet.. not seeing the big deal. It's an inconvienence yes.. but if someone really wants to play the game they can still go buy a copy and play

    I angered the clerk in a clothing shop today. She asked me what size I was and I said actual, because I am not to scale. I like vending machines 'cause snacks are better when they fall. If I buy a candy bar at a store, oftentimes, I will drop it... so that it achieves its maximum flavor potential. --Mitch Hedberg

  • EricDanieEricDanie Member UncommonPosts: 2,238
    Originally posted by yhar

    I watched the videos on YouTube.  I read the reviews in magazines.  I read many forum threads.  I got excited about the game.  I went to GuildWars 2.com and clicked the Buy Now button.  I was ready to buy a copy for me and my girlfriend and we were gonna give this new adventure a try.

    Digital version...SOLD OUT.   Digital Deluxe version...SOLD OUT.  The $150 Collector Edition...the only option.

    Really?  Do you honestly think people in the 21st century believe you can sell out of a digital copy?  Your efforts did not net you $300 for two new players, it didn't even net you $120 as I was expecting to shell out.  It netted you $0 because of your greed.

    Some might say, their servers are too full.  How long does it take to throw up another server?  Another dozen servers if needed.  If you don't have enough servers to meet the game demand.  Add servers.  Don't just create some artificial scarcity by which people have to buy a $150 version.

    There are copies in stores, but I won't be buying it.  Not after the bad taste this shady strategy has left with me.  It could be an awesome game.  But I won't give it another look.  You had an opportunity to make a sale, and you refused it with your fail attempt to funnel people into an overpriced version of your game.  Fire your marketing people.  You guys are missing out on who knows how many thousand sales.

    No the $150 CE isn't available for sale on there either, your post complaint falls apart without that, it's not some evil plot to force people into purchasing the $150 version of the game.

    You could easily purchase the game on other digital retailers by the way, they even have a list there, besides many other unofficial ones.

    The way you came to such a conclusion when being uninformed does make me worry though, they might indeed lose a lot of sales to the people that are completely outside of the loop on the official updates from ANet and end up dreaming about evil plots of greed.

  • TekkamanTekkaman Member UncommonPosts: 158
    Originally posted by yhar

    I watched the videos on YouTube.  I read the reviews in magazines.  I read many forum threads.  I got excited about the game.  I went to GuildWars 2.com and clicked the Buy Now button.  I was ready to buy a copy for me and my girlfriend and we were gonna give this new adventure a try.

    Digital version...SOLD OUT.   Digital Deluxe version...SOLD OUT.  The $150 Collector Edition...the only option.

    Really?  Do you honestly think people in the 21st century believe you can sell out of a digital copy?  Your efforts did not net you $300 for two new players, it didn't even net you $120 as I was expecting to shell out.  It netted you $0 because of your greed.

    Some might say, their servers are too full.  How long does it take to throw up another server?  Another dozen servers if needed.  If you don't have enough servers to meet the game demand.  Add servers.  Don't just create some artificial scarcity by which people have to buy a $150 version.

    There are copies in stores, but I won't be buying it.  Not after the bad taste this shady strategy has left with me.  It could be an awesome game.  But I won't give it another look.  You had an opportunity to make a sale, and you refused it with your fail attempt to funnel people into an overpriced version of your game.  Fire your marketing people.  You guys are missing out on who knows how many thousand sales.

    Too bad the $150 CE is retail. DERP.

  • NadiaNadia Member UncommonPosts: 11,798

    from sunday update

    http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Game_status_updates/Archive_1

     We're aggressively ramping up our customer support team, with 28 new support representatives starting today and more coming online in the next few days, to provide the fast response times our customers expect.

     

    from todays interview

    http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/09/04/arenanets-regina-buenaobra-on-guild-wars-2-reddit-and-communi/

    Why were first-party sales of the game halted? Can we take that as a sign that the game is selling a little too well for comfort, given the game's current troubles, or does the team simply want to prevent new players from getting caught up in email delays on registration? How soon might we see sales resume?

