Season pass (not subscription) [suggestion]

[Gehenna.3625]

@Zahld.4956 said:

@Gehenna.3625 said:Oh right, ArenaNet doesn't announce an expansion therefore they are out of money and therefore players must come up with solutions on how to make more money for ArenaNet.

Seriously, can we stop this nonsense? I'm sure ArenaNet knows about these ideas and rehashing ancient ideas is not going to do anyone any good.

Gem sales are their main source and apparently they feel they are making enough. Perhaps because they lost 35% of their staff and also the accompanying costs. Personally I feel they should bring out the next expansion sooner rather than later.

But I guess the problem is they were set on another LS and they either want to prove to NcSoft that LS chapters are enough or they're buying themselves time to finally make the next expansion because NcSoft told them so. Either way, it's ArenaNet that got us in this situation and they need to fix it but they are clearly not willing to talk about the future beyond what they're doing now on the release schedule.

I don't like it, but trying to come up with money making solutions that have been by here already many times is really not going to solve anything.

This money solution makes for bigger and better sagas.

No it doesn't because it won't bring in the money you think it will. The lack of an expansion now is not for a lack of money but, as ArenaNet said themselves, they wanted to stop or delay it and focus on LS while doing other projects. NcSoft said no earlier this year and fired 35% of the people to refocus them on GW2. It was a choice of ArenaNet to do it this way and I fear we're just going to have to wait for the LS season to pass because they already announced and now won't go back on it.

[Danikat.8537]

@Zahld.4956 said:Season Passes not needed for new free saga content. Only logging in. But if you aren't able to log in, then buy a pass and get some goodies and old episodes with it.

You can do this already. Buy some gems, get the episodes you missed at 200 gems each and use whatever is left over (or whatever you want to spend) on some gem store items.

[Xstein.2187]

@Gehenna.3625 said:Oh right, ArenaNet doesn't announce an expansion therefore they are out of money and therefore players must come up with solutions on how to make more money for ArenaNet.

Seriously, can we stop this nonsense? I'm sure ArenaNet knows about these ideas and rehashing ancient ideas is not going to do anyone any good.

Gem sales are their main source and apparently they feel they are making enough. Perhaps because they lost 35% of their staff and also the accompanying costs. Personally I feel they should bring out the next expansion sooner rather than later.

But I guess the problem is they were set on another LS and they either want to prove to NcSoft that LS chapters are enough or they're buying themselves time to finally make the next expansion because NcSoft told them so. Either way, it's ArenaNet that got us in this situation and they need to fix it but they are clearly not willing to talk about the future beyond what they're doing now on the release schedule.

I don't like it, but trying to come up with money making solutions that have been by here already many times is really not going to solve anything.

There is no indication that there is a planned expansion.Some people post comments like these because they just want to help insure that gw2 has a future. If gw2 doesn't have a clear future, perhaps they don't want to invest as much time into it, or at least on in game long-term goals.But yes, you are right that such ideas have been posted numerous times and ultimately it is up to Anet, especially when they have vastly more info than the player base.

[Zahld.4956]

@Danikat.8537 said:

@Zahld.4956 said:Season Passes not needed for new free saga content. Only logging in. But if you aren't able to log in, then buy a pass and get some goodies and old episodes with it.

You can do this already. Buy some gems, get the episodes you missed at 200 gems each and use whatever is left over (or whatever you want to spend) on some gem store items.

This is a cost savings and starter pack for new players. You also need to buy the last ls season in addition to this package to get all the episodes.

How many episodes does a new player have to buy in order to catch up with the rest? 5 seasons worth of episodes in addition to pof expansion. Doesn't that seem excessive given their expired shelf life.

[Gehenna.3625]

@Xstein.2187 said:

@Gehenna.3625 said:Oh right, ArenaNet doesn't announce an expansion therefore they are out of money and therefore players must come up with solutions on how to make more money for ArenaNet.

Seriously, can we stop this nonsense? I'm sure ArenaNet knows about these ideas and rehashing ancient ideas is not going to do anyone any good.

