PAX 2010: Guild Wars 2 hands-on preview at examiner.com -- All fun, no grind

We spent some hands on time with Guild Wars 2 at PAX 2010, and came away both surprised and impressed by the game's ease of play, active combat, and streamlined game mechanics.

[juniordee]

Been waiting for this game since the day it was announced. And after playing FFXIV in the Open Beta, I want to play this even more.

[Persistantthug]

This MMORPG would be perfect for the PS3.

I'm looking forward to an announcement....

Don't let me down NC Soft. :)

[bobcostus]

Will never happen. Arenanet are PC only developers. They have absolutely zero involvement with consoles.

Also, putting an MMO on a console severely limits its future. You can only make it so big, make the graphics so good, it limits the updating process, and overall just holds the game back.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my PS3, and it's getting a lot more playtime lately than my PC, but I don't think MMO's belong on consoles. The PS2 really held back FFXIV and EQ Online Adventures from being much better games.

This is all my opinion of course, but I've been playing MMO's for more than 10 years, this is just what my experience has shown me.

[Persistantthug]

Google this:
"NCsoft's CEO Kim Taek Jin ps3"

That will give you plenty of evidence.

Also, I've been playing MMORPG's for almost 11 years (Asheron's Call), and I am a Guild Wars 1 player...there is nothing that Guild Wars does that is not doable on consoles.

Also, if you say that graphics are potentially best on PC's, but you forget, Graphics are also THE WORST on PC's as well....developers have to program games to scale for low end PC's....lots of people seem to forget that.

Regardless of what your personal opinion is, that isn't gonna stop FINAL FANTASY 14, DC UNIVERSE ONLINE, THE AGENCY, FREE REALMS, nor is it gonna stop EVERQUEST 3 from PS3 either, because we all know that's going too.

So if they can...so can Guild Wars 2.

Plain and simply put, Consoles bring the potential to double fanbases..and many developers want in on that....especially since WoW already monopolizes much of the PC MMO marketshare.

That's how Consoles games like Guild Wars can EXPAND.

Show me a developer and publisher that doesn't want to expand.

[bobcostus]

NCsoft =/= Arenanet

NCsoft is just the publisher, that's it. Arenanet is the developer, NOT NCsoft and Arenanet retains full creative control of the Guild Wars brand. Do some more research.

Just because some MMO's come to console, that doesn't mean they all should. Keep dreaming. GW2 = PC only.

[Darkfiber]

Why would this be perfect for the PS3? Because you like the PS3? God, fanboys are so stupid, they lack all logic and common sense.

NCsoft said they MIGHT be making some game on PS3 maybe at some point, but probably wont. I'm sure whatever they were working on for the PS3 was cancelled years ago. Also, NCSoft is not developing this, Arena Net is. NCsoft is just publishing it. Most of NCsoft developed MMOs suck anyway.

Seriously, it's okay to drop your fanboy act once in a while and play something on a different platform now and then. It wont make you any less of a person. There's no need for this game to be on PS3, the first one sold millions just fine on PC and the second will sell much more I anticipate. For the couple hundred thousand copies it MIGHT sell on PS3 as an MMO wouldn't be worth the time, effort and money to develop.

[Persistantthug]

If NC Soft wants the game on the PS3 there are several ways to get it done.

Also, I prefer gaming on my PS3...just like I will play DCUO on my PS3, and when EverQuest 3 comes I will play it on that too...I prefer console gaming.

Sounds like you guys don't WANT Guild Wars 2 on the PS3.

Well, just because you and/or Darkfiber don't want it doens't mean it won't happen...

Ask Valve.

If steam can go on the PS3,

I'm very confident Guild Wars 2, who NC SOFT (the owner) already publicly stated they want to support.

