Thank you Mike O'Brien!

[Hexalot.8194]

@"Rasp Sabreblade.5421" said:

PS....Let us know what new Studio you are starting. We will all pitch in on "go fund me". Get in on the ground level of the next best game.

Who is this "We" ?

[Bloodstealer.5978]

@Astralporing.1957 said:

@Mil.3562 said:

@"Trinnitty.8256" said:not gonna lie, a bit worried for anet. rough year :(

With the kind of decisions they are making this year, I see not only they are chasing loyal players away, now game developers and directors couldn't take it too...Actually, it seems MO and the others were working on GW3 for the last 2 years (which means gw2 was meant to be abandoned - that's probably the reason why we got no expac after LS4).

https://kotaku.com/source-departing-arenanet-president-was-working-on-pot-1838755217

So, it's not the current decisions that chased those devs away. It's those devs that gave up on this game long ago.

"Those devs that gave up on GW2 long ago".... where did you get that from, that's a pretty harsh opinion. Because they were asked or told to move into new product development means nothing of the sort.Consider this... a studio with all but one source of revenue from an aging product and over 300 mouths to feed from it.... wouldn't you be seeking new ways to support the business longer term, especially as we now know the NCSoft were also seeing a downturn in revenue across it's whole aging portfolio.Anyone who runs a business knows the dangers of what standing still brings so What you call giving up on GW2, I call a very smart move on the studios part.They didn't just come in one Monday morning and thought bahhh not GW2 again I wanna do something different, screw this game... they would of transitioned there roles and responsibilities with other members of the teams when they deemed the time was right and they were confident they had the right people invested into taking over the lead within certain aspects of GW2 development.Of course those devs that "gave up on GW2" could of just upped sticks and left the studio but they didn't... maybe, just maybe those devs understood the bigger picture that was at play here a lot better than you or I perhaps .... Being overly reliant on a single aging product was not / is not something that the business likey relishes too much because it leaves more than our own gaming enjoyment vulnerable.

TBH - It kinda feels like your voicing a huge dis-service on MO and the others that have left/are leaving and to those talented devs who are still busy doing all they can to deliver many more hours of enjoyment for us and they know our thirst for more is pretty much unquenchable. Heck if the Metal Legion event is anything to go by, the game has some pretty decent devs the business can call upon to keep the game enjoyable for whiles yet, so maybe not all doom and gloom I think Astral.

All I have left to say is.. good luck MO and the others with future endeavours... who knows, maybe a GW3 or something of sorts will rise from other unexpected sources one day.

[Sirius.4510]

And that's why the news that it's multiple developers moving on has me concerned... it basically sounds like the spin-off projects might all be shelved now and they're doubling down on GW2 keeping rolling for the foreseeable future.

But, then again. Maybe GW2 can keep rolling for a good number of years yet. They'll eventually have to answer the "what next?" question, but it wouldn't be the first MMO to keep releasing new stuff past the one-decade mark.

[Faaris.8013]

Sorry you got sacked Mike, I wish you success in your future endevours.

[Iozeph.5617]

@"Sirius.4510" said:And that's why the news that it's multiple developers moving on has me concerned... it basically sounds like the spin-off projects might all be shelved now and they're doubling down on GW2 keeping rolling for the foreseeable future.

But, then again. Maybe GW2 can keep rolling for a good number of years yet. They'll eventually have to answer the "what next?" question, but it wouldn't be the first MMO to keep releasing new stuff past the one-decade mark.

Or it's going to be just as raw, bloody, and abrupt as the end of city of heroes. Similar to a person who through misadventure ends up with a with a knife stuck in the side of their head. Yes, they're still talking to you but everyone knows the minute it's wiggled, or an attempt is made to take it out they're probably done right there.

[Inculpatus cedo.9234]

@Faaris.8013 said:Sorry you got sacked Mike, I wish you success in your future endevours.

Pretty sure Mike O'Brien stated it was his decision to leave.

