ArenaNet's Mike O'Brien Speaks On Guild Wars 2 Microtransactions

Written by: Scott Hawkes (Twitter @jarimor - Google+) | May 22, 2012 12:59 pm

146 Comments

If there was a “spawn BWE” in the Guild Wars 2 microtransaction store, I’d be laying good money down right about now.

In the meantime, Mike O’Brien spoke to VentureBeat about the thinking behind RMT in GW2 and just how it came to be part of the game.

O’Brien spoke of the phenomenal turnaround on expansions for the first Guild Wars — with only a six month gap between Factions and Nightfall — which did a good job of funding the live game’s development, but also left all but the hardcore feeling a bit left behind by the game.

The microtransaction store was introduced to create funding while allowing each expansion more room to breathe. A move that proved so successful that there was no surprise that it was included in Guild Wars 2.

Still, many people have been very wary of having RMT included within the game, O’Brien tried to assuage those fears by stating that ArenaNet is committed to making sure microtransactions will not hinder anyone’s enjoyment of GW2:

“We recognize that customers paid $60 for the game and they have the right to play the full game. So the microtransactions we offer are non-essential additions to the game and convenience services for players who want to trade money for time.”

From my experience I think a lot of fears are unfounded, though I do understand the fear of Pandora’s box being opened and where it could lead, but from all of the assurances, the experience from Guild Wars and the overall design of the game, is there really anything left to worry about with microtransactions?

ArenaNet's Mike O'Brien Speaks On Guild Wars 2 Microtransactions

7:17

Guild Wars 2

Guild Wars 2 Dragon Ball PvP Sneak Peek

Watch Guild Wars 2 Dragon Ball PvP action!Read more »

8 comments
Guild Wars 2

Last Stand At Southsun May 28th

Continuation of the living story and many changes to WvW.Read more »

3 comments
Guild Wars 2

Guild Wars 2 Microtransactions: Still Consistent and Strong

NCSoft announces that Guild Wars 2's Gem Store sales are still going strong.Read more »

15 comments

http://www.MasterRenny.com/ Thomas Renshaw

Really people are still moaning about the ingame store? :S

There was scrolls of XP boosts in guild wars 1, yes okay you didnt pay real money for them but leveling isnt slow due to the level xp needed for each level doesn’t increase as your level does.

Plus i doubt it will put goldsellers off, as they will just hack peoples accounts get the gems and then just sell gems at a cheaper price…. :/
- Old Ben
  
  Hacking people’s accounts is not a very efficient way to farm gold, especially when a game is new. It’s much more efficient to develop bots or pay a couple of cents an hour to some kids in a developing country and make them farm the gold (or easy-to-sell crafting materials).
  
  And yes, this will put gold sellers off (not completely, but it will reduce their number), because they will essentially be competing with every player in the game (everyone becomes a potential gold seller – as long as they’re interested in some items from the gem store). That will drive the real-world price of game gold down, reducing their margins.
  
  After a few years (if / when most players are filthy rich), you’ll probably see some people selling their gold to 3rd party websites, who will then sell it to new players, but that’s really more of an inflation problem, and the way to deal with that is by having gold sinks in the game.
  - http://www.MasterRenny.com/ Thomas Renshaw
    
    Lets hope arenanet stays on top of goldsinks then
    
    Truthfully even tho you may or may not believe it, i wouldn’t ever think about selling my gold to any site :S
  - http://twitter.com/dularr Dularr
    
    Sadly, hacked accounts are used for both. I would assume, that for GW2, the hacker would make the account invisible in chat, stop representing a guild, sell all the gear and farm mats for as long as possible.
    - pandora005
      
      Hacked accounts *can* give you some gold, but there is a risk of getting an account with “just enough money” on it. I highly doubt that selling the standard gear will give you a reasonable amount of it. In any case hacking isnt a continuous and endless process whereas farming with bots is. You can have LOTS of farming bots active at the same time, but the number of accounts you can make a profit with through hacking is limited.
http://www.facebook.com/EmmanuelGonzalez66 Emmanuel Gonzalez

lol i checked my skype, good video btw =)
- http://www.facebook.com/people/Magus-Hrist/100003601604634 Magus Hrist
  
  lol me too
- http://www.facebook.com/people/Tj-Vossos/647768691 Tj Vossos
  
  i don’t have skype and thought people called me
Ammt

In-game store sucks :s there’s nothing good on it xd
http://www.facebook.com/people/Ryan-Hamilton/1150725720 Ryan Hamilton

Sounds almost exactly like the League of Legends store, except you can trade Jewels for Gold. What’s the big deal?
http://twitter.com/ShawnaRM Shawna R. M.

Let’s hope they never put on a fashion show in GW2. Then that guy will be right.

But really if It’s cosmetic I don’t care. I’ll just shake my fist angrily at the person with the uber particle effect gear, and be on my way.
http://pulse.yahoo.com/_7UCDEUKEHKZZCEGBRAQAKTOFOY The Undeniable Truth

Scott must have about a million kids. Every video with him in it always has little kids talking or laughing in the background.
- http://twitter.com/dularr Dularr
  
  It does sound like a happy household.
MMO_Doubter

THIS is exactly what I mean by GBTV supporting the companies, not the players.
- Lycronis
  
  What is that supposed to mean? How are they “supporting” the companies over the players? Because they don’t have an issue with micro-transactions?
  - Old Ben
    
    Don’t bother. I’m pretty sure “Roger” there is just a bot that posts generic complaints, selected randomly from a (pretty repetitive) database.
Jay

