In an investor call today, NCSoft confirmed that plans are moving forward on a console release of Guild Wars 2, stating that they are in a "preparation stage." Not long after, ArenaNet's Martin Kerstein took to the Guild Wars 2 Guru forums to calm excited fans, fearful that their PC-exclusive title might be watered down by a console port, to point out that the company has previously stated their intentions and that they have long had a small team pursuing the possibility of release on home consoles.
I can understand the concern from players whenever a PC title is going to see release on a console, but it often sounds like a big brother whining that their little brother gets to have a toy at all when they get to play with the far cooler version of the toy. If you're still worried, be sure to check out our impressions of the upcoming Guild Wars 2 closed beta that will be posted Monday morning.
Conference Call Highlights, GW2 Console Version Confirmed [Guild Wars Insider]
Conrad Zimmerman is Destructoid's News Editor and home to the busiest mustache in the gaming press. An amateur historian and pop culture fanatic, Conrad possesses a nearly limitless wealth of videogame factoids and a passion for the power of games to teach, inspire and entertain. He enjoys reading, writing and turning things which should be fun into work.
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Contest:
3:50 PM on 02.15.2012 | 
Couldn't agree more. Personally, I'm excited about Guild Wars 2 on consoles.
That said, this is still pretty far from "We are releasing this game on consoles" - they've merely announced that they have a small team pursuing the possibility, and this has sorta been known for a while now. To be honest I will be very surprised if it becomes a reality.
Listen when I read your article I thought COOL! But then I read that statement above. I am a designer. That means I went to school for 4 years to learn to design (as well as taught design at a university level). Anytime you take a PC based game and port it to console design aspects will fail. Anytime you take a console game and port it to PC you will aspects that fail. Plain and simple.
It ONLY makes reasonable sense that PC gamers would bitch as aspects of their game will be broken... if its ported. Plain and simple.
Your statement makes you sound ignorant. Maybe you PC game, I'm not sure but I get the impression that you don't.
I only put 100 hours into BF3... why? because it wasn't very good... and the sad thing is its the best game of its type around. I had 600+ hours in BF2 and BF2142 because they were better.
@Conrad
@ TristanMike
If you guys actually understood what PC it's history and legacy you might have different views. I'm sorry you don't understand and think that PC gamers are snobs. Its really not the case. I am sorry that you interpret things poorly. Maybe read my blog to get a better understanding of your community.
No... Take a look at Oblivion and Skyrim's UI to see why PC gamers have heart attacks over this sort of thing.
I didn't know telling the truth made you a douchebag
Sorry but when games are designed to be played on consoles, sacrifices are made for the sake of the platform. So it's normal to be a little nervous about plans like this. I've been waiting 7 years for GW 2.
Granted I doubt NC Soft will mess this up. As long as they keep the console community separate from the PC community it'll be fine. The last thing we need are massive communication barriers and xbox live asshats ruining a teamwork focused RPG.
I see no reason they need to change anything, just leave the game exactly how it is for the PC and let console users plug a mouse/keyboard into that USB port on their consoles that is otherwise largely used for nothing..... I'd be taking bets on how long it would take console users to freak the hell out about using an interface they didn't like.
What usually ends up happening is the UI takes a hit so it can be developed for both platforms simultaneously and as such is generally geared for the lowest common denominator. In most cases the PC users get to deal with an interface that ends up being somewhat unintuitive because it was designed around a controller.
To be honest tho I'd actually welcome cross platform interaction. Games keep promising it (tho I don't think guild wars 2 did) but it never happens.
Its weird but that's how it is for a lot of people.
But I too share his concerns Conrad. You're one of my favorite editors (dat stsche'), but the reason PC gamers get concerned isn't because we are selfish assholes and don't want our console kin to partake, it's that in porting, some things get sacrificed that wouldn't have to be if they focused first and mainly on the PC version. If they can make it work then I think that's awesome (stuff like portal 2 comes to mind), but more often than not it's been proven that bad ports/cutting corners are the more likely outcome
It doesn't matter that you don't like red, your brother does so shut up and wear it :P
"*sigh*
Let me re-post my previous statement (that is also in the first post of this thread):
We stated multiple times in public that we have a small team working on a console version, but that we are fully dedicated to make the most kickass game for PC (I think the official statement did not use the word kickass, in case someone wants to semantically disect my post ).
It is amazing how the fact that we are dedicated to make the best PC game possible is completely ignored and unfounded Angst is running rampant."
06:51 PM
We've known about a small console team since late 2010, but first and foremost, Guild Wars 2 is a PC game, so don't get your hopes up for a simultaneous release. Not to mention they have never even acknowledged the possibility of using a controller, even on the PC, an option I've been asking about at every chance I get. The developers and CM's will sometimes go on Guru to address fan concerns about new feature they've announced, or field questions at conventions that were chosen by fans by way of a messenger.