Gem sales are their main source and apparently they feel they are making enough. Perhaps because they lost 35% of their staff and also the accompanying costs. Personally I feel they should bring out the next expansion sooner rather than later.

But I guess the problem is they were set on another LS and they either want to prove to NcSoft that LS chapters are enough or they're buying themselves time to finally make the next expansion because NcSoft told them so. Either way, it's ArenaNet that got us in this situation and they need to fix it but they are clearly not willing to talk about the future beyond what they're doing now on the release schedule.

I don't like it, but trying to come up with money making solutions that have been by here already many times is really not going to solve anything.

There is no indication that there is a planned expansion.I said I feel there should be an expansion in the making, not that they are doing it.Some people post comments like these because they just want to help insure that gw2 has a future. If gw2 doesn't have a clear future, perhaps they don't want to invest as much time into it, or at least on in game long-term goals.And I'm saying these comments don't actually help. I get their wish to help but you don't fix the problem with something that actually isn't related to the problem. They assume it's about whether or not they have the resources to make an expansion. They clearly stated themselves last year that they wanted to focus on LS and not an expansion. It was their choice of how they used their resources and NcSoft wasn't in agreement as we now know.But yes, you are right that such ideas have been posted numerous times and ultimately it is up to Anet, especially when they have vastly more info than the player base.And this is why I don't think these threads really bring anything useful to the table because it happens a couple of times a year at least and none of it is really new and none of it addresses, in my view at least, the actual problems.

[Illconceived Was Na.9781]

The current system allows people spend on just what they need, a la carte. So far, I haven't see any explanation as to how it's better for the broader community to offer a package deal when you can't pick and choose.

WoW's subscription cost is US$15/month. PoF is two years old, so if I spent the same $15/month on GW2 that would be US$360. That's enough to pay for PoF/Ultimate ($70, including 4000 gems plus other items retailing at ~2800 gems), all six LS4 episodes (1200 gems = $15), and still have $275 to spend on gems, i.e. over 21 thousand gems.

So what would a "season pass" offer that is better than that, especially given that the bulk of one's GW2 investment can already be spent on whatever one likes?

[Inculpatus cedo.9234]

@Zahld.4956 said:

@Danikat.8537 said:

@Zahld.4956 said:Season Passes not needed for new free saga content. Only logging in. But if you aren't able to log in, then buy a pass and get some goodies and old episodes with it.

You can do this already. Buy some gems, get the episodes you missed at 200 gems each and use whatever is left over (or whatever you want to spend) on some gem store items.

This is a cost savings and starter pack for new players. You also need to buy the last ls season in addition to this package to get all the episodes.

How many episodes does a new player have to buy in order to catch up with the rest? 5 seasons worth of episodes in addition to pof expansion. Doesn't that seem excessive given their expired shelf life.

Now, it would not be 5 Seasons, but 3. There's no purchasing Season 1, and Season 5 is yet to be released.

[Xstein.2187]

@Gehenna.3625 said:

@Xstein.2187 said:

@Gehenna.3625 said:Oh right, ArenaNet doesn't announce an expansion therefore they are out of money and therefore players must come up with solutions on how to make more money for ArenaNet.

Seriously, can we stop this nonsense? I'm sure ArenaNet knows about these ideas and rehashing ancient ideas is not going to do anyone any good.

Gem sales are their main source and apparently they feel they are making enough. Perhaps because they lost 35% of their staff and also the accompanying costs. Personally I feel they should bring out the next expansion sooner rather than later.

But I guess the problem is they were set on another LS and they either want to prove to NcSoft that LS chapters are enough or they're buying themselves time to finally make the next expansion because NcSoft told them so. Either way, it's ArenaNet that got us in this situation and they need to fix it but they are clearly not willing to talk about the future beyond what they're doing now on the release schedule.

I don't like it, but trying to come up with money making solutions that have been by here already many times is really not going to solve anything.