    Demand for Guild Wars 2 has been well beyond our expectations, and in order to maintain a playable and enjoyable game experience for all of our fans we made the decision to temporarily halt first-party sales while we scale up our capacity and customer support to meet this demand. From the very beginning, we have intended Guild Wars 2 to be a successful game in the long run. Slamming our servers with new players in the name of sales, adversely affecting the entirety of our playerbase, does not fit into that plan. Guild Wars 2 needs to always be an enjoyable, accessible game, and we will do everything within our means to do so.

     

  • EricDanieEricDanie Member UncommonPosts: 2,238
    Also, when you need to setup new servers and expand your structure to meet the demand for a game it isn't like ordering pizza, especially when they were focusing on making the game fully work for their current players before working on just expanding capacity for new players. 
  • ClocksimusClocksimus Member Posts: 354
    We sold over a million pre-orders in 48 hours but we had no idea our game would be largely popular.  Sorry but anyone that didn't know GW2 would launch well has been living under a rock. Not sure how the people making the game can be so unware of how many people are kicking over kittens just to get a copy.
  • yharyhar Member Posts: 16
    Originally posted by fundayz
    Originally posted by yhar

    Some might say, their servers are too full.  How long does it take to throw up another server?  Another dozen servers if needed.  If you don't have enough servers to meet the game demand.  Add servers.  Don't just create some artificial scarcity by which people have to buy a $150 version.

    There are copies in stores, but I won't be buying it.  Not after the bad taste this shady strategy has left with me.  It could be an awesome game.  But I won't give it another look.  You had an opportunity to make a sale, and you refused it with your fail attempt to funnel people into an overpriced version of your game.  Fire your marketing people.  You guys are missing out on who knows how many thousand sales

    Do you think closet-sized computers just materialize out of nowhere?

    Do you think the server just hooks itself up?

    Do you think the software needed to run the server just installs itself?

     

    Seriously, get a grip on your tin-foil hat nobody is trying to force you to buy a Collector's Edition. Why would they even make boxed copies available if they wanted to do that?

    Ok, basic business.  How many people can a server hold at one time?  Let's estimate low and say 500.  Let's assume they allow 3x the max users to have accounts, because we know, not all 500 people will be the same people playing 24/7.  So let's just say each server is a potential of 1500 accounts.  Let's also assume that ALL 1500 are the low end $60 game.  So that's 1500x$60=$90,000.

    I don't price game servers, but lets say even if each server cost $10,000, that leaves $80,000.  As far as installing the software and "hooking it up", that should take 1 or 2 hours max and the technical knowledge possessed by the average gamer.

    Seriously, artifical scarcity is a marketing ploy, used to create a false increased demand.

    If you could make $80,000 from direct downloads per server but you don't,  and your excuse is, I don't have the time or the resources to handle this because I didn't have the business skill to think ahead, you don't deserve to make that easy bank.

  • MagnetiaMagnetia Member UncommonPosts: 1,015
    Originally posted by yhar
    Originally posted by fundayz
    Originally posted by yhar

    Some might say, their servers are too full.  How long does it take to throw up another server?  Another dozen servers if needed.  If you don't have enough servers to meet the game demand.  Add servers.  Don't just create some artificial scarcity by which people have to buy a $150 version.

    There are copies in stores, but I won't be buying it.  Not after the bad taste this shady strategy has left with me.  It could be an awesome game.  But I won't give it another look.  You had an opportunity to make a sale, and you refused it with your fail attempt to funnel people into an overpriced version of your game.  Fire your marketing people.  You guys are missing out on who knows how many thousand sales

    Do you think closet-sized computers just materialize out of nowhere?

    Do you think the server just hooks itself up?

    Do you think the software needed to run the server just installs itself?

     

    Seriously, get a grip on your tin-foil hat nobody is trying to force you to buy a Collector's Edition. Why would they even make boxed copies available if they wanted to do that?

    Ok, basic business.  How many people can a server hold at one time?  Let's estimate low and say 500.  Let's assume they allow 3x the max users to have accounts, because we know, not all 500 people will be the same people playing 24/7.  So let's just say each server is a potential of 1500 accounts.  Let's also assume that ALL 1500 are the low end $60 game.  So that's 1500x$60=$90,000.

    I don't price game servers, but lets say even if each server cost $10,000, that leaves $80,000.  As far as installing the software and "hooking it up", that should take 1 or 2 hours max and the technical knowledge possessed by the average gamer.

