Discussion Thread: ArenaNet News of 21 February 2019 [Merged]

[BlueJin.4127]

@MoriMoriMori.5349 said:Now, what do we make from Joshua Foreman leaving? If they actually fired him, what does this mean? When you fire your lead level designer/artist, that really sounds like you don't plan to put a lot of emphasis on level design from now on. Like, no more huge DLCs with bunch of exceptionally designed environment, just a simple LWS map once in a while? I don't get it, that's kind of an employee you normally want to keep if you plan to keep growing your project.

It simply means they’re replacing a veteran who gets paid well with somebody else who gets paid less, so the company can pay less for their employees. It doesn’t necessarily mean they don’t care about the product, nor does it mean a decrease in quality. Only time will tell if the people taking over do a better job. A lot of times, newer employees (not necessarily new to the company, can be new to a position) have a lot of different skills that can bring about a positive change. We’ll just have to wait and see.

[Thea Cherry.6327]

Two people who knew what players wanted have been let go...

Gaile... our voice, our ears... our heart. :(

And Josh, master of the SAB... we will miss you both very much. :(

[Teratus.2859]

I've never been good at keeping up with peoples names tbh but Josh and Gaile are gone!!

Those were two I did know.. and Gaile specifically is someone I've known as far back as the early days of Gw1!I even saw her one of a kind Frog minipet in game once..

Now i'm just kitten depressed .... :(I wish everyone who's been effected by the layoffs all the best in their future jobs.

[Arkham Creed.7358]

When I first heard that Arena Net was planning layoffs, I tried to take it in stride, but seeing now that it is hitting people who have been with the company for nearly two decades I am starting to feel a sense of dread. Of course my heart goes out to everyone affected by this, and I hope that they all land on their feet and find some new place to work promptly, but on a personal note I now fear for the future of this game. I've been a long time supporter of Arena Net, and while I can be critical at times, overly so sometimes, I've been happily playing Guild Wars since the original days. And some of my best memories of gaming are me and my wife adventuring together back when we were dating. Even now as we play other RPGs, including table-top, our characters and experiences are informed by moments, designs, and terms gleamed from these wonderful games. I don't know what my wife will do if the word "mesmer" suddenly looses such a huge piece of its context.

Arena Net; I know you're going through troubles right now, and I know you've far more to worry about than some rando whining on your forums, but I want you to know that we're here rooting for you. We've been here for years, and we hope to be here for years to come. I hope we might get a little information soon to ease these fears, but I understand you've more important things right now. So until then I have just one thing to say. Good luck, everyone. Thanks for the memories.

[Lottie.5370]

@Healix.5819 said:

@Elric.4713 said:This is Wildstar all over again.

WildStar was failing from the start. ArenaNet has hired over 100 employees since launch and has talked about having several unannounced projects over the years, but has had nothing to show for it. It's really no surprise that NCSoft finally told them to stop, and thus they're expected to lose at least 33% of their workforce. ArenaNet should theoretically be back to normal after this, but the problem is, the news alone could kill the game as people bail on it.

The problem is losing people such as Gaile Grey... ArenaNet won't be back to normal, but normal-size perhaps.

[Teratus.2859]

I was concerned before but after seeing that some of Anet's big Vets are leaving... yeah I think that concern has been upgraded to worried. :(

[Just a flesh wound.3589]

Gaile was the main person to talk to us on the forum on a regular basis. I guess it’s going to be only the occasional official announcement from now on.

[wetwillyhip.7254]

@"Teratus.2859" said:I've never been good at keeping up with peoples names tbh but Josh and Gaile are gone!!

Those were two I did know.. and Gaile specifically is someone I've known as far back as the early days of Gw1!I even saw her one of a kind Frog minipet in game once..

Now i'm just kitten depressed .... :(I wish everyone who's been effected by the layoffs all the best in their future jobs.