There is no indication that there is a planned expansion.I said I feel there should be an expansion in the making, not that they are doing it.Some people post comments like these because they just want to help insure that gw2 has a future. If gw2 doesn't have a clear future, perhaps they don't want to invest as much time into it, or at least on in game long-term goals.And I'm saying these comments don't actually help. I get their wish to help but you don't fix the problem with something that actually isn't related to the problem. They assume it's about whether or not they have the resources to make an expansion. They clearly stated themselves last year that they wanted to focus on LS and not an expansion. It was their choice of how they used their resources and NcSoft wasn't in agreement as we now know.But yes, you are right that such ideas have been posted numerous times and ultimately it is up to Anet, especially when they have vastly more info than the player base.And this is why I don't think these threads really bring anything useful to the table because it happens a couple of times a year at least and none of it is really new and none of it addresses, in my view at least, the actual problems.

1. You didn't say that. You said "Personally I feel they should bring out the next expansion sooner rather than later.", which isn't the same thing at all as saying you feel there should be an expansion in the making. I was just making sure you understood this.
2. Ya, they don't help if they are posted over and over again, but some initial, novel comments might. However, the OP doesn't necessarily know that. Not everybody browses the forums all the time. I was just ensuring you understood the OP had good intentions before you stated your second post. Additionally, yes, the OP is assuming recourses are a problem. However, that also doesn't necessarily mean they aren't a problem.

I gave you a thumbs up before I wrote my first post because I agreed with you, I was just writing to add on and ensure you knew where the OP was coming from as well because it wasn't evident from your first post.Thank you,

[Blackarps.1974]

Its all about value and generally when I buy season passes or DLC, it has a ton of filler. Skins that are just color changes but the same models presented to me as "new" for example. I'm not into that and comes across as very lazy on the company's part.

When it comes to subscriptions, I have never and will never buy into them. I don't want to feel like I'm forced to play so that I can get my money's worth.

Overall as well, I don't like ANY kind of content that separates the community of a game. Adding more maps to a game and then charging for them will just leave others behind and feeling abandoned. Not everyone can spend a lot of money on gaming each month.

[Ototo.3214]

I actually think this would be a pretty neat idea if it's suggesting what I think it is.I assume you're saying that the episodes of the Saga release like usual and you get them for free if you log in regularly and can play them. But you can also buy a pass that allows you to have access to the episodes of the Saga even if you hadn't logged in when that episode was available. It essentially lets you hop on after it's all released and play it in 1 go like an expansion all while the extra revenue should help fund better content per episode. If you also got a few extra bonuses from the pass to make it feel like you're getting more than just the LW episodes, that would be neat, especially if the bonuses are kinda like the supply drop things they've been doing where you pay 1 price up front then get more stuff over the course of a few week that are just cool stuff from the gem store.

I'd be game for that. Still allows players to get the episodes like usual but opens up an option to other players that would prefer to wait and play it all in 1 go or just want to better support the game.

[Alin.2468]

Personally I am willing to pay a subscription. But if it comes to this, then I want to see some serious PvP (with premade teams), not just some SoloQ/DuoQ for casuals.

[Gehenna.3625]

@Xstein.2187 said:

@Gehenna.3625 said:

@Xstein.2187 said:

@Gehenna.3625 said:Oh right, ArenaNet doesn't announce an expansion therefore they are out of money and therefore players must come up with solutions on how to make more money for ArenaNet.

Seriously, can we stop this nonsense? I'm sure ArenaNet knows about these ideas and rehashing ancient ideas is not going to do anyone any good.

Gem sales are their main source and apparently they feel they are making enough. Perhaps because they lost 35% of their staff and also the accompanying costs. Personally I feel they should bring out the next expansion sooner rather than later.

But I guess the problem is they were set on another LS and they either want to prove to NcSoft that LS chapters are enough or they're buying themselves time to finally make the next expansion because NcSoft told them so. Either way, it's ArenaNet that got us in this situation and they need to fix it but they are clearly not willing to talk about the future beyond what they're doing now on the release schedule.

I don't like it, but trying to come up with money making solutions that have been by here already many times is really not going to solve anything.