I can't wait :)

[Spinal]

I've played MMO's for so many years i've lost count. from The Realm Online to Ultima Online, Star Wars galaxies and currently WoW (Darkade on youtube)

I've tried many new MMO's warhammer, age of conan, aion etc none really hit the mark. GW2 looks really ready to set the bar for all MMo's i was looking forward to The old Republic but thats dead to me now lol. (Though i will play it)

MMO on console? lool this just wont really work if you've ever been in a major city on an MMO and people trading items how would it really work? People shouting through your headset? Theres only one PC game coming next year that i think would have been lovely on the console which is Diablo 3. An thats not an MMO. MMO's belong where they belong the PC an they work best there. All those other MMO's coming for consoles I gaurantee wont do as well as they hope for cause its just not the market for it. Most console gamers couldn't understand the idea of paying a monthly sub for a single game aswell as buyin it in the first place to support the developers.

Just my 2 pence.

[Darkfiber]

Not that I don't want it on console, I don't care either way. I would never play an MMO on console, there is no point. It would just be too awkward to play it. Hardly anyone on PS3 (I'm not talking about hardcore players, I'm talking about the general population of PS3 users) have a mic or keyboard, whereas EVERYONE on PC has at least a keyboard. Communication would fall apart and the game would most likely look and run like shit compared to the PC version. I just don't think it'll happen, plain and simple, and if it does happen and NCsoft brings an MMO to PS3, it wont be Guild Wars 2.

I completely forgot about this, but they actually did announce they were making Blade and Soul for PS3. I don't know if it's since been cancelled for console or delayed or something but that's probably the MMO they "promised" to make on console or whatever.

Also, Arena Net started as its own company and was "acquired" by NCsoft after they started working on the first Guild Wars as far as I know. I'm pretty sure they only publish the Guild Wars series and Arena Net still owns the rights, and I'm pretty sure NCsoft lets them do pretty much whatever they want. And if they don't want to bring it to console then they wont.

I agree with shovelface. I love my PS3 as well and play it quite a bit but I've been playing MMOs for years too, and I just don't think it'll work well on console. Not saying it wont work at all, just not well enough for most developers to bother. I don't think it'll sell well enough either, that's just how it is, or else we'd see every little MMO that comes out on console, instead of next to none.

[Spinal]

I agree totally,

MMO on console just won't work well. They've been working on an Age of Conan for the consoles for ages now I just don't see it happening and if it does actually arrive i'm pretty sure it will be so ridiculously dumbed down that it will just fail.

MMO's have done fine on PC and can continue to do fine on just PC's they don't need consoles for anythin, producing for consoles as an MMO developer is just more expense and less gain compared to the PC Market which is less expense an Far more gain.

[Persistantthug]

FF14 will work fine....DC UNIVERSE ONLINE will work fine, FREE REALMS will work fine....and eventually we all know EVERQUEST 3 will come to PS3 and do fine as well.

There's also one other thing i wanted to touch on...You said MMO devs don't need consoles, and I disagree with that too. You know why? Because of WoW. How are the other PC MMORPG's going to continue to do well when WOW already sucks up about 75% of the entire market?

News flash.....they can't do well...someone is going to be the odd man out, and guess where they're going to have to go to "eat to survive"?
To consoles.

Business sense and easy logic says you sell your product to as many people as possible, and consoles are a new and untapped market....that's why there are MMO's popping up now.

Guild Wars 2 may not come to the PS3, but if NCSOFT is smart, they will because there's no downside to it at all...CONSOLES ARE COMPUTERS, spinalc0rd.

I repeat...There's no downside at all...none

[Spinal]

The thing is you speak of games that ain't out yet and you don't know if they will do fine. How many console players do you know that are willing to pay a monthly fee for games?? The console market is filled with casual gamers like myself i play my consoles Casually and couldn't even compare the amount of time i spend on my PC to the consoles.

Guild Wars 1 sold millions on PC despite the Success of WoW do your research google the best selling PC Games of all time The Sims is at number 1 while WoW is at 3 and Guild Wars 1 is at 7. Guild Wars 2 will probably outsell number 1 in my opinion cause me being a WoW player (youtube Darkade) aswell as my real life friends want to buy and play Guild Wars 2 and im sure many WoW players will pick up the new guild wars as its like a Diablo MMO considering the developers ArenaNet are ex-blizzard staff who worked on the Diablo series.

MMO's can work on a console but will not be as good as a PC no matter how much you lie to yourself not many are willing to buy keyboards for their consoles. An the headset speach can only become a hassle in group dungeons if two people choose to argue over something imagine the amount of noise 13 year olds will be making through your headset shouting n1ggar that an n1ggar this.