    Seriously, artifical scarcity is a marketing ploy, used to create a false increased demand.

    If you could make $80,000 from direct downloads per server but you don't,  and your excuse is, I don't have the time or the resources to handle this because I didn't have the business skill to think ahead, you don't deserve to make that easy bank.

    I believe NCSoft takes around 50 of the 60 dollars. Read it from somewhere a long long while ago.

    Play for fun. Play to win. Play for perfection. Play with friends. Play in another world. Why do you play?

  • mearimeari Member Posts: 101
    Originally posted by yhar
    Originally posted by fundayz
    Originally posted by yhar

    Some might say, their servers are too full.  How long does it take to throw up another server?  Another dozen servers if needed.  If you don't have enough servers to meet the game demand.  Add servers.  Don't just create some artificial scarcity by which people have to buy a $150 version.

    There are copies in stores, but I won't be buying it.  Not after the bad taste this shady strategy has left with me.  It could be an awesome game.  But I won't give it another look.  You had an opportunity to make a sale, and you refused it with your fail attempt to funnel people into an overpriced version of your game.  Fire your marketing people.  You guys are missing out on who knows how many thousand sales

    Do you think closet-sized computers just materialize out of nowhere?

    Do you think the server just hooks itself up?

    Do you think the software needed to run the server just installs itself?

     

    Seriously, get a grip on your tin-foil hat nobody is trying to force you to buy a Collector's Edition. Why would they even make boxed copies available if they wanted to do that?

    Ok, basic business.  How many people can a server hold at one time?  Let's estimate low and say 500.  Let's assume they allow 3x the max users to have accounts, because we know, not all 500 people will be the same people playing 24/7.  So let's just say each server is a potential of 1500 accounts.  Let's also assume that ALL 1500 are the low end $60 game.  So that's 1500x$60=$90,000.

    I don't price game servers, but lets say even if each server cost $10,000, that leaves $80,000.  As far as installing the software and "hooking it up", that should take 1 or 2 hours max and the technical knowledge possessed by the average gamer.

    Seriously, artifical scarcity is a marketing ploy, used to create a false increased demand.

    If you could make $80,000 from direct downloads per server but you don't,  and your excuse is, I don't have the time or the resources to handle this because I didn't have the business skill to think ahead, you don't deserve to make that easy bank.

    1. Enterprise level servers are not that easy to set up and connect. They take up floor space in the datacenter and eats up cable bandwidth. 

    2. We already told you the collection edition is retail only, can you please concede you were mistaken and just get a digital copy from online retailers?

     

  • NadiaNadia Member UncommonPosts: 11,798
    Originally posted by yhar

    Seriously, artifical scarcity is a marketing ploy, used to create a false increased demand.

    maybe you havent heard how some players have had to wait almost 4 days to get support for their GW2 accts?

     

    more players means more support needs to be hired too -- its not just add more servers and walk away

  • yharyhar Member Posts: 16
    Originally posted by EricDanie
    You could easily purchase the game on other digital retailers by the way, they even have a list there, besides many other unofficial ones.

    So the claim that "Ensuring the best possible play experience for our fans is our highest priority. We’ve said before that we would be willing to temporarily disable first-party digital sales" doesn't make sense if they point you to other places where you can buy and download the game.  If they are directing you to other digital download sites, they aren't disabling digital sales?  

    Make all the excuses you want, but the bottom line is lost sales.  Period.  Tell everyone who didn't buy it they're an idiot for not going to other places, that won't increase sales :)  If your people can't order new servers and have them shipped overnight, if your people can't reliably plug in said new servers, install the server software and connect it to the Internet, then hey, it makes a whole lot of sense to stop selling the game.

    But to make some BS excuse about "best play experience for your fans" is just a cop out for incompetence.  And I'm glad I didn't buy into it.

  • DfixDfix Member UncommonPosts: 238
    Originally posted by xK3rune
    Typical uninformed idiot that rants excessively.

    Sometimes I wish there was a like button on this site. 

     

    Vivik-Cerberus
    image
  • Requiem1066Requiem1066 Member Posts: 274
    Originally posted by yhar
    Originally posted by EricDanie
    You could easily purchase the game on other digital retailers by the way, they even have a list there, besides many other unofficial ones.