You barely get XP for just killing things in GW2, and since the XP boost doesn’t count towards event XP, it really doesn’t make much of a difference.
- Old Ben
  
  Shhhh! Let the suckers pay for it, means the rest of us get expansions sooner.
- http://www.kaiketsu.enjin.com/ Corey Jenkins
  
  Exactly the xp boosts are just towards monster kills which barely give you exp anyway lol, I wish people would just read sometimes before QQing lol.
  - Sharuko
    
    If you have quested in MMOs you would know a lot of times killing the mobs/monsters give just as much or more xp than actually completing the quests.
    - http://twitter.com/Mantose Leo P
      
      Not in GW2, killing mobs does not grant that much xp compared to finishing a event.
    - integerx
      
      If you have played GW2, you would know that it isn’t setup like other MMOs.
    - http://www.facebook.com/people/Andrew-Russett/100000499903568 Andrew Russett
      
      While that may be true for other games, it isn’t the same system for GW2, Further there are events and storyline quests that give you xp boost items without ever having to purchase them.
    - Old Ben
      
      I have “quested in MMOs”, and I noticed that some have spaceships. Therefore I think the spaceships in GW2 need a boost to their agility.
      
      Lately you seem to be confusing “trolling” with “publicly displaying your ignorance”.
    - Spammerbam
      
      Though I do appreciate your constructive criticisms, most of them aren’t very.. well.. effective at all.
      I’m starting to realize that most, if not all, of your arguments contain variable degrees of ignorance. I do like to keep an open mind and listen to other negative feedbacks, but in some cases.. I just don’t have any other words to describe the face-palm reaction I get from these idiotic comments:
      
      “If you have quested in MMOs you would know a lot of times killing the
      mobs/monsters give just as much or more xp than actually completing the
      quests.”
      
      - Really? Do you really think GW2 has the same concept here?
      - Sharuko
        
        Believe it or not the majority of quests in GW2 are traditional and not dynamic, shocking I know. If you don’t believe that is the case you are in for a major disappointment.
      - Arkanthos
        
        You need glasses or new conctacts my friend, or maybe you are talking about a diffrent game that you mistaked for gw2.
      - Spammerbam
        
        I’ve already played the beta and stress test, it wasn’t disappointing at all. Though it’s slightly similar to killing x monsters, it is PRESENTED in an entirely different way; players around the area are working together rather than individually. After completing that event, it leads to another event that have you either attack or defend a certain area.
        It is not like Tera where you read a long script, click ‘Accept’ and go off to do your boring chores traveling across the lifeless land on your slow mount, only to kill more x monsters or talk to a new NPC that leads you to another NPC.. and the cycle starts all over again. Fun.
dawolv

btw, please pump up the volume for the “calls” or reduce the studio volume, because I need to crank up my volume to hear Scott and then suddenly Mike wakes up my entire house by screaming through my speakers…
http://www.facebook.com/chaz.rpg Chaz Davis

What if that was Mike O’Brien calling to gamebreaker throug Skype? you guys hunged up on him!
http://www.facebook.com/wFlett William Flett

Trebuchets and siege golems aren’t just made out of thin air, there’s a fair bit of supply involved in assembling them so it takes alot of players to dump their supplies to get a small handful of trebuchets and siege golems.
JJGlyph

You guys really need some different b-roll footage, haha.
http://profile.yahoo.com/2SZI7MOKR6OET3R6YXZJQC5WGQ John Athon

I ain’t gonna back off. I’m gonna come at you, mike o’bro
http://twitter.com/crusadernero Crusadernero

So, its cool that gw2 adds in the option to buy gold but if someone mention it about wow, there was a huge cryout. On this site to.
- Kirk Crawford
  
  GW2 and WoW are two different games. They follow two separate phiolsophies. It’s okay for GW2 to have a in-game market that uses real-world money and in-game gems because it’s a skill based game not a gear and grind based game like WoW. Read up more about the game before you start trashing the gamebreaker.tv team.
- http://twitter.com/Mantose Leo P
  
  At the moment buying gold in WoW means you bought from a gold farmer that is not related to Blizzard. So its against the rules.
  
  If Blizzard added in gold selling then there might be a problem because of the system they have in place where the game is more about getting equipment that it is about skill. And they have a gear treadmil for endgame.
  
  Also I hear they are adding in a blackmarket in WoW so you can buy rare items for gold. Example Ashes of Alar or something like that , that used to be you could only aquire that item from raiding and hope it drops and then hope you get lucky to win it.
  
  You are talking about two different games that have different mentallity on what is fun and how the game progression works.
  - Sharuko
    
    Actually you can buy a pet for real money and sell it in game for gold which Blizzard already has in WoW. It is the “nice” way to buy gold.
    - http://twitter.com/crusadernero Crusadernero
      
      Blackmarked will have stupid high prices and im pretty sure the items are gonna be rare there. I expect to see stupid high prices for much there. And I fail to see why you bring that up here. You use gold there, not real money.
      
      The fact that the stuff can be obtained from raids and such and now in black marked.. Dont see that as a issue either. As I understand, you cant just buy the item. You gotta bid against other people and wait it out. Will probably go for high prices, prob 100k+. Someone who can afford that much gold spending deserves it.
      
      Sharuko, I know about the pet but it’s not really a very solid way to buy gold. You will never know how much you going to get for it. Cant remember price(lets say 10 dollars) for pet and on ah it goes for 2-3k. That would not be worth it would it?
      