[Dami.5046]

I think it's quite the sad day that the last foundering member has decided to move on. I think it speaks volumes. And I don't think it should be taken lightly.However as I posted before, I am excited to see what these new games could be.Thank you Mike for Guildwars and I wish you every success.

[Odinius.9826]

Godspeed Mo!

[SnowMochi.7602]

@Inculpatus cedo.9234 said:

@Faaris.8013 said:Sorry you got sacked Mike, I wish you success in your future endevours.

Pretty sure Mike O'Brien stated it was his decision to leave.

We don't know what actually transpired, but if he did get fired, it's not the sort of thing one admits in a public post. It looks better for his reputation to say he left of his own volition. Potential backers or backers he's courting for his new company will have more confidence in investing.

[Astralporing.1957]

@Bloodstealer.5978 said:

@Astralporing.1957 said:

@Mil.3562 said:

@"Trinnitty.8256" said:not gonna lie, a bit worried for anet. rough year :(

With the kind of decisions they are making this year, I see not only they are chasing loyal players away, now game developers and directors couldn't take it too...Actually, it seems MO and the others were working on GW3 for the last 2 years (which means gw2 was meant to be abandoned - that's probably the reason why we got no expac after LS4).

https://kotaku.com/source-departing-arenanet-president-was-working-on-pot-1838755217

So, it's not the current decisions that chased those devs away. It's those devs that gave up on this game long ago.

"Those devs that gave up on GW2 long ago".... where did you get that from, that's a pretty harsh opinion. Because they were asked or told to move into new product development means nothing of the sort.Well, that was when the decision to not make another expac for gw2 would have been made. And it wasn't NCSoft pulling strings yet then - that happened much later, and exactly in the other direction ("drop everything else and concentrate on gw2"). At that time, it was MOs decision, not anyone else's. Remember, he was not just one of the devs, he was the boss.

So, they started working on something that was going to replace gw2, and at the same time they stopped working on next expac for gw2. Forgive me from drawing the only conclusion i could think of - that they already started winding down on gw2 and intended to transition to a new game, like they did once with gw1. And that, had that project worked, we would have heard at some point during ls5 (or even during that announcement meeting the've done) the same thing we heard once in GW1: "We're stopping development on gw2, but don't worry, we're already working on a succesor game, so just keep playing in maintenance mode and buying stuff from gemshop, and wait for more news about the glorious future we'll about to have".

[Bloodstealer.5978]

@Astralporing.1957 said:

@Bloodstealer.5978 said:

@Astralporing.1957 said:

@Mil.3562 said:

@"Trinnitty.8256" said:not gonna lie, a bit worried for anet. rough year :(

With the kind of decisions they are making this year, I see not only they are chasing loyal players away, now game developers and directors couldn't take it too...Actually, it seems MO and the others were working on GW3 for the last 2 years (which means gw2 was meant to be abandoned - that's probably the reason why we got no expac after LS4).

https://kotaku.com/source-departing-arenanet-president-was-working-on-pot-1838755217

So, it's not the current decisions that chased those devs away. It's those devs that gave up on this game long ago.

"Those devs that gave up on GW2 long ago".... where did you get that from, that's a pretty harsh opinion. Because they were asked or told to move into new product development means nothing of the sort.Well, that was when the decision to not make another expac for gw2 would have been made. And it wasn't NCSoft pulling strings yet then - that happened much later, and exactly in the other direction ("drop everything else and concentrate on gw2"). At that time, it was MOs decision, not anyone else's. Remember, he was not just one of the devs, he was the boss.

So, they started working on something that was going to replace gw2, and at the same time they stopped working on next expac for gw2. Forgive me from drawing the only conclusion i could think of - that they already started winding down on gw2 and intended to transition to a new game, like they did once with gw1. And that, had that project worked, we would have heard at some point during ls5 (or even during that announcement meeting the've done) the same thing we heard once in GW1: "We're stopping development on gw2, but don't worry, we're already working on a succesor game, so just keep playing in maintenance mode and buying stuff from gemshop, and wait for more news about the glorious future we'll about to have".

