The guys at NCsoft and ArenaNet have been talking the talk here are gamescom, but we want to know if they can also walk the walk. Guild Wars 2 has been a massive title here at gamescom, and it isn't hard to notice that a rather hefty amount of the PR budget has been spent on its promotion.
The lovely but really damn tall Randall Price (Senior Vice President of AreanNet) and I discuss what it is that makes Guild Wars 2 tick, how they plan to make this "the MMO for people who hate MMOs," and of course, if they can fulfill their own promise of "this will be the GREATEST MMO EVER!" Take a look at the interview as we try to figure out what all the fuss is about.
Hollie Bennett is Destructoid's UK Community Manager and video producer/personality. She also the host of
our British podcast, models, and will totally drink you under the table boys.
Likes
Final Fantasy VIII, The Final Fantasy VIII soundtrack, Xbox 360, Alistair from Dragon Age: Origins, N64 based Zelda experiences
Meet the rest of the team
| BBcode help |
| [b]Bold text[/b] |
Bold text |
| [i]Italic text[/i] |
Italic text |
| [url]http://www.dtoid.com/[/url] |
http://www.dtoid.com |
| [url=http://www.dtoid.com/]Web link[/url] |
Web link |
|
| [img]http://www.example.com/robot.jpg[/img] |
 |
Post a comment! You can also post a photo below:
Comment with Facebook
Click connect and comment instantly!
|
Comment with Dtoid
New? SIGN UP - it takes 5 seconds
|
26 comments | showing # 1 to 26
|
Comment with Facebook
Click connect and comment instantly!
|
Comment with Dtoid
New? SIGN UP - it takes 5 seconds
|
Comments policy
Destructoid is an open discussion community. You don't need to "audition" to post a comment - just speak your mind. We respect differing opinions on the site, so have at it. Be smart, funny, insightful, clueless, or cute -- but back it up with substance. Keep your cool, keep it fun. We only ask that you act respectfully and above all: don't be a troll and ruin it for everyone else. Don't bring down gamers or we'll, you know, gently shoot you in the face and stuff you into a flaming mailbox. Each comment is your opportuntity to make this community awesomer. Is that even a word?
Avoiding the banhammer only requires common sense: spamming, trolling, racism, NSFW stuff, and other forms of sucking will not be tolerated. If anyone is griefing please report abuse. Be good. Don't suck!
Contest:
12:00 AM on 08.22.2010
| 
I'm buying this day one fo sho. Looks very promising!
Hollie, you have no idea how jealous of you I am right now.
A 9 part showing of the game with commentary on gametrailers (filmed with a cam on a screen but still great, all videos right now are like that. :P).
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/gc-10-guild-wars-2/703344
A charr gameplay tour with commentary.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sINGRHbwFY8
Actually the original Guild Wars games have huge amounts of PvE. Nightfall having the best with fully customizable NPC party members and a few branching missions.
There's a reason those people hate them. They're MMOs. Nothing is going to change that.
Actually yes you can because at a certain point a person has a falling off point of what they detest about a MMO game unless of course they hate multiplayer to begin with to which that just can't be helped.
For example Allegiance, Planetside, Time of Defiance, and Phantasy Star online are all considered MMOs.
And really Diablo 2 is not that far removed from an MMO nor is Titan Quest or NeverWinter Nights 1 & 2, or even MAG.
I mean, I get that some people just aren't really into MMOs, but this game is a Pretty Big Deal in terms of video game news, especially more major than the latest iPhone game or Rockband DLC (not saying those shouldn't be covered).
I frequent multiple game blogs and news sites, but maybe some people only come to Destructoid. It's a little sad seeing commentors on here obviously reacting to GW2 info for the first time ever, like they've never heard of it before (even people who liked GW1!)
And wow, does this game ever impress. It's one thing to see MMO developers spouting all sorts of bullshit (Aion, AOC, WAR) and it's another to see the content, IN YOUR FACE AND DELIVERING.
Day one purchase.
To recap, for those uniformed of the awesomness of GW2:
- No tank/ dealer/ dps model (ever class is self-sufficient and has some measure of survivability or utility).
- No bullshit travel systems.
- Public style events that SCALE depending upon the number of players.
- Eye-melting graphics.
- The level grind is consistent THROUGHOUT. Go read the GW2 manifesto on the main site, it's pretty incredible. They wanted to take away the boredom of mob/ quest grinding.
I will probably get GW2 and am looking forward to it.. with that said..