      In GW2 you can just buy gold straight up.
      
      leo you said the game works totally different. What is gold used for in gw2? Just cosmetic? not gems, enchanting, food, mats+++?
      - http://twitter.com/Mantose Leo P
        
        I mentioned the black market because , If WoW were to add a legal way of buying gold I can see many QQ about people buying gold to buy crap from the black market. (Pay to win vanity items)
        
        There are so many ways to aquire anything in GW2 gold really isnt all that important. Also there is no gear grind like WoW. There is a ceiling on gear in GW2 and you reach it rather easily.
        
        The 2 games are just different in their approach to gaming. And their approach to making the game fun to play.
        
        Same with gw1 … I played the game and aquired gold easily… I never felt like I needed tons of gold to do anything. When I played WoW for years I always felt the pressure to get gold so I could progress. Mounts, flying mounts, training … epic mounts and so on. Same with gear … if I wanted to twink a character I needed plenty of gold. Various rare items are really expensive,
        
        All this is just my opinion, I am sure others have different views on this.
      - http://twitter.com/crusadernero Crusadernero
        
        Eh wait.. So in wow, if vanity items were obtainable through real money or you could buy gold in wow then spend it on black marked on MOUNTS & TRANSMOG GEAR, it’s wrong. When GW2 adds in xp boosts, karma boost, dye and cosmetic stuff, its ok and no problem? How on earth is mounts and especially transmog gear pay to win item? All mounts fly at same speed. The normal gryphon is as fast as any other mount in the game after you have the skill for it, so its COSMETIC.
        
        Give me a break about gold in wow. These days it’s very easy getting gold. Just by leveling(especially 80-85) you would get thousand of gold. It’s not like it was years ago when gold really matters. Now its so easy to get its funny. Im not even trying to “farm gold” and I got about 20k+ gold across all chars.
Sharuko

XP, Crafting and Karma boosts are things we seen in F2P titles. Now those items would be ok if GW2 was F2P like LoL or PlanetSide 2. But charging box price and then putting items such as that is going too far and that is why there is so much pushback against the GW2 model.

Vanity items and quality of life items are fine. But XP boosts are not.
- http://www.facebook.com/kayla.roese Kayla Roese
  
  I bought some of the XP boosts in the beta… they honestly BARELY even nudge your XP bar. People are QQing for no reason.
  - Sharuko
    
    A 50% boost in XP while killing mobs is A LOT.
    - jason jacobson
      
      Its ONLY from the Xp off mobs, you get the majority of your experience in GW2 from completing the hearts and story line quests. I used many of them, didnt notice much of a difference at all.
    - Old Ben
      
      Really? How much XP do you get for killing a level 10 mob (at level 10), for example? And how much XP does it take to get from level 10 to 11?
      
      You have no idea, do you?
    - http://twitter.com/Mantose Leo P
      
      Have you played GW2? The xp from killing mobs is not that big of a deal.
    - Spammerbam
      
      Just between you and me, without this “fanboy” talk, what will the XP boost ultimately lead to?
      As far as I know, being at higher or even max level doesn’t really mean anything.. so yeah, I’m curious to find out.
      
      In other mmos, it’s a major problem because then you can kill anything that’s lower level than you.
    - http://www.facebook.com/edward.h.ramsey.5 Edward Heath Ramsey
      
      XP from mobs tends to be around 10, 20, 30, XP and that’s at lvl ten and above a 50% boost puts that to less by far than any heart event dynamic event or story mission. in GW2 you do not kill mobs for the XP as in some MMOs you kill them to progress either in events story missions or just to get you’re weapon skills active which the boost does nothing for it may mean you end up leveling a whole 5 minutes faster and the only dramatic change would come from doing nothing but killing mobs in order to level. and if you are doing that you are going to take an exponentially longer time to level and are missing the games point entirely.
    - pandora005
      
      For 30 minutes? Those boosts are a joke. ROFLMAO … Its not like killing NPCs gives you that much XP anyways. Most is gained from events and hearts and the personal story.
- http://twitter.com/Mantose Leo P
  
  Why does leveling faster matter? There is no traditional endgame. The pvp puts you at max level as soon as you enter it.
  
  I fail to see why xp matters at all when you get scaled down to an appropriate level for all zones lower level than you.
- Chris Rushton
  
  My freind aparently got a xp or karma boost from a personal story quest at one point. If this is true it kind of throws your routine troll out of the window for this comments thread huh.
  - Arkanthos
    
    Yes you can get them as rewards or drops:)
- 7BitBrian
  
  They don’t bother me at all, especially since every single one of them can be earned in game and also bought with in game money. So they are available to every single player, even those without the cash to spare.
- Spammerbam
  
  Can you elaborate on how XP boosts will be an unfair advantage?
  As far as I know, its only purpose is to allow you to go through contents faster, however, it does not make you overpowered; people are having the wrong idea and assumptions about the GW2 microtransactions. Given the fact that you can purchase these items with in-game gold is also something to consider about.
  - Sharuko
    
    It is not only XP but also magic find boost (increase your chance to find rare items) and karma boost (gain additional 20% karma for 1 hour). I really can’t believe people are defending it EVEN if you can earn it in game when this is a B2P title with frequent expansions.
    - Chris Rushton
      
      I don’t see what the problem is, if you can earn it in game it’s just another item that changes how the game plays for a short period. Next you will be complaining about speed boosts.
      - Sharuko
        
        It is almost impossible for a GW2 fanboy to admit something is wrong with the game because they just blindly support everything. How is Karma boosts not wrong or pay-to-win?
        