[Persistantthug]

And that was BEFORE they had built in Harddrives, so those people not only paid monthly, but they bought that expensive Harddrive. So yes, I do Believe other MMORPG's will do fine on consoles.

2nd, You are right Guild Wars 2 has about 6 million buyers, but that was over the course of 3 games...so thats approx 2 million per game. That's good, but that's not ecstatic numbers. Wanna know how they can get ecstatic numbers? By releasing on Console.
By the time GW2 releases, there will be about 50 million users.....like I said....NCSOFT would be fools to ignore that.

3rd.
Almost every PS3 user has a keyboard....because any USB keyboard and mouse works with the PS3

Also, there isn't much bad behavior on PS3....you are perhaps thinking about XBOX 360/XBOX LIVE. Mind you, I've never played any COD game on the PS3, but I do play BFBC2 and have Played BFBC1....I could count on my fingers the times people have acted badly.

Like I said before, There is no downside to selling GW2 on the PS3, especially since there is no monthly fee...I could potentially double the install base....unless you consider selling double a downside.

[Spinal]

I think the PC version of Guild Wars 2 would be held back by any console version cause updates and patches may include graphic enhancements aswell as other things. And cause the hardware on the console does not change where as the PC does the console would be lagging behind. And remember this when they make an update of the PC they then have to code seperately for the consoles also.

Trust me its really not worth the hassle. And if you think im lying why you think World of Warcraft and many other popular MMO's aren't going to the consoles? their may be a market of users there that 'might' buy and pay monthly subs but that 'Might' just isn't worth it and thats why these developers ain't interested in doing it. Star Wars The old Republic, World of warcraft, Guild Wars 2, T.E.R.A the company behind these games can make games for consoles but Refuse to make an MMO for them. Its just not worth the hassle. An I agree with them.

[Baka-akaB]

gw2 had me sold from the day it was announced , and the more i saw the less i am interested in mmos with subscriptions , with only one major exception SW the old republic

[Darkfiber]

This will be better than The Old Republic for sure. I like Bioware as much as the next guy but it's clear that TOR is just a WoW clone with voice acting and lightsabers. They have done nothing innovative and nothing that actually looks fun. Gameplay and combat look boring as any other typical MMO out there. They are doing so much new with Guild Wars 2 it would be stupid not to play that, especially with no subscription fees. TOR wouldn't have a chance if it were anything but Star Wars.

[Letros]

GW2 is nuts, best MMO ever, Arena.net knows what they are doing.

[Neo Nugget]

I played it twice at PAX. Compared to most booths, GW2 was absolutely packed the whole time.

[Shani]

I am so jealous of you...
I couldn't go to PAX because of my co-op... next time sure..
I want to see more and more gameplay of GW2. Can't get enough of it.

[Holeran]

Anyone know the system requirements for this? My computer is pretty aged (amd athlon 3300+ , 2 gigs ram, radeon x800 gto video card) I know i'm probably pissin in the wind but this is the first computer game to pique my interests in a while.

[Letros]

I would guess it will be playable to some extent(maybe get more ram), GW2 has great graphics, but I highly doubt they will not make this game work on PC's which could run GW1, I had a PC VERY similar to yours around when GW1 came out.

[Holeran]

Ya I could run gw1 no problem but i'm not sure how much different it will be. I played dark age of camelot for about 5 years and had to upgrade computer once, then get more ram, then get a better video card so i'm not sure if it will run it.

[Xfanboy]

wow killer?

[divideby0]

no not a WoW killer, which I dont play any more... just a great game full of value

[Darkfiber]

WoW wont die, at least not completely for 10-15 years. Everquest is still going and it's been out for 11 years with 17 expansions or something ridiculous. WoW will be around for a while, but the new batch of upcoming MMOs will definitely take some steam out of it.

[divideby0]

cant wait for GW2...I own all the previous games and expansions.... NO monthly fee is part of what makes this games VALUE through the roof.
and yea, I wished it was also on the PS3... would like it on xbox, but no more paying for LIve for me..charter gold member after 6 or 7 years NOT paying any mo.