There is no indication that there is a planned expansion.I said I feel there should be an expansion in the making, not that they are doing it.Some people post comments like these because they just want to help insure that gw2 has a future. If gw2 doesn't have a clear future, perhaps they don't want to invest as much time into it, or at least on in game long-term goals.And I'm saying these comments don't actually help. I get their wish to help but you don't fix the problem with something that actually isn't related to the problem. They assume it's about whether or not they have the resources to make an expansion. They clearly stated themselves last year that they wanted to focus on LS and not an expansion. It was their choice of how they used their resources and NcSoft wasn't in agreement as we now know.But yes, you are right that such ideas have been posted numerous times and ultimately it is up to Anet, especially when they have vastly more info than the player base.And this is why I don't think these threads really bring anything useful to the table because it happens a couple of times a year at least and none of it is really new and none of it addresses, in my view at least, the actual problems.

1. You didn't say that. You said "Personally I feel they should bring out the next expansion sooner rather than later.", which isn't the same thing at all as saying you feel there should be an expansion in the making. I was just making sure you understood this.Fair enough. I didn't quite get you there so thanks for explaining.
2. Ya, they don't help if they are posted over and over again, but some initial, novel comments might. However, the OP doesn't necessarily know that. Not everybody browses the forums all the time. I was just ensuring you understood the OP had good intentions before you stated your second post. Additionally, yes, the OP is assuming recourses are a problem. However, that also doesn't necessarily mean they aren't a problem.It's one of those "you can't prove or disprove it" situations but I actually think there is no plausible reason to assume or conclude it's a resource issue.Let me explain. My reasons for saying that come from the fact that ArenaNet have never really wanted to do expansions and they said themselves they weren't working on an expansion last year because they wanted to deliver content through LS rather. This also was because they wanted to work on some new projects which they did. However, NcSoft pulled the plug on that and reduced their staff but told them to focus on GW2 instead of other projects. They still have a lot of staff though because they'd grown a lot in recent years. So there are still enough people to make an expansion. It's also worth nothing that even though sales are down (I get the figures from their financial reports), they are still not worse than before PoF. So for me it's only logical to conclude that resources aren't the issue.

ArenaNet have of course chosen for a tricky business model as it is with B2P. You need box sales and gemstore sales for that because it's the only product ArenaNet has and they need to prove their value to NcSoft with that one product. That's why it makes sense to bring out an expansion every couple of years also because a lot of people spend no or little money at the gemstore and that means you only make money from a segment of your customer base. I never really understood ArenaNet's unwillingness to make expansions. They weren't keen on it when the game came out and they weren't keen on it still last year. In a way it seems that the success of PoF was not in line with their own strategy, but when something works, it works. And it seems that NcSoft feel that way too but we don't know what was discussed behind doors of course.

My hope is that NcSof told them to get back to GW2 and start making another expansion, but I do not know if that is actually the case. What I do know for sure is that LS content is not enough to keep me playing. I need a new expansion to play this game actively again.

I gave you a thumbs up before I wrote my first post because I agreed with you, I was just writing to add on and ensure you knew where the OP was coming from as well because it wasn't evident from your first post.Thank you,Then I will chalk this up as a misunderstanding on my side. My apologies.

[Trise.2865]

"Can I have the option to pre-purchase the complete Living World Season?"

Yes. Yes you can. If you feel like tossing money at ANet, Full Season packages cost between 900 and 1300 gems. You could easily buy an appropriate amount of Gems and hold on to them. That way, you can also claim the individual Chapters for free if you do decide to log in.

As a specific item, It seems disingenuous taking money for something they're giving out for free at release, and will raise more than a little outrage from people who buy the package thinking it was an extra thing. Not the best of ideas.

[Knighthonor.4061]

I am 150% against Subs even by another name. I would not mind if they did a donation method for funding content but it need to be transparent

[Zahld.4956]

@Inculpatus cedo.9234 said:

@Zahld.4956 said:

@Danikat.8537 said:

@Zahld.4956 said:Season Passes not needed for new free saga content. Only logging in. But if you aren't able to log in, then buy a pass and get some goodies and old episodes with it.