        Let us remove GW2 out of the equation maybe it won’t cloud your judgement as much. If you could buy badges in WoW that gives you high end gear that would be a problem. Even though you can still get those same badges in game while playing without using real money. I don’t see how the fact that you can “earn the same item in game” makes it right.
      - http://twitter.com/Mantose Leo P
        
        There are plenty of things wrong with GW2, its still in beta, hopefully it will be fixed before they released.
        
        If you read the bwe forums you would not think GW2 fanboys blindly support everything.
        
        ” If you could buy badges in WoW that gives you the best end game gear that would be a problem”
        
        Thats not the same thing … karma boost is short term buff. You cant out right buy gear from it … and even if you could, you only need to do it once … its not a treadmill like WoW where you have to do it every single expansion and it is semi difficult and time consuming.
        
        What you need to understand is GW2 is a different game … and it is hard for anyone to grasp the concept because we have been conditioned for many years to think a certain way.
      - Spammerbam
        
        Buying badges that gives you the best end game gear is definitely a problem! Gears in WoW is pretty much EVERYTHING; Best gear = win.
        
        But would you say that is the same for GW2? Like GW1, the game does not place much emphasis on gear; you can sit there and calculate your stats all you want, but in the end, it comes down to who is the more skillful player in PvP.
        
        Though I do see where you’re coming from with the Magic find and Karma Boosts. Then again, IN THE END, what would that lead to and in what ways would you win…….?
        
        You can’t really head into GW2 with a traditional mmo mindset, and assume ‘that this will lead to that’. I don’t mean it in a negative way, because you definitely have experience with many games.
        
        But saying that this is “pay-to-win” is somewhat questionable, because now people will ask “HOW will you be winning?”
        
        Exp, Magic find, and Karma boosts would fall under the “convenience” category, and in the end, all they do is cut down the time you spend — Time vs money.
        They certainly do not, however, make you stronger than others in PvP.
      - Sharuko
        
        Gear matters in PvE and WvW. The only place gear doesn’t matter is in the structured PvP. I liked how you skillfully ignored that part though.
      - http://twitter.com/Mantose Leo P
        
        One of these days you will comprehend what others are saying. You know, the ones that have actually played the game.
        
        Gear is not that hard to get, you have several options , including, mob drops in open world , karma , gold , dungeons.
        
        There are no rare items that are better than anything else. So there is nothing driving up the cost or anything that is hard to come by off rare mobs.
        
        This game isnt the games you are used too.
        
        Maybe if you played the game you would understand …. but I get the feeling you are QQing because GW2 seems too good to be true and you dont want it to be better than your current game, so you have to try and find something wrong with it. Too bad for you, the cash shop is fine…because it is not pay to win.
      - Sharuko
        
        First, I played the game more than you with higher level characters I have posted screenshots on the forums. I don’t care if gear is “not hard to get”, gear is not hard to get in any MMO, that doesn’t discount the fact that these boosts are pay-to-win.
        
        This game is exactly like games I am used to, as I have been saying forever GW2 is basically a Rift and Warhammer clone with no healers.
        
        I was excited for GW2 till I played it and it was a massive disappointment which will probably last 2 months and die out.
      - http://www.facebook.com/people/Willi-Enderle/1668850948 Willi Enderle
        
        Then it would be better for you to leave this chatroom, try to get a refund of your game and stop trying to convince ppl to not play the game because YOU didnt like it.
      - Sharuko
        
        I tried to get a refund, but NCSoft said no. So I am a owner of the game unfortunately.
      - MMO_Doubter
        
        Anyone who buys an MMO BEFORE release is a damned fool.
        
        I am only sorry the scammers got your money.
      - Spammerbam
        
        So you’re one of the few who bought the game just to get in the beta.. What a shame.
      - http://twitter.com/H3L1ON H3L1ON
        
        pfff let me try to explain how it works……
        On another thought its hopeless anyway, you can’t see past the carrot
        that wow and Tera washolding before your eye’s that carrot now is burned on your eyelidsand now your too blindtoo see that there issent a carrot and only skilled players so i won’t even try to explain that to you.
        
        cuz it seems to me from your previous commentsthat you arent a very skilled player and need stats, gear and bufs to depend up on too actuelly stand out as a good player So keep on trolling.
      - Arkanthos
        
        No you didn’t play the game, cuz ppl who played the game at conventions and in beta (they also streamed and posted videos) talk about the complete oposite then you:)
      - Sharuko
        
        You obviously didn’t visit the official GW2 forums during the BWE.
      - Arkanthos
        
        I did and and thats why i know, secondly you have NO idea what pay to win means.
      - pandora005
        
        And obtaining gear is a problem, because you dont want to craft stuff or do dungeons or get enough Karma points to get it?
        
        With the current system gear only matters if you are stupid enough to pick the wrong stats on it. EVERYONE has the same opportunities to get the right gear with the right stats.
      - pandora005
        
        Oh, now you are on that fallback position of “you GW2 fanboys”? Nah … drop it.
    - jason jacobson
      
      A few things I would like to point out. First, the magic find is effectively useless; this is because it mainly helps you find GEAR, while you do get a few other items, the main items are gear. Since GW2 is not a gear based MMO, that does not give you any real advantage, most rare gear will change your stats by a few more points versus a normal item. Hardly anything. Some items do have bonus’ to certain features but they are usually so minor and irrelevant that it does not matter. Also, keep in mind its TEN (10%) PERCENT, not double the odds, i used several of these things during the beta, and didn’t get a damn thing.
      