     

    But to make some BS excuse about "best play experience for your fans" is just a cop out for incompetence.  And I'm glad I didn't buy into it.

    If you have ever suffered the overflow server problem ( which ofc you haven't) then you can understand how it does make sense ..

     

    image

  • MagnetiaMagnetia Member UncommonPosts: 1,015
    Originally posted by yhar
    Originally posted by EricDanie
    You could easily purchase the game on other digital retailers by the way, they even have a list there, besides many other unofficial ones.

    So the claim that "Ensuring the best possible play experience for our fans is our highest priority. We’ve said before that we would be willing to temporarily disable first-party digital sales" doesn't make sense if they point you to other places where you can buy and download the game.  If they are directing you to other digital download sites, they aren't disabling digital sales?  

    Make all the excuses you want, but the bottom line is lost sales.  Period.  Tell everyone who didn't buy it they're an idiot for not going to other places, that won't increase sales :)  If your people can't order new servers and have them shipped overnight, if your people can't reliably plug in said new servers, install the server software and connect it to the Internet, then hey, it makes a whole lot of sense to stop selling the game.

    But to make some BS excuse about "best play experience for your fans" is just a cop out for incompetence.  And I'm glad I didn't buy into it.

    They weighed the options of allowing everyone to play and break the servers even harder than they have been or stop sales in order to ensure the game can actually run.

    As someone who already has the game I fully support the idea that the people currently playing are more important than the bottom line.

    It's not my problem that you can't buy a game because a company made business decisions that did not include you.

    Play for fun. Play to win. Play for perfection. Play with friends. Play in another world. Why do you play?

  • DfixDfix Member UncommonPosts: 238
    Originally posted by yhar
    Originally posted by EricDanie
    You could easily purchase the game on other digital retailers by the way, they even have a list there, besides many other unofficial ones.

    So the claim that "Ensuring the best possible play experience for our fans is our highest priority. We’ve said before that we would be willing to temporarily disable first-party digital sales" doesn't make sense if they point you to other places where you can buy and download the game.  If they are directing you to other digital download sites, they aren't disabling digital sales?  

    Make all the excuses you want, but the bottom line is lost sales.  Period.  Tell everyone who didn't buy it they're an idiot for not going to other places, that won't increase sales :)  If your people can't order new servers and have them shipped overnight, if your people can't reliably plug in said new servers, install the server software and connect it to the Internet, then hey, it makes a whole lot of sense to stop selling the game.

    But to make some BS excuse about "best play experience for your fans" is just a cop out for incompetence.  And I'm glad I didn't buy into it.

    If you had played in the headstart you would probably understand the reasoning behind limiting the sales. Next time plan ahead instead of coming here to make excuses about how you dropped the ball in prepurchasing the game.

    Vivik-Cerberus
    image
  • mearimeari Member Posts: 101
    Originally posted by yhar
    Originally posted by EricDanie
    You could easily purchase the game on other digital retailers by the way, they even have a list there, besides many other unofficial ones.

    So the claim that "Ensuring the best possible play experience for our fans is our highest priority. We’ve said before that we would be willing to temporarily disable first-party digital sales" doesn't make sense if they point you to other places where you can buy and download the game.  If they are directing you to other digital download sites, they aren't disabling digital sales?  

    Make all the excuses you want, but the bottom line is lost sales.  Period.  Tell everyone who didn't buy it they're an idiot for not going to other places, that won't increase sales :)  If your people can't order new servers and have them shipped overnight, if your people can't reliably plug in said new servers, install the server software and connect it to the Internet, then hey, it makes a whole lot of sense to stop selling the game.

    But to make some BS excuse about "best play experience for your fans" is just a cop out for incompetence.  And I'm glad I didn't buy into it.

    Dude, online retailers already bought their keys from Anet. Anet cannot turn around and tell them they can't sell it, it'll means the online retailers loses business to physical retailers and they'll have lawsuits lined up.

    The only means of sales channel Anet can control is their own. And honestly, if Anet could get 100% of all their sales through their own website, they would, and keep all the retail margins to themselves.

This discussion has been closed.