You are jumping to so many conclusions .. you have zero idea of the business decision making between ANET and/or NCSoft..NCSoft have been pulling ANET's strings since the early days and were clearly funding those development costs, something that they could no longer commit to.. and knowing what we do now, it is understandable.. they were suffering a decline across their entire ageing portfolio, GW2 by contrast was still reasonably stable, but with increased overhead that was obviously needed to allow GW2 to carry on whilst seeking that next big hit via new project development.Regardless of the shelving of the projects, its pretty clear NCSoft would of had to fund the development of any new expac, this way they could look at keeping one product moving while its still stable in revenue, but allowing ANET to open up potentially new revenue streams, but unfortunately there are always risks and many things can conspire in business that are unplanned and unforeseen.. we the players are part of that and at some point NCSoft had to make some hard decisions and forced ANET into doing the same.That is how it works in the big boy world of business. Consider the alternative.. if GW2 hit that same decline even while developing the next expac would the result be any different.Saying devs gave up on the product is just silly talk, they were simply looking out for the business longer term, which any business would want.. standing still is simply not an option it carries as much risk as trying to open new doors.GW2 had its start point, bourne on the back of a successful product in GW1 that had already begun to feel stretched and showing age, so to keep the franchise relevant they transitioned into GW2.. that wasn't something that happened over night and thank god they did because ANET and GW1 would of been left behind long ago in MMO space, no matter how decent a game GW1 truly was. The same could be said for GW2, its 7 years young at the moment, but already showing signs of age in a world where tech is moving quickly and competition has kinda saturated the market place. It made sense to act sooner rather than later imo.

As for your final rant there about maintenance mode, gemstore and the future. GW2 hasn't been been in maintenance mode as far as I can see, we have had a variety of updates, patches, bug fixes, QoL improvements over the last 2+ years that suggests your point is kinda moot. Gemstore is and always has been the major tool to draw in income, but none of it is forced upon you.. but as my ole ma says, money don't grow on trees, ANET need to make money in order to spend money - money which helps to secure not just the product, but also those striving to make it the best experience they can for us.. without it there is no future for GW2 or any product beyond.How would you recommend they go about developing a new product to secure the business and the staff within it longer term.. wait until GW2 is in maintenance mode then act.. cos that would be silly season management.

[Solene.3067]

Thank you very much for all the joy and good moments that was provided by Guild Wars 1 and Guild Wars 2. It was always a great moment to hear my asuran character when I discovered a new region in the game: Oh! i can't wait to explore this place!

I wish you all the best in your future projects and may all your theories be sound.

[Alin.2468]

Thank you Mike O'Brien. I wish you great success. Please invent some discrete way to keep us posted about your work.

[Regh.8649]

@Inculpatus cedo.9234 said:I am beyond sad to hear this news. =(

Thank you, Mike O'Brien for all these years of joy and adventuring in Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2. It won't be the same without you, and so many others.

Best wishes to all of you in the new studio.

Sigh.

Cheer up ;) he needed this, he's a creative mind! We're in good hands with Mike Z.Let's just wait to see what he will cook up this time.

Anet is certainly full on new talented devs, I'll trust them and they certainly hope we give'em the chance to prove it.

Mike O. Free is actually good news for the gaming industry (wishful thinking)

[Cranky wo Coffee.5914]

Thank You Mike O, Farewell, and Good Luck.

[MesmerizedNYC.2479]

Thanks MO and best of luck. I'm looking forward to whatever you're helping to brew. GW1 and GW2 have been amongst my favorite games ever. (You wanna join the Homeworld 3 team perhaps lol!) Thanks for helping build such a fantastic game studio and fostering so much talent. Now, on to my dailies.

[Inculpatus cedo.9234]

@SnowMochi.7602 said:

@Inculpatus cedo.9234 said:

@Faaris.8013 said:Sorry you got sacked Mike, I wish you success in your future endevours.

Pretty sure Mike O'Brien stated it was his decision to leave.