I'm just really gloomy today at work while monitoring these posts in between work breaks. It's so sad. My wife may not understand fully but GW has been a huge part of my life for over 14 years since GW1 release. Many fond memories including relationships with many guild communities, community events, and discovering the magic since the beginning - walking through presearing as a new player and enjoying Jeremy Soule's beautiful flute melodies.

I've never been a bigger fan of any other franchise and development team. I was sad to see Jeff Strain, Colin Johansson, Martin Kerstein, Jeff Grub, Ree Soesbee, Emily Diehl, and Daniel Dociu no longer at ArenaNet awhile back. The company has seen quite a bit of staff turnover but Gaile has been there since the beginning. For today, I've got this playing in the background while at work. Stepping down memory lane.

[Tiviana.2650]

@"cptaylor.2670" said:With the latest article stating that the game will not be “affected” but will have less developers working on it I think that’s either a hint that we will probably getting some pretty drastic delays with more than just the wvw mount patch. And with so many veterans leaving, likely due to volunteering, I fear that this game while undoubtedly continuing one way or another, will just devolve more and more until it’s merely a shell of its former self.

With many of them leaving in solidarity i think gw2 will be going into maintenance mode shortly. Any living world stories that come out next were already pretty much done, after that who knows. NCsoft just basically killed the game.

[Kylden Ar.3724]

@Blanche Neige.7241 said:

@"Jura.2170" said:If Anet really needs more money to keep going, would it help if they removed turning gold into gems?

How would you feel if they did that?

It does not matter. Those gems you are buying with gold don't come out from thin air. Each and every one of them was bought by someone who then converted them to gold.

Um, no.

If Gems had to exist first from a cash sale, that would mean sometimes people doing gold to gems conversions would get told no until someone "made some gems exist" by paying cash for them.

I have never heard of anyone seeing that message.

[wetwillyhip.7254]

@Tiviana.2650 said:

@"cptaylor.2670" said:With the latest article stating that the game will not be “affected” but will have less developers working on it I think that’s either a hint that we will probably getting some pretty drastic delays with more than just the wvw mount patch. And with so many veterans leaving, likely due to volunteering, I fear that this game while undoubtedly continuing one way or another, will just devolve more and more until it’s merely a shell of its former self.

With many of them leaving in solidarity i think gw2 will be going into maintenance mode shortly. Any living world stories that come out next were already pretty much done, after that who knows. NCsoft just basically killed the game.

if we're not careful, posts like this will help instill the idea to the community that the game is dead and will help kill it off. Please stay positive for now.

[Tiviana.2650]

Its not Anet , its NCsoft pulling plugs, get it right. When the kitten hits the fan know where to point the finger, squarely at NCsoft.

[Teratus.2859]

@wetwillyhip.7254 said:

@Teratus.2859 said:I've never been good at keeping up with peoples names tbh but Josh and Gaile are gone!!

Those were two I did know.. and Gaile specifically is someone I've known as far back as the early days of Gw1!I even saw her one of a kind Frog minipet in game once..

Now i'm just kitten depressed .... :(I wish everyone who's been effected by the layoffs all the best in their future jobs.

I'm just really gloomy today at work while monitoring these posts in between work breaks. It's so sad. My wife may not understand fully but GW has been a huge part of my life for over 14 years since GW1 release. Many fond memories including guild communities, events, and discovering the magic - walking through presearing as a new player and enjoying Jeremy Soule's beautiful flute melodies.

I've never been a bigger fan of any other franchise and development team. I was sad to see Jeff Strain, Colin Johansson, Martin Kerstein, Emily Diehl, and Daniel Dociu no longer at ArenaNet. The company has seen quite a bit of staff turnover but Gaile has been there since the beginning.

Same here.. Guildwars was my very first experience with not just an MMO (MMO style game) but also an online game in general.Guildwars is also the main game that got me into PC gaming and made me buy my own PC.Guildwars and Guildwars 2 were also a huge part of me and my now wife's lives back when we lived in different countries as it give us something to do together to pass the time until we could afford to travel and see one another.And since I moved abroad to be with my now wife.. Gw2 is the main game that I play at least once a week with my friends back home in the UK.. as well as my other friends scattered all over the world.

