Danikat.8537 Posted May 25, 2021 Share Posted May 25, 2021 Things like this happen all the time. I got a full copy of the entire base game for free in a promotional event, years after I'd paid full price to get it at release. Even if I'd known that was going to happen I wouldn't have waited because I'd have been unable to play the game for years in between which would have been annoying. It's not just Arenanet either, or even just games companies. I've bought books in a 'buy one get one free' deal which I might have otherwise bought full price, and bought others then found out they were in a similar sale later on. My mobile phone cost less than 1/4 what other people paid for it just 2 years earlier. And yes I paid for some living world episodes which were given out free shortly before during their release period, and are now free again. I'm ok with doing that because I couldn't log in to get them when they were free originally and I didn't know they'd be free years later and would want to have waited to play them. Sometimes you'll be the one who gets lucky and benefits from sales and promotions, sometimes you'll miss out, that's just life. You can spend your life worrying about it, never buying anything that's not essential just in case it's available for free later on and constantly looking out for what you can get free, or you can make a judgement call each time you go to buy something: decide if it's worth what you'll have to pay and if it is then, that's ok, it was worth it, even if someone, somewhere might get it for free at some point in the future. 5 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eddbopkins.2630 Posted May 25, 2021 Share Posted May 25, 2021 Haaa swindled 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zephire.8049 Posted May 27, 2021 Share Posted May 27, 2021 On 5/25/2021 at 8:10 AM, Milosz.5938 said: Oh right, let them give the whole game away for free. All expansions - "after all, they will be for free one day". Already happened. Millions of people bought the base game before it went free. Millions of people bought HoT before it was included with PoF. Millions bought PoF when it becomes bundled with EoD sooner or later. If you're so frugal that you would rather wait years for something to be cheaper, more power to you, but not everyone wants to deny themselves something they're enjoy when it may or may not be cheaper in the future. It's also been custom with software and gaming that the longer something is out, the cheaper it gets over time with a handful of exceptions. Do you also get mad at companies that put out a Game of the Year version that includes several DLC where the game is 2+ years old because that's "unfair" to people who bought the game at launch? And for what it's worth, I'm someone who pre-ordered GW2 and then paid full price for both expansions. Them being made free/included with PoF never bothered me because I got years of enjoyment out of them and the change means it's more accessible to others thus more people have a chance to enjoy something I like and all the potential content and friendships that come from that. 8 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omega.6801 Posted May 27, 2021 Share Posted May 27, 2021 Do you try the same """outcry""" in the real world too? I mean, if you bought a gallon of milk today, than found out that the shop has a sale on milk, 50% off, tomorrow. Do you go to the shop, demand to speak with the manager and demand that you get reimbursed 50% of what you paid yesterday? 6 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
voltaicbore.8012 Posted May 27, 2021 Share Posted May 27, 2021 36 minutes ago, lokh.2695 said: Do you try the same """outcry""" in the real world too? I mean, if you bought a gallon of milk today, than found out that the shop has a sale on milk, 50% off, tomorrow. Do you go to the shop, demand to speak with the manager and demand that you get reimbursed 50% of what you paid yesterday? It might not happen with groceries, but many retailers in the US actually do such adjustments routinely It makes sense for a lot of things like appliances or semi-durable goods, where a consumer could just return the previously bought item, then buy a new one with the discount. It's also a goodwill thing - while giving a customer an adjustment doesn't guarantee they'll stay a loyal customer, not giving that adjustment almost certainly guarantees they'll get angry and tell everyone they know (and other random places on the internet) how terribly you treat people. But I agree with your sentiment in this case - for games, access to in-game time is really what you're buying (which is why some platforms only give full refunds if your in-game hour count is low enough). It's something you've consumed and benefited from immediately, so the after-the-fact adjustment doesn't really make much sense. You got what you paid for, in full. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sobx.1758 Posted May 27, 2021 Share Posted May 27, 2021 33 minutes ago, voltaicbore.8012 said: It might not happen with groceries, but many retailers in the US actually do such adjustments routinely It makes sense for a lot of things like appliances or semi-durable goods, where a consumer could just return the previously bought item, then buy a new one with the discount. On 5/25/2021 at 4:44 PM, Milosz.5938 said: I bought the whole season a few years ago (2 or 3). And you're sure it's relevant in this case? 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkoGold.7126 Posted May 27, 2021 Share Posted May 27, 2021 (edited) On 5/25/2021 at 4:10 PM, Milosz.5938 said: What an insult to those who try to support you, I feel. For those who buy gems and use them to unlock the seasons they missed. Including the second season. What about such players? What about them - this is my question ANET. When you announce that the entire season two will be dealt (giveaway), it's as if someone showed me the middle finger. i mean they gave entire base game and hot for free when pof was coming out at least the ls is free if you log in once in the month or two they give you to redem that its no biggie. your point would be better made with expansions as an example. Edited May 27, 2021 by MarkoGold.7126 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashen.2907 Posted May 27, 2021 Share Posted May 27, 2021 A company giving access to an old product as a promotion is hardly unfair to anyone. The OP got something that no one receiving the free unlock now gets. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danikat.8537 Posted May 27, 2021 Share Posted May 27, 2021 1 hour ago, voltaicbore.8012 said: It might not happen with groceries, but many retailers in the US actually do such adjustments routinely It makes sense for a lot of things like appliances or semi-durable goods, where a consumer could just return the previously bought item, then buy a new one with the discount. It's also a goodwill thing - while giving a customer an adjustment doesn't guarantee they'll stay a loyal customer, not giving that adjustment almost certainly guarantees they'll get angry and tell everyone they know (and other random places on the internet) how terribly you treat people. But I agree with your sentiment in this case - for games, access to in-game time is really what you're buying (which is why some platforms only give full refunds if your in-game hour count is low enough). It's something you've consumed and benefited from immediately, so the after-the-fact adjustment doesn't really make much sense. You got what you paid for, in full. They'll do that for things you bought recently, usually at most things which are still within the return period. Not something you bought years ago. Of course people will try to return things they bought years ago, but the retailer is entirely justified to turn them down, just on the basis that they've had it for years. (2 years is the oldest I remember having to deal with, but a friend of mine had someone try for a refund on 4 year old underwear.) 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zityz.6089 Posted May 27, 2021 Share Posted May 27, 2021 This isnt the first time Anet has done Log in to receive free living world chapters after they were released. The thing is you paid for that content on your own 2 years ago. That's like me bitching that I paid for both HoT AND PoF when they released but YOU got them both at a discount. 3 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vayne.8563 Posted May 27, 2021 Share Posted May 27, 2021 I don't understand the OP's complaint. The biggest thing that determines the success or failure of an MMO is traffic. If no one is playing, then the MMO dies. It's that simple. Over time, there's a natural attrition where older players stop playing. Some because they get busy at work, they develop a health problem or they have real life constraits. Others because they get bored or find another game or they stop playing games for another hobby altogether. That means a stable playerbase without new blood is always going to go down. Furthermore, most people who were interested in Guild Wars 2 have already bought it. The problem with MMOs has always been barrier to entry. Everyone who starts an MMO late is automatically behind, even in a fairly forgiving MMO like Guild Wars 2. You need to get people through the gate, or your playerbase goes down. Anything that gets people through the gate is good for the game, which by extension is also good for loyal, dedicated players who support the game. Now I never paid for LS Season 2 in the first place, or Season 3, or any season because I log in and get it for free anyway, but even if I did, I would be happy that Anet was doing something to bring people into the game. Sure they do it because they want more people playing because they're a business. But for me it gives me more people at events, more people at world bosses, more people at meta events, more people in WvW. The more people Anet can bring to the table, the more likely the game will continue going forward. In order to do this they have to remove barriers to entry for new players. Level 80 boosts are part of that. But so is giving away something people have to buy so they don't have to come in and spend $80, they can just spent $30. Older games virtually always go down in price. So do cars, electronics a whole host of things. I'm not sure how unrealistic it would be to think that when you buy something it'll be fixed in price in the first place, but I assure you, removing the barriers to entry so more people can play is better for long term, dedicated players that support the game than most other things Anet can do. I like the game. Do you know what I have that new players don't have? Years of playing. Years of accumulating mats and skins and dyes. Years of making legendaries. Even all of Season 1 which new players can't even play. Complaining that someone is getting something for free that I paid for seems short-sighted to me. I'd rather see more people playing that worry about the few bucks I spent on something that's now free. 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obtena.7952 Posted May 27, 2021 Share Posted May 27, 2021 On 5/25/2021 at 11:24 AM, blackoil.2673 said: I've never understood why Anet decided to charge 200 gems per episode if you didn't log in on its release. I'm lucky that I got the game since day1 and I've logged in at least once on every episode, but I have had some friends not join GW2 when they realised that after paying 30$ for the box, they also needed to spend 50$ (4000 gems) to get all the stories unlocked... it just sounds completely unfair. Most likely related to the costs to make them available. I mean, 200 gems is a token amount so I can't really see that as a way for Anet to turn a profit. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T G.7496 Posted May 27, 2021 Share Posted May 27, 2021 Gimme gimme gimme gimme Waaaaagh 1 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lambent.6375 Posted May 28, 2021 Share Posted May 28, 2021 This happens often with digital content, it's a common practice. Popular authors will often make their previous books free for a limited time when they release sequels. It doesn't cost them much to give something for free to people who were likely not going to buy it anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