We don't know what actually transpired, but if he did get fired, it's not the sort of thing one admits in a public post. It looks better for his reputation to say he left of his own volition. Potential backers or backers he's courting for his new company will have more confidence in investing.

So, you believe these potential backers would not be able to find the truth? I'd guess telling fibs would not instill much confidence.

[Super Hayes.6890]

I appreciate that there are going to be lots of opinions on Mike's exit but please start a new thread for those. Let's keep this one about thanking someone that has truly impacted most of our lives through these amazing games. Thanks!

[Maugrey.4063]

Thank you Mike for what you done for ArenaNet and Guild Wars.I play since the begining of Guild Wars, I stoped few times, but I always came back, on both games.I wish you the best for you and your friends on this new start.I hope I could play on your next game in a few years.

[Bloodstealer.5978]

@Inculpatus cedo.9234 said:

@SnowMochi.7602 said:

@Inculpatus cedo.9234 said:

@Faaris.8013 said:Sorry you got sacked Mike, I wish you success in your future endevours.

Pretty sure Mike O'Brien stated it was his decision to leave.

We don't know what actually transpired, but if he did get fired, it's not the sort of thing one admits in a public post. It looks better for his reputation to say he left of his own volition. Potential backers or backers he's courting for his new company will have more confidence in investing.

So, you believe these potential backers would not be able to find the truth? I'd guess telling fibs would not instill much confidence.

This ^

Then again I think those thinking of backing MO in any new venture would only need to look at what he and he cohorts managed to deliver for so long thus making self exit or forced exit kind of irrelevant.. I wonder if this had any bearing on MZ looking a little down in the dumps at the live event.. hmmAnyhow it's all irrelevant from here on in, ANET have a talented team with licence to put forth their own creative juices into the game and that is what they should be judged on, not what someone else did or did not do previously.

[Teratus.2859]

@Trinnitty.8256 said:not gonna lie, a bit worried for anet. rough year :(

Me too :(

I wish Mike the best and all but after everythin that's happened this year with the layoffs etc I really didn't want to hear that Mike was leaving..For the first time in 7 years i'm actually a bit worried about the future of Gw2..That's not a reflection on the devs who are still there or anything.. it's just that Anet has had a lot of negative things happen this year and as a fan who loves Gw2 and has been a big supporter since it's release it's hard not to feel like the Anet is starting to fall apart.Hopefully it's unwarranted and it more than likely is but still, I can't help but feel sad and a little concerned.

[zealex.9410]

Im curious if ncsoft would someone to take over the position MO was occupying or someone else from anet take over or left vacant.

Also all the work mo amd his team did is still at anet so who know what that can lead to a few years down the line.

[Faaris.8013]

@Inculpatus cedo.9234 said:

@"Faaris.8013" said:Sorry you got sacked Mike, I wish you success in your future endevours.

Pretty sure Mike O'Brien stated it was his decision to leave.

That is corporate talk when a leader gets sacked. They never officially do, they always "look for new exciting opportunities" or get some other role without executive power but decent payment, until they leave.

[otto.5684]

@Trinnitty.8256 said:not gonna lie, a bit worried for anet. rough year :(

I hope he left for a new opportunity. Sadly, the signs all round are not positive for the game.

[Dayra.7405]

@Astralporing.1957 said:

@Mil.3562 said:

@"Trinnitty.8256" said:not gonna lie, a bit worried for anet. rough year :(

With the kind of decisions they are making this year, I see not only they are chasing loyal players away, now game developers and directors couldn't take it too...Actually, it seems MO and the others were working on GW3 for the last 2 years (which means gw2 was meant to be abandoned - that's probably the reason why we got no expac after LS4).

https://kotaku.com/source-departing-arenanet-president-was-working-on-pot-1838755217

So, it's not the current decisions that chased those devs away. It's those devs that gave up on this game long ago.

That's what NCSoft cut down beginning of the year, isn't it. A bit reordering ANet afterwards, successfully finished with the start of LS5. No he goes to follow his interests somewhere else.