It's really depressing to see people who are responsible for the games that have been such a big part of my life.. now having to leave.It's not fair :(

[Arkham Creed.7358]

@Tiviana.2650 said:Its not Anet , its NCsoft pulling plugs, get it right. When the kitten hits the fan know where to point the finger, squarely at NCsoft.

That really doesn't matter at this point, does it? Arena Net is in trouble, people are loosing their jobs, and the future of this game is in question. So is a semantic argument really what we should be focusing on?

[Jason.3485]

What in the world did Ncsoft think they would accomplish by laying off actual devs from raids, fractals, world maps and living story. Do they think the money saved now will pay off later when the rest of the devs are so distraught they leave too and a once profitable game is no longer. I don't post here that often but I am truly and completely distraught over seeing a game that I have loved and played for 12 years gets treated this way.

[Tiviana.2650]

@wetwillyhip.7254 said:

@Tiviana.2650 said:

@"cptaylor.2670" said:With the latest article stating that the game will not be “affected” but will have less developers working on it I think that’s either a hint that we will probably getting some pretty drastic delays with more than just the wvw mount patch. And with so many veterans leaving, likely due to volunteering, I fear that this game while undoubtedly continuing one way or another, will just devolve more and more until it’s merely a shell of its former self.

With many of them leaving in solidarity i think gw2 will be going into maintenance mode shortly. Any living world stories that come out next were already pretty much done, after that who knows. NCsoft just basically killed the game.

if we're not careful, posts like this will help instill the idea to the community that the game is dead and will help kill it off. Please stay positive for now.

Its really hard to stay positive when you look at the devs twitters, many left of their own accord because of this. This is a tragedy many people lost work, sure the really good devs will be snapped up, but CMs and the like will be out in the cold. And to say nothing of the game , with all the talent walking out or getting layed off whos steering the ship?

[Neural.1824]

@Tiviana.2650 said:Its not Anet , its NCsoft pulling plugs, get it right. When the kitten hits the fan know where to point the finger, squarely at NCsoft.

The question is this: After what happened to Paragon, and with this happening to Arenanet (and let's be real, there's no facts/proof, but Arenanet could very well get the same treatment as Paragon sometime soon), what are the chances that people will finally be fed up enough to not purchase any more NCSoft products?

[Ulyssean.1709]

Why is it NCsofts fault?

[psyt.9415]

Spells the death of the genre for me. The only large ones left are the mega IPs that became famous before becoming mmos. Final Fantasy, Elder Scrolls and Warcraft.

[Tiviana.2650]

@Arkham Creed.7358 said:

@Tiviana.2650 said:Its not Anet , its NCsoft pulling plugs, get it right. When the kitten hits the fan know where to point the finger, squarely at NCsoft.

That really doesn't matter at this point, does it? Arena Net is in trouble, people are loosing their jobs, and the future of this game is in question. So is a semantic argument really what we should be focusing on?

Because its important that game companies learn from their mistakes. Mega corporations may be great to tie yourself to for monetary reasons, but in the end they hold your future in their hands. Have we learned nothing about corporate greed?

[Arkham Creed.7358]

@xan.8936 said:What in the world did Ncsoft think they would accomplish by laying off actual devs from raids, fractals, world maps and living story. Do they think the money saved now will pay off later when the rest of the devs are so distraught they leave too and a once profitable game is no longer. I don't post here that often but I am truly and completely distraught over seeing a game that I have loved and played for 12 years gets treated this way.

That isn't what this is about. This is literally the same thing EA did with Mass Effect; cut the team to slash spending, and keep making money on mircotransactions. They don't care at all about the game or the community; just the profit. They are going to spend as little on it as possible to make the most profit as they can, and when the game stops making a profit at all...well....remember Wildstar? What about its developer, Carbine Studios? Also owned by NCSoft.