The small sect of players who've been pushing for an affirmative on controller support have gone unanswered for a long time now, so when I saw this title header, I thought it was way too preemptive, and very much jumping the gun.
One way to avoid that outcome is to separate the PC and console servers like DCUO does, but by then what's the point? I think this is less about the PC master race, and more about not hearing those soul-crushing words "Due to PS_ limitations..."
I like you man, but that comment of yours is absolute shit. PC gamers freak out for a good reason. There's tons of precedent for games that go from PC exclusivity to consoles getting absolutely ruined.
It obviously doesn't have to be the case now since consoles can actually support a mouse and keyboard, but the concerns will remain because more often than not the results have been terrible for the PC side of gaming. And I'm saying this as someone who has predominantly played on a console his whole life.
We're giving you Dark Souls, one of the most deviously difficult and amazing games developed. You can stop you're whining while we gladly take Guild Wars 2.
Sincerely,
Console Gamers
I'm fully aware of who arena net are. I have nearly 5000 hours on GW 1. That isn't the point though. Big decisions like this are made by the publisher. In this case NC Soft.
@L3ED
No deal. Dark Souls is pretty over rated anyway.
Damned iPhone autocorrect.
However assuming that they make the Console version standalone from the PC version i see no issue.
Without the 2 versions interacting there is no need to sacrifice something on either version. They can create a game that works well on consoles with controllers. And they can create a game that works well on PC with a M+Keyboard, with controller ability.
I'll be playing on PC and if the console version exists without touching it i'll have no problem what so ever.
-----
It may sound snobby or whatever, but console gamers bitch just as much when a game/developer goes multiplat such as FFXIII so i think it's a bit pot calling the kettle black.
Everyone is over protective of their exclusive titles. And everyone would prefer that people play their systems version of the game. Because at the very least more sales on that platform means more investment in the sequel on their platform or at least a larger focus.
Note: I'm kinda curious though, assuming the game doesn't get enough steam to launch alongside it's PC counterpart(GW2 has been promised as this year) Is it really the best plan to be releasing something like this on a set of system which only have 2-3 years of life left at best. Generally an MMO is a long term thing. And if MS goes the way of Software backwards compatibility there is no assurance it will run well anymore, and who knows what sony will do.
NCSoft really doesn't have any control whatsoever over GW2. They've given ArenaNet complete autonomy for the past five years. That hasn't changed.
Seriously, guys. Pay attention.
ANet is making a PC game. They aren't sacrificing shit. If they even manage to successfully make a console version (it's still in the planning/experimental stages with a small internal team of people) it will likely not be very good, as the game is being designed 100% to be a top notch AAA PC title beginning to end.
Honestly, anybody who has been following the company and the franchise knows that this isn't the end of the world. The only people getting upset are the ones who know very little about this game, still call NCSoft the developer, probably was never interested in GW2 to begin with but are just crying about consoles possibly getting a cool game.
I really enjoy a good PC game experience but I swear to Lyssa "PC gamers" are the absolute worst.
2 many wurds make hurt brian
Nothing is "gimped" or "deprecated". GW2 isn't an expansion of GW1. It's a completely different game with a completely new system of gameplay.
However, the reverse of that - developed for consoles then ported to the PC - is usually when the developers probably shouldn't even bother because few of them modify the game when it would be appropriate to take advantage of the horsepower of modern PCs.
Actually more often than not it's more like the big brother getting denied the cooler toy so that the parents can give both of them the cheaper one.
Anyway, nobody needs to be worried. They're just starting on a console version of GW2 now; the PC version of GW2 has been in development for years. It's safe to assume they're not goign to fuck over the PC version in favour of a later version with a smaller audience.
Fact is, they will make a PC game and maybe a console version second. But what I don't think is that they will put it out in this console generation. Also, NCSoft has signed an exclusive deal with Sony. So seeing a NCSoft/ArenaNet game on the XBox is next to non existent.
http://kotaku.com/277499/ncsoft-signs-exclusive-deal-with-sony
And why the fuck isn't this information in the actual news? Instead we have a shitty news article with no info, a whiny personal comment and confused people in the comment section.
Man DTOID, get your shit together. I never expected professional news but at least news from amateurs or fans who have a clue.
Beyond that, we've seen far too few MMO's in a "to consoles" transition state, but generally speaking the controls for such games on consoles are... Usually pretty shitty. I can see why PC gamers would complain, if this was an area they forsaw to complained about.
DCUO was an action MMO, the game was made for a gamepad. It may respond well to a keyboard/mouse set up, but its just weak overall because of its roots on a controller.
Then theres FFXI, which -from personal experience- felt watered down when controlling with a controller, compared to a keyboard. PC gamers are going to quickly note that a controller will omit the amount of skill it takes to play such a game -and Guild Wars players pride themselves on skill, I doubt Guild Wars 2 will be any different.
@josmeister
He really didn't say anything wrong. Also have a hard time determining who needs that award more when a person names an award after themselves.