You can do this already. Buy some gems, get the episodes you missed at 200 gems each and use whatever is left over (or whatever you want to spend) on some gem store items.

This is a cost savings and starter pack for new players. You also need to buy the last ls season in addition to this package to get all the episodes.

How many episodes does a new player have to buy in order to catch up with the rest? 5 seasons worth of episodes in addition to pof expansion. Doesn't that seem excessive given their expired shelf life.

Now, it would not be 5 Seasons, but 3. There's no purchasing Season 1, and Season 5 is yet to be released.

The seasons will keep adding up.

[Zaklex.6308]

Just...NO...stop suggesting alternate revenue streams, ArenaNet already has one that works so why change it. Never fix what isn't broken.

[Inculpatus cedo.9234]

Then, you are talking about 4 or 5 years in the future?
Thought you were talking about now. Who knows what will be free/bundled and what won't that far away?

[Zahld.4956]

They should start dealing with it at sometime right?

[AlexxxDelta.1806]

@Gehenna.3625 said:

@Zahld.4956 said:

@Gehenna.3625 said:Oh right, ArenaNet doesn't announce an expansion therefore they are out of money and therefore players must come up with solutions on how to make more money for ArenaNet.

Seriously, can we stop this nonsense? I'm sure ArenaNet knows about these ideas and rehashing ancient ideas is not going to do anyone any good.

Gem sales are their main source and apparently they feel they are making enough. Perhaps because they lost 35% of their staff and also the accompanying costs. Personally I feel they should bring out the next expansion sooner rather than later.

But I guess the problem is they were set on another LS and they either want to prove to NcSoft that LS chapters are enough or they're buying themselves time to finally make the next expansion because NcSoft told them so. Either way, it's ArenaNet that got us in this situation and they need to fix it but they are clearly not willing to talk about the future beyond what they're doing now on the release schedule.

I don't like it, but trying to come up with money making solutions that have been by here already many times is really not going to solve anything.

This money solution makes for bigger and better sagas.

No it doesn't because it won't bring in the money you think it will. The lack of an expansion now is not for a lack of money but, as ArenaNet said themselves, they wanted to stop or delay it and focus on LS while doing other projects. NcSoft said no earlier this year and fired 35% of the people to refocus them on GW2. It was a choice of ArenaNet to do it this way and I fear we're just going to have to wait for the LS season to pass because they already announced and now won't go back on it.

Anet's/NCsoft's decision to go without an xpac precedes the layoffs. It's not a consequence of the layoffs but more of a general symptom of cutting costs just like the staff reduction.

We have to remember that when we look at earning reports and see a chart of stable profits, a shareholder could be looking at the same and see stagnation and a bad investment. We don't know what their financial goals for the game are. Especially for a corporation who makes huge bank on shady mtxfests they call games, with GW2 looking like the odd one out.

And for that reason it's just as likely that the higher ups simply don't want to make the considerable investment needed for a new expansion. It fits the general theme of cutting costs after all.

[Gehenna.3625]

@AlexxxDelta.1806 said:

@Gehenna.3625 said:

@Zahld.4956 said:

@Gehenna.3625 said:Oh right, ArenaNet doesn't announce an expansion therefore they are out of money and therefore players must come up with solutions on how to make more money for ArenaNet.

Seriously, can we stop this nonsense? I'm sure ArenaNet knows about these ideas and rehashing ancient ideas is not going to do anyone any good.

Gem sales are their main source and apparently they feel they are making enough. Perhaps because they lost 35% of their staff and also the accompanying costs. Personally I feel they should bring out the next expansion sooner rather than later.

But I guess the problem is they were set on another LS and they either want to prove to NcSoft that LS chapters are enough or they're buying themselves time to finally make the next expansion because NcSoft told them so. Either way, it's ArenaNet that got us in this situation and they need to fix it but they are clearly not willing to talk about the future beyond what they're doing now on the release schedule.

I don't like it, but trying to come up with money making solutions that have been by here already many times is really not going to solve anything.