      Second thing I want to talk about is the experience boost. It is also, completely unnecessary. I used a few of these as well during the beta and didn’t notice much of an increase at all. Keep in mind, that its a 50% increase in Exp for killing MONSTERS, not completing hearts or your main story line quests; both of those being by far the majority of your experience. Also keep in mind that there is no leveling curve, or its a slight curve, so you never get to the point where you feel bored of leveling because it takes to long–90% of the reason any gamer would use them. As it stands, its only going to be used by people that can only play once in a blue moon because they are busy. Not a big deal at all (though it was personally my biggest concern going into the beta, but that has been put to rest).
      
      Lastly, I want to mention the Karma boost. Perhaps the only thing in the shop that is of any concern at all. Since Karma is used for a variety of things, equipment (special items usually), supplies for crafting and others. This is the only one I feel that has a chance of being “overpowered.” As it stands I don’t believe it will be, at least not in the low level parts. As you do gain quite a bit of Karma, rather fast, from doing hearts. Not to mention the majority of items are quite cheap, at level 8 or 9 i think, I had about 1300 Karma and a lot of the crafting items–for cooking–were only 2 to 4 karma each. Some of the armor pieces or the ‘special’ items were a few hundred. But if I gained 1300 karma that fast then I dont see a need to purchase the 20% boost. Not to mention I would have only recieved an extra 260 karma, not even enough for anything good.
      
      To summarize, I feel the Experience and Magic Find boosts will be something people try out initially and then never use again, simply because there is not a noticeable difference, or necessary need for them. The Karma boost however, could end up providing a noticeable change in Karma gain and give some players an edge over others; however this seems unlikely (at least in low levels, end game is yet to be determined). This is because most of the items you can buy with Karma can be purchased by other players with in-game gold or the items are mearly cosmetic or provide very little, if any, bonus above a few stat points–once again, this is not a gear based MMO, so that does not matter. Lastly, a lot of the items that vendors sell for Karma, are purely cosmetic, such as the item that turns you into a wolf. Items like those, will most likely be the primary things, aside from crafting materials, Karma is spent on.
      
      Theres No grinding in GW2, therefor items that reduce the amount of grind, are unnecessary.
      - MMO_Doubter
        
        Does it make ANY sense to you that ANet would fill their cash shop with useless items that people won’t buy?
      - pandora005
        
        It does make sense for ANet to fill their cash shop with NICHE items which only a few people might want … digital items dont cost them anything, so why not? Its the same for fancy hats, robes, colors … not everyone wants them, but some want them and are willing to pay real money for them OR pay with ingame gold.
      - Arkanthos
        
        Look at gw1 people buy useless items from the cash shop all the time:)
      - http://www.facebook.com/people/LLanowar-Elf/100003731135688 LLanowar Elf
        
        Thank you for injecting some common sense into this discussion. You’re exactly right. If the items are as useless as everyone is making them out to be, you can bet ArenaNet will revisit them and increase their effectiveness. The store is their replacement for subscription fees, so if players aren’t buying the items because they’re useless then their business model has failed.
        
        I understand that they have to straddle a line between making the items useful but not so powerful that they piss off players unwilling to spend money in the shop. However, it is a B2P game which means they have little to lose if they take it too far and those players quit. The players offended by the cash shop weren’t ever going to spend money in it anyway, and they already got their box price. Why should they care about the opinion of players who weren’t going to give them more money and were, essentially, just drains of server resources?
        
        This is my biggest issue with their model. There is no motivation for them to care about upsetting players that don’t plan on spending money after the initial box fee. The idea that you can just buy the box, never pay another dime, and still be a valued customer is an illusion. At least with a subscription fee system, companies actually have something to lose by taking their cash shop too far. With GW2, they get more money from people willing to buy things, and the same amount of money from people not willing to. Whether they continue playing is completely irrelevant from a financial standpoint.
    - pandora005
      
      ROFL … items dont play a major part in GW2 since you can get about anything through several methods. Magic find is about as useless as it can be and especially during leveling it is irrelevant … UNLESS you want to find magic items to sell them, which isnt the point of the game. So you might want to drop this argument.
      - Sharuko
        
        It doesn’t matter if you can get these items in game. If WoW had a method of increasing honor points by 20% for an hour that would be considered pay to win. It doesn’t matter if you can get the items in game or not. I don’t see how that has any merit in the argument.
        
        For argument sake, if you can buy end game gear with real world money and also earn end game gear with in game currency. Would it not matter you can buy end game gear with real world money?
      - Arkanthos
        
        If the engame gear doesnt give you any andvantage i dont care, and in gw2 it doesn’t cuz there is no endgame gear but engame skins, and if soemone pays to look cooler then me faster (they still need to go to that content and be that lvl, like dungeons) im fine witth that:) Half and hour later i will get the same skin and not pay a single penny. man you realy are simple minded.
      - MMO_Doubter
        
        A couple of months after release – you will see how wrong you were. I almost feel sorry for you.
      - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1260066056 Steven Diaz
        
        So you’re worried because someone can level up faster than you or get items faster? Yeah, sounds game breaking to me. Considering that you can go into any area and automatically get brought up/down to the level there, level isn’t really that big of an issue. Gear can be attained in a number of ways free. Also, you can BUY the currency for the CASH SHOP through the game using IN-GAME currency.
      - MMO_Doubter
        
        I never said I was worried.
        
        I never said it was game-breaking.
        
        P2W means gaining an in-game advantage buy spending money. By the definition, this game has some P2W items.
        
        I agree that the current items can be gained without spending any RL money, BUT – unless you have an infinite amount of spare time – you will NOT be able to keep pace with people who DO.
        