voltaicbore.8012 Posted May 28, 2021 Share Posted May 28, 2021 5 hours ago, Sobx.1758 said: And you're sure it's relevant in this case? My bad, I didn't make it clear (and you did;n't read the last paragraph properly). I was agreeing with the person I quoted (who doesn't think it matters), and disagreeing with OP (who feels ripped off). My point is that OP got what they paid for a long time ago, and isn't entitled to adjustment now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pacificterror.7805 Posted May 28, 2021 Share Posted May 28, 2021 If this gets people more interested in the game, and possibly new people into the game and enjoying content, I don't see how it can be seen as anything but a positive. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slave to the grind.5028 Posted May 28, 2021 Share Posted May 28, 2021 On 5/25/2021 at 4:35 PM, HnRkLnXqZ.1870 said: We know about the free LW seasons since 27th of April. Unfortunately, we did not know about them when they went on sale in March. This is a terrible business practise and one of many good reasons anet is not getting a single dime from me anymore. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ardenwolfe.8590 Posted May 28, 2021 Share Posted May 28, 2021 (edited) Threads like this make me miss the old moderation team. Ahem. Please be aware that if one played when those episodes came out, they were free anyway. For example, I paid at a discount for certain episodes of Living Story when I returned after being gone for years. And I got my money’s worth. If they become free, I still got my money’s worth. And if I’m ever dissatisfied? I’ll quit. That’s also our right as customers. Edited May 28, 2021 by Ardenwolfe.8590 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyninja.2954 Posted May 28, 2021 Share Posted May 28, 2021 On 5/25/2021 at 4:10 PM, Milosz.5938 said: What an insult to those who try to support you, I feel. For those who buy gems and use them to unlock the seasons they missed. Including the second season. What about such players? What about them - this is my question ANET. When you announce that the entire season two will be dealt (giveaway), it's as if someone showed me the middle finger. You hopefully get many players interested in returning to the game, potentially buying the next expansion. I mean the alternative would have been to not do this event series, produce less advertisement, potentially reach less players, sell less expansions and in a worst case scenario have the game go into maintenance mode. I'm sure while you would feel less wronged in that case, I somehow doubt it is what you would have wished for. Stop nitpicking over a few bucks worth of content which are used as advertisement. This is pathetic. 2 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WindBlade.8749 Posted May 28, 2021 Share Posted May 28, 2021 3 hours ago, Ardenwolfe.8590 said: Threads like this make me miss the old moderation team. Ahem. Please be aware that if one played when those episodes came out, they were free anyway. For example, I paid at a discount for certain episodes of Living Story when I returned after being gone for years. And I got my money’s worth. If they become free, I still got my money’s worth. And if I’m ever dissatisfied? I’ll quit. That’s also our right as customers. hm what will the old moderation teams will have done that you miss them ? i'm curious now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WindBlade.8749 Posted May 28, 2021 Share Posted May 28, 2021 (edited) 1 minute ago, Cyninja.2954 said: You hopefully get many players interested in returning to the game, potentially buying the next expansion. I mean the alternative would have been to not do this event series, produce less advertisement, potentially reach less players, sell less expansions and in a worst case scenario have the game go into maintenance mode. I'm sure while you would feel less wronged in that case, I somehow doubt it is what you would have wished for. Stop nitpicking over a few bucks worth of content which are used as advertisement. This is pathetic. you lag sir or you used continum split at the wrong place Edited May 28, 2021 by WindBlade.8749 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyninja.2954 Posted May 28, 2021 Share Posted May 28, 2021 Just now, WindBlade.8749 said: you lag sir or you used continum split at the wrong place yeah, edited the extras. forums were taking ages to updated (beyond 1 minute minimum) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danikat.8537 Posted May 28, 2021 Share Posted May 28, 2021 9 hours ago, Obtena.7952 said: Most likely related to the costs to make them available. I mean, 200 gems is a token amount so I can't really see that as a way for Anet to turn a profit. I doubt they went through the same thought process I did, but 200 gems is exactly what I predicted episodes should cost back when Season 2 and the shift to permanently available living world content was announced. That was based on the fact that they'd said Season 1 had delivered an expansion's worth of story and activities and future seasons would do the same, so I counted up the episodes and divided what I'd expect to pay for an expansion between them. I can't remember what price I picked or how many releases I thought were part of Season 1 (I was counting it from the start of Flame & Frost, because that's when they'd introduced the 'living world' concept, and didn't count some festivals and permanent updates) but I do remember being pleasantly surprised when we found out each episode would cost 200 gems, because I'd been expecting it to be more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quench.7091 Posted May 28, 2021 Share Posted May 28, 2021 I thought them giving base game owners some freebies was kind of cool. Would've been cool to have gotten something fun for owning these episodes in advance to the event. Not complaining, though. Nice to see players out in the world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ardenwolfe.8590 Posted May 28, 2021 Share Posted May 28, 2021 58 minutes ago, WindBlade.8749 said: hm what will the old moderation teams will have done that you miss them ? i'm curious now Let's just say we wouldn't be having this delightful discussion and leave it at that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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