[wetwillyhip.7254]

@Tiviana.2650 said:

@wetwillyhip.7254 said:

@Tiviana.2650 said:

@"cptaylor.2670" said:With the latest article stating that the game will not be “affected” but will have less developers working on it I think that’s either a hint that we will probably getting some pretty drastic delays with more than just the wvw mount patch. And with so many veterans leaving, likely due to volunteering, I fear that this game while undoubtedly continuing one way or another, will just devolve more and more until it’s merely a shell of its former self.

With many of them leaving in solidarity i think gw2 will be going into maintenance mode shortly. Any living world stories that come out next were already pretty much done, after that who knows. NCsoft just basically killed the game.

if we're not careful, posts like this will help instill the idea to the community that the game is dead and will help kill it off. Please stay positive for now.

Its really hard to stay positive when you look at the devs twitters, many left of their own accord because of this. This is a tragedy many people lost work, sure the really good devs will be snapped up, but CMs and the like will be out in the cold. And to say nothing of the game , with all the talent walking out or getting layed off whos steering the ship?

I think the best we can do it just take this for what it is currently with sadness and yes I'm gloomy as heck today (see my bigger post above) but like all tragedies, with time, we need to stay positive for what is next to come. Otherwise, if people keep stating the game is dead, that lowers the morale even more for the community and everybody. It doesn't do any good to say things like that.

[Tiviana.2650]

@Neural.1824 said:

@Tiviana.2650 said:Its not Anet , its NCsoft pulling plugs, get it right. When the kitten hits the fan know where to point the finger, squarely at NCsoft.

The question is this: After what happened to Paragon, and with this happening to Arenanet (and let's be real, there's no facts/proof, but Arenanet could very well get the same treatment as Paragon sometime soon), what are the chances that people will finally be fed up enough to not purchase any more NCSoft products?

I wont thats for sure, just like i told bioware to take a flying leap.

[Arkham Creed.7358]

@Neural.1824 said:

@Tiviana.2650 said:Its not Anet , its NCsoft pulling plugs, get it right. When the kitten hits the fan know where to point the finger, squarely at NCsoft.

The question is this: After what happened to Paragon, and with this happening to Arenanet (and let's be real, there's no facts/proof, but Arenanet could very well get the same treatment as Paragon sometime soon), what are the chances that people will finally be fed up enough to not purchase any more NCSoft products?

Two words; Carbine Studios. How about another? Wildstar.We've already seen what NCSoft does when they feel like a game isn't profitable enough.

@Tiviana.2650 said:

@Arkham Creed.7358 said:

@Tiviana.2650 said:Its not Anet , its NCsoft pulling plugs, get it right. When the kitten hits the fan know where to point the finger, squarely at NCsoft.

That really doesn't matter at this point, does it? Arena Net is in trouble, people are loosing their jobs, and the future of this game is in question. So is a semantic argument really what we should be focusing on?

Because its important that game companies learn from their mistakes. Mega corporations may be great to tie yourself to for monetary reasons, but in the end they hold your future in their hands. Have we learned nothing about corporate greed?

You say that is if it means anything. What lesson, exactly, do you expect these Mega Corps to learn? None of them have lost a dime, and if they shut GW2 down tomorrow they still won't lose a dime. Using the right name on a forum NONE OF THEM ARE EVER GOING TO READ OR CARE ABOUT really doesn't accomplish anything, does it? And even if everyone who plays GW2 starts a massive PR war and boycott...guess what; they still won't loose a dime. Because they are based in another country with legions of fans playing legions of other games making more money. You might as well scream at the wind, you're just that powerless.

[Ruufio.1496]

@Ulyssean.1709 said:Why is it NCsofts fault?

It's not. It's Mike O Brian's and Mike Z's fault. I think Colin was trying to better the game but butted heads with the ones who wanted to make mobile games.