        Up to you whether keeping pace is important or not. If it IS you had better be ready to spend money.
        
        I am opposed to RMTs on principle. Games should present a level playing field for all players.
      - Arkanthos
        
        P2W means you gain an unfair advantage so you can do far better then the other guy who doesn’t pay, it also means that the advantage can only be obtainable trought the cash shop and no where else.
        
        Now first convenience items are not unfair advantage as you are not better then the guy who doesn’t buy them, and second all convinience items are obtainable ingame farming or doing events and PS. So if you play alot you will have them as the guy who pays for them.
      - MMO_Doubter
        
        Clearly, we have VERY different definitions of P2W. ANY advantage you pay for is STILL an advantage, and I want a level playing field for everyone.
        
        Paying with your time is a joke, not to mention that there is nothing in place to keep those who play a lot from buying whatever they want, as well, so it isn’t a way to balance things.
      - Arkanthos
        
        Doesn’t matter what are our opinions i told you what p2w means, that is pay to WIN, not pay for convinience. As you said any advantage is advantage, but thats the core for any mmo, every guy who has more time to play than you has a advantage, after all he has more time to get better gear then you.
        
        In gw2 you cant get better gear at max lvl so you dont get any advantage exept your gona see your guy dressed better faster, and if thats p2w for you then that is realy just your bias opinion, not the real meaning of the word pay to win
      - MMO_Doubter
        
        Okay. I was being diplomatic, but since you are not, I will point out that your definition of P2W is wrong. Period. P2W means buying an advantage. You’re wrong. I am right.
        
        Now, as for the advantage for playing more:
        
        1 – Good. People SHOULD get benefits for playing an MMO more, because while they are playing, they are providing team mates and opponents for others to play with.
        
        2 – If you want an MMO to limit the benefits for playing more, then support THAT.
        
        3 – A cash shop does not balance money versus playing time, because there is no limit imposed on frequent players from spending money. A no-lifer can spend as much in the cash shop as someone who can only play a few hours a week.
      - Arkanthos
        
        I played Gw1 for 7 years the gear treadmill is similar in Gw2 and i still don’t see how wrong i am. Gw1 also had exp boosts up to 300%
      - pandora005
        
        Your replys are getting dumber every time … sorry, but you cant compare WoW to GW2 because you can get the “endgame gear” with THE SAME STATS in one of SEVERAL ways. PvP gear in WoW can only be gained through pvp points so this comparison is totally stupid and meaningless.
        
        It doesnt matter if you can buy stuff with real money since that would be totally stupid. You will most likely have enough dungeon points, Karma and/or crafting skill to get that gear inside the game anyways, so what is your point? Real money is just another option for people who dont want to bother with Karma, crafting, dungeons or pvp; they wont get anything better at all.(see below)
        
        THINK FIRST.
        
        I apologize for being a little bit impolite, but I can tolerate unthinking comments only so far.
        
        The endgame difference in GW2 is skins and colors, but since you can get gems through ingame money as well as real money there is no need to pay anything except the box price …. EVER. So the cash shop doesnt worry me at all. You just have to be willing to work for it OR not be a spoiled brat who wants to have everything (for free).
        
        You can either work an hour at McDonalds to get 5$ and then spend them
        in the real money AH or you farm an hour in the game and possibly get
        the item in a different way … its the same amount of your life
        invested in it (assuming that you can actually farm whatever you want in
        that hour). So basically the cash shop doesnt really matter at all and it just offers you a different option to get things. Personally I think you can probably get an item faster by earning money with a job (even a badly paying one) than by farming for it in the game. It all boils down to how you want to spend your time, but playing the game in “farm mode” for a long time will eventually take the fun out of it for anyone.
      - MMO_Doubter
        
        Consider this: ANet gets NO money if you spend your time to get your goodies. Do THAT math and open your eyes. DO you really think an hour of grinding will get you what $5 would? I very much doubt it.
      - Spammerbam
        
        Interesting. Then how do you explain how GW1′s cash-shop model that became so successful?
      - MMO_Doubter
        
        Did it? Then why did Anet change the model for GW2?
      - Spammerbam
        
        They didn’t necessarily change it. The convenience items in GW2 are equivalent to the skills pack that you can buy in GW1; the skills pack unlocks all the skills in PvP. Though it wasn’t about who has the most skills, it was about the different builds that you use.
        So in GW2, the convenience items are there to help you go through contents SLIGHTLY faster. But really, does it make you more powerful? It certainly does NOT.
        If you want all the advantages, then keep playing the game; once you get to max level and have everything you want in the gemshop.. that’s all there is to it – you don’t have to pay a single dime.
      - pandora005
        
        I really doubt that an hour of grinding would give me the equivalent of $5, BUT I dont see the problem with trading BORING GRIND TIME for money at a better ratio (working an hour at McDonalds OR working *probably* MORE than an hour in GW2 doing tedious and boring stuff).
        
        I have very open eyes and I see no problem with it … but then I am not one of the buttclenching idiots who think they have to spend every waking hour playing GW2 or they didnt get their moneys worth. Getting a real job, playing GW2 and buying some items through the cash shop is the much more sensible way to do it.
        
        Just remember: Everyone only has 24 hours each day and should NOT waste time doing “low quality activities” (farming for stuff) when they can spend their time doing “higher quality stuff”. Talking to your friends over the phone is worse quality than talking to them eye-to-eye … and even being able to do it for longer doesnt make up for the lost quality. Thus AVOIDING the “farming for items” part is actually a good thing because it allows you to do more fun stuff.
    - Spammerbam
      
      (Notice Sharuko didn’t really answer my question)..
      - Sharuko
        
        It is pretty clear. In WvW the higher level you are the bigger advantage you have. Why do you need me to spell this out for you? The fact that you think Karma boosts are ok means you have zero credibility with me because you support pay to win.
      - Spammerbam
        
        Because I support pay to win… nice assumption there.
        