"- No tank/ dealer/ dps model (ever class is self-sufficient and has some measure of survivability or utility)."
Obviously the first game that came to my mind here is Star Wars Galaxies. But Final Fantasy XIV is a game closer to GW2's own launch that also can boast the same thing. You can be any class at any time.
"No bullshit travel systems."
I honestly don't know what this means.
"- Public style events that SCALE depending upon the number of players. "
That's cool. I've never really been a big fan of these sorts of things, but maybe they can turn me into one.
"Eye-melting graphics."
Maybe you can link me some screenshots because I'm just not seeing that whenever I see anything. In fact, I was a kinda disappointed here. Doesn't look anywhere near as grand as FF XIV, for instance.
"- The level grind is consistent THROUGHOUT. Go read the GW2 manifesto on the main site, it's pretty incredible. They wanted to take away the boredom of mob/ quest grinding."
Again, I don't understand what this actually means. Your first sentence just makes it sound like there's a constant grind that is equal in its grindiness for every level. Maybe you can elaborate on that? I'm sure it's cool whatever it is.
Also, GW2 will have no monthly fee and this is what troubles me. What corners are they cutting to achieve this? I'm a believer in "If it seems too good to be true, it probably is." Or.. if you give, you have to take. The corners cut in GW1 are obvious right off the bat. So unfortunately I have to remain skeptical until I know more about this game.
Here:
http://www.arena.net/blog/guild-wars-2-design-manifesto
http://www.guildwars2.com/en/media/videos/
Watched this vid as well (a Gamescom 17 min walk-through):
http://gamekit.co.nz/?p=5000
If you still aren't impressed after this (especially the MID LEVEL, not even epic, boss fight at the end), and don't understand why everyone who sees this game is raving about it, then you should probably just quit MMOs altogether :)
And the original GW sold over 5 million copies (back in 2008, so more now, and I think that's just "Prophecies" and not even the expansions) without having a monthly fee. That's how their model works. They release regular, full-priced expansions every 6-8 months (and each expansion is an entirely new 0-Epic level adventure with added classes, brand new maps, skills, etc.). There is no "corner cutting", the idea is that they continue to drive sales through CONTENT. It's a brilliant model, and if most devs weren't so complacent or lazy, they would have tried it by now (instead of just making WOW/ EQ clones).
I've been in the MMO circuit since EQ (well BBS games before that even), so I'm definitely seasoned and a bit pessimistic. But this game has all the signs that point to it delivering. It's a game built around the ideas of what players actually want in a game, and because there is no monthly sub, they've eliminated all the tedious, time-sink aspects of MMOs. Instead they're focusing on content to keep you busy, not endless mobs, lockout timers or other MMO staples.
And the graphics are far better than FF XIV (which I will be playing too, before GW2), trust me. Watch the actual HD vids on the main site. This is from a game not even in beta yet too.
Here:
http://www.arena.net/blog/guild-wars-2-design-manifesto
http://www.guildwars2.com/en/media/videos/
Watched this vid as well (a Gamescom 17 min walk-through):
http://gamekit.co.nz/?p=5000
If you still aren't impressed after this (especially the MID LEVEL, not even epic, boss fight at the end), and don't understand why everyone who sees this game is raving about it, then you should probably just quit MMOs altogether :)
And the original GW sold over 5 million copies (back in 2008, so more now, and I think that's just "Prophecies" and not even the expansions) without having a monthly fee. That's how their model works. They release regular, full-priced expansions every 6-8 months (and each expansion is an entirely new 0-Epic level adventure with added classes, brand new maps, skills, etc.). There is no "corner cutting", the idea is that they continue to drive sales through CONTENT. It's a brilliant model, and if most devs weren't so complacent or lazy, they would have tried it by now (instead of just making WOW/ EQ clones).
I've been in the MMO circuit since EQ (well BBS games before that even), so I'm definitely seasoned and a bit pessimistic. But this game has all the signs that point to it delivering. It's a game built around the ideas of what players actually want in a game, and because there is no monthly sub, they've eliminated all the tedious, time-sink aspects of MMOs. Instead they're focusing on content to keep you busy, not endless mobs, lockout timers or other MMO staples.
And the graphics are far better than FF XIV (which I will be playing too, before GW2), trust me. Watch the actual HD vids on the main site. This is from a game not even in beta yet too.
Hollie: I appreciate the response and it's good to hear the game isn't being deliberately ignored.