Recently published today, Venturebeat discusses the monetization of Guild Wars 2 in an interview with studio president Mike O’Brien. Here are a few things we found interesting:
GB: What are the key features that set Guild Wars 2 apart from free-to-play MMORPGs and simultaneously justify a $60 purchase?
O’Brien: [...]I think Guild Wars 2 is one of the best values in gaming, period. Where else can you get this many hours of enjoyment, of content, of polish, of replayability for $60?
I’ll give a direct comparison. Guild Wars 2 is both a great MMO and a great RPG, so anyone who plays offline RPGs like Skyrim or online RPGs like Diablo III is going to love Guild Wars 2. Those games cost $60. Compared to them, Guild Wars 2 has at least as much content, world exploration, personal storylines, and replayability. And then for no additional charge, Guild Wars 2 gives you a fully persistent world where you can hang out with your friends online, lots of social features, a live team dedicated to introducing lots of new content into the game, and two integrated forms of [player-versus-player].
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Once you get in that mindset, microtransactions in Guild Wars 2 are pretty straightforward, and it’s not as controversial as you’d think. If players need something to play the game, it’s part of the game. If something is a fun add-on or service, it can be a microtransaction.
Keep reading for more.
GB: Are there any particular “hardcore” online games you see as positive examples for microtransactions done right — probably something like League of Legends?
O’Brien: Yes, there are “hardcore” online games out there that I see as positive examples. I think EVE did a good job with their PLEX system and deserves props for it. Just like we’re doing in Guild Wars 2, they allowed players to trade microtransaction currency, which meant that players who wanted microtransactions but were short on cash could earn them through the game, and players who wanted in-game items but were short on time could trade for them using microtransaction currency.
It seems O’Brien is discussing a lot of what he covered in his recent blog post on the subject of game revenue. It appears that Arenanet is very much aware of how sensitive a cash shop can be to a game, which is fantastic to hear as a gamer. Also, they are extremely sensitive to how RMT can hurt a game, and Arenanet has plans on keeping it in-house.
Make sure you read the rest of the article over at Venturebeat.com.
Source: ArenaNet president discusses careful monetization of Guild Wars 2, the least greedy Western MMO
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