        And the fact that the majority of people on here think Karma boosts are ok means that they ALL have zero credibility with you. Yet, you go above and beyond to convince the world that GW2 is a pay to win.
      - Old Ben
        
        > It is pretty clear.
        
        Yes, it is pretty clear that you don’t have a clue how GW2 works.
        
        There are no player rankings in WvW and the enemies can’t even see your name, so what do you care about “how much power you have”?
        
        WvW is a way to let players level up their character (and get upgraded gear) in a mixed PvP and PvE environment.
        
        If you want to do competitive PvP, start a ranked match, and you’ll get exactly the same “power” as everyone else.
      - Sharuko
        
        I know exactly how WvW works. Who mentioned ranks? Most competitive people want to win regardless of anything even if the opponent can’t see your name. If I face a level 80 as a level 20 in WvW the level 80 has the advantage.
        
        Don’t skirt around the issue by telling me the winning in WvW should not matter to me.
        
        When I played WoW, wining arenas was important winning BGs were important and winning Wintergrasp was important.
      - Old Ben
        
        > If I face a level 80 as a level 20
        > in WvW the level 80 has the
        > advantage.
        
        Actually, no. The level 80 only has an advantage if (s)he has better gear. The base character stats will be identical.
        
        However, if (s)he has a higher PvE level, (s)he will indeed be able to use better gear. Those are the rules in WvW.
        
        PvE: Your character’s stats increase with your level, and you can use better gear as you level up.
        
        WvW: Your character’s stats are fixed (equivalent to a level 80 character), but you can use better gear as you level up.
        
        PvP: Your character’s stats are fixed (equivalent to a level 80 character), and you are given a full set of max-level gear.
        
        You can jump into any game mode at any moment, so why do you keep whining? It’s like deep down you’re in love with GW2 but you just don’t know how to deal with your feelings, so you keep pulling her hair and putting frogs in her backpack.
        
        If you don’t like GW2, move on with your life and go play something else. You’re just making a fool of yourself by repeatedly displaying your ignorance about the most basic GW2 gameplay mechanics.
        
        > When I played WoW [...]
        
        …you had to grind gear (and be at the maximum level in your bracket) to have any chance in PvP. But, if you like that, by all means go play WoW. GW2 definitely isn’t for you… which is great thing for every future GW2 player.
      - MMO_Doubter
        
        Better gear for higher levels in WvW, yeah, but perhaps you ‘forgot’ that the higher level characters also have more skills to choose from.
      - Old Ben
        
        Look, ma! Another one who doesn’t know how the game actually works!
        
        To get more skills, you need to buy them with skill points. To get skill points, you need to unlock them by doing PvE skill challenges. Simply leveling your character will not give you access to any new skills.
        
        And in structured PvP every skill is unlocked, so again that’s irrelevant from a competitive point of view.
- Lycronis
  
  As per usual, you only mention the tiny parts that “might” corroborate your point and conveniently leave out the rest. Sure, those things you mentioned are in most F2P games, but those F2P games also offer much more “game changing” items that are usually much more profitable for those games. GW2 does not. And again, as has been said many times, these boosts offered in GW2 are not very beneficial and they definitely do not give a player “an edge” over anyone else that chooses not to buy them. But you’ll bring the hate no matter what, so I guess it really doesn’t matter.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Hamad-Ali-Al-Jalahma/512893526 Hamad Ali Al-Jalahma

I thought that was my Skype lol
http://www.facebook.com/people/Kendrick-Panh-Washington/583384072 Kendrick Panh Washington

I’m completely fine with RMT’s in GW2, especially since I’ve seen how well they worked in GW 1. For instance, theres the skill unlock packs that you can buy. These unlock a set of skills, campaign specific I believe, for PvP-Only toons. A guildie didn’t know this, and tried to unlock it for PvE for skill hunter titles, and it didn’t work. ANet isn’t the kind of scumbag company that gives people the edge with money, but they make quality items that are worth money. The mercenary system in GW 1 was brilliant. Don’t have the right heroes, but you have a toon? Cool, use your alts as heroes, problem solved. The XP, Karma, and Crafting boosts in GW 2 don’t seem that big a deal. We plateau at level 30 anyways, and I hit 24 in a 3 day weekend, while leveling other toons. So the boost won’t be a big thing, unless you really just want to be playing with your friends in higher level areas. The greatest thing is that you can buy gems for gold. Seriously? So you mean if I’m addicted to the game (which I am, Asura Guardians Unite!), and I do dynamic events and explore, and I make money through that, I can just buy some gems and get cash shop items? Great idea, makes me feel safer about spending money on a video game. I love it from what I’ve seen. No complaints so far.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=219800386 Martin Olminkhof

my concern which I don’t think has been covered often is that the gem store doesn’t become a money grab for arenanet, for instance buying dyes in the BWE was horribly if you wanted a specific colour because you could only buy 3 random dyes and they can be duplicates of dyes you already have (!!!)
they have said the gem store isn’t finished and there were tons of negative feedback about this in the forum so hopefully this does change but it’s an example of how arenanet could design the gem store in such a way to entice people to spend more money there then they really should
- Old Ben
  
  There is no amount of money that you “should” spend. Where do people get this idea of some sort of “absolute worth” of things? If they price items at the gem store too high, people won’t buy them (or will buy them less), and Arena Net’s profits will be lower. I’m sure they’ll study Steam transactions carefully before setting the gem store’s prices, and will probably adjust them every few months.
  