This money solution makes for bigger and better sagas.

No it doesn't because it won't bring in the money you think it will. The lack of an expansion now is not for a lack of money but, as ArenaNet said themselves, they wanted to stop or delay it and focus on LS while doing other projects. NcSoft said no earlier this year and fired 35% of the people to refocus them on GW2. It was a choice of ArenaNet to do it this way and I fear we're just going to have to wait for the LS season to pass because they already announced and now won't go back on it.

Anet's/NCsoft's decision to go without an xpac precedes the layoffs. It's not a consequence of the layoffs but more of a general symptom of cutting costs just like the staff reduction.I know it preceded that. I'm not saying it's a consequence of the layoffs. Not sure why you think I do. What happened was that ArenaNet made that decision while putting a good chunk of their staff on other projects. NcSoft then decided their approach wasn't working cause GW2 apparently didn't bring in enough cash to warrant such projects. So I'm just hoping that with re-focussing on GW2, the remaining staff will get around to making a new expansion. However, I don't know if they will or when.We have to remember that when we look at earning reports and see a chart of stable profits, a shareholder could be looking at the same and see stagnation and a bad investment. We don't know what their financial goals for the game are. Especially for a corporation who makes huge bank on shady mtxfests they call games, with GW2 looking like the odd one out.I don't think they're that stable. When you create a graph in excel and add a trendline it points down. And if profits stagnate or go further down the game is losing because the same money is worth less over time because of inflation. So I'm not calling it stable at all.And for that reason it's just as likely that the higher ups simply don't want to make the considerable investment needed for a new expansion. It fits the general theme of cutting costs after all.Well considering that PoF did raise profits for a good while and brought it back to levels the game hadn't seen for a while I think it's more likely to say that it was a success and created momentum for the game, which it has lost now. Do mind that even with the 35% cut, there are still a lot of people working there. So it should be possible for them to create a new expansion.

However, I do not entirely disagree with you because GW2 has lost momentum now and I think that their Saga's are not really going to turn that around. But that's not a good scenario for ArenaNet because it means that profits will continue to slip and at some point the studio will have to do with less again. It's the scenario that calls GW2 a lost cause that they just want to keep profitable as long as possible but when you start managing it from the cost side primarily it's the customer side that suffers and you get an EA style of approach. Now GW2 might last for many years yet but I do think that if there are no more expansions then that means they've accepted a significant step down for the game.

I would prefer that doesn't happen, but you may be right. It is a plausible scenario but not one that bodes well for content and population is then likely to slip over time and gemstore sales might become even more prominent, even aggressive as that's what will be the only thing keeping the game alive at that point.

[Etria.3642]

@"Glider.5792" said:Actualy, to all of you who say "Subscription, no ty". Do you ever buy gems ? How much ? how often ?

If your answer is "Over 10$ per month on average", i dont see a reason why you hate the idea of sub, when you're spending more money on gems themself.

I sub to another game; I buy what I want from this one. If that means 2-3 months without buying anything, then so be it, or this past month, when I got some keys, the supply drop, AND gifted keys to my daughter (and gave her the money to buy the supply drop) then that is this month. I LIKE having the option.

Incidentally, overall, I spend more on this game than on the one I am subbed to. Plus I have two fully expanded accounts.

[whoeverxwins.1279]

As long as the free content remains free to those who log in, it might be a good thing for new players who want to play LW seasons they missed. A 'season pass' option to play, but not own, the previous seasons. Can still buy if they want to play through again (with gems), but a 'rental' (real money only) sort of thing if they only wish to play through for a period of time. It would make ArenaNet more money either way, and maybe make the newer players feel a bit less left out. I know there are complaints after people buy the expansions and then find out there is a lot more content to still purchase. I know when I used to play LOTRO if you had a sub, you got the 'extra' maps to play, but if you went back to free to play, you still had to purchase them (or could earn through LOTS of in-game achievement awards).

[JpDelano.2580]

Season Pass's work for new games. There a great way to budget for the year, but thats about it,.