  As to the dyes, I personally would not pay money for something I haven’t seen (i.e., for a “random” object – or, in this case, a random dye). But as long as they make it perfectly clear that item X gives you a random dye, I’m fine with that. I won’t buy it (so Arena Net will be losing some potential profits), but I’m fine with that.
http://twitter.com/Nathiest Nathiest

Gear doesn’t equal power in GW2? Then whats the point?
- Spammerbam
  
  Your skills and ability to use tactics and strategies in the role that you choose to play, individually and within a group, is the point; it’s all about how skillful you are, which is the main point in a competitive world.
  
  Don’t tell me you’re scared because you can no longer hide behind your armor..
- Old Ben
  
  What’s the point of what? Life?
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002038208867 Dan Winborne

All your doing is buying ‘time’. So what if some rich kid gets a colorful suit, or one more lvl faster than you? You’ll eventually get yer dyes, clothing, xp, gold, etc…. *gasp* just by PLAYING THE GAME!?
I find it better to play, have fun, then get a reward; than just buying it when I could put that money towards a juicy burger, and get my items too!
James Lecouffe

I have played a Pay To Win game and know what type of items you need in your RL cash shop to make that type of game. GW2 does not have that. Its all items that save time or make you purdy. Sure they have a few items everyone is going to want. Like more bag slots but can ya really get upset with that when there is no monthly. Ooo no I spent 3 bucks on a bag slot.
Sharuko

Looking at the comments it seems like the majority of GW2 fans wouldn’t even mind if they actually start selling gear in GW2 since “it gives no in game advantage”. Nice to see a community so strong in its support for pay-to-win.
- MMO_Doubter
  
  Quite, but they aren’t ALL fans.
  
  Some are shills.
- http://www.facebook.com/people/Willi-Enderle/1668850948 Willi Enderle
  
  Is it really that difficult to leave us alone?
  Fanboy or not.
  Your comments are upsetting and pointless.
  
  The only reason you are still here, is not that you can discuss this topic RMT with us. It is to let loose some of your anger about GW2. But calling every other person, who has a different opinion than you, a Fanboy is just not right.
  
  It would be best for all of us if you take your anger and get rid of it in another way.
  So those who truly are ready to discuss this topic properly and calm, can enjoy their stay here.
- TacoBaal
  
  Still lurking the comments of games you don’t like? Did TERA not live up to what you thought it’d be, bored of it already?
  - Sharuko
    
    I am having as much fun Tera right now as I had in WoW BC but thanks for asking.
    - Spammerbam
      
      Sounds pretty fun if you’re here posting comments..
- Old Ben
  
  It looks like you’ve played one RPG in your life (WoW) and assume every other game is identical (i.e., an ilevel grind).
  
  Even in WoW, what would be the issue with “selling gear”, as long as the gear being sold had the same stats as a (medium-quality) vendor / crafted item? Would selling a fancy ilevel 333 / level 85 helm make any difference to level 85 WoW players, when they can get identical (or “better”) items by spending 15 minutes doing a quest?
  
  Effectively, it would be a “cosmetic item”.
  
  I’m sure GW2′s gem store will “sell gear”, but it’ll probably be level 1 gear (or just “town clothes”, with no level requirement), so that everyone can use it at any level (applying the level’s stats by using another item and a transmutation stone). Selling level 80 gear would actually limit the number of people who could use it (and would also limit the number of people buying transmutation stones).
  - Sharuko
    
    Ok so if Arenanet put in gear with stats in them for sale for real money, you wouldn’t mind? This is a simple yes or no answer.
    - Old Ben
      
      It’s not “a simple yes or no answer” because you didn’t specify which “stats” would be on the gear. But then again, I doubt you even know which stats GW2 gear has, let alone what the normal value for those stats is at each level, so I’m not surprised.
      
      Assuming the stat budget was identical to that found on items available from mob drops / vendors / crafting, then the answer is “of course not”. I wouldn’t have any problem with it, and neither would anyone else who understands GW’s gameplay.
      
      This isn’t “World of Gearscorecraft”.
      - Sharuko
        
        So as long as you can get the gear in game you are ok if Arenanet sells it directly for the player for real life money. I don’t see how that is not pay-to-win.
        
        Gear matters in many aspects of Guild Wars 2 including WvW and PvE. Lets not act like gear doesn’t matter at all in GW2 when it does.
        
        If it completely didn’t there is no reason to have levels in GW2. Again GW2 just doesn’t know what type of game it wants to be, it has zero direction.
      - Spammerbam
        
        ”Again GW2 just doesn’t know what type of game it wants to be, it has zero direction.”
        - From all your comments, of course you don’t know what the game is about; you are confused about the whole game and so frustrated that nothing ties in with your past experiences with other MMOs. You’re so used to that play-style that you would reject no ideas that doesn’t seem to fall into place from your point-of-view. Frustrating isn’t it?
      - Old Ben
        
        > I don’t see how that is not pay-to-win.
        
        Well, then I guess you should consult a vision specialist.
        
        > GW2 just doesn’t know what type of game it wants to be, it has zero direction.
        
        Yawn… is that really the best you can do? Someone please order some new trolls, these are getting stale.
    - Spammerbam
      
      All this stemming from an hour of XP, karma, and magic find boosts. That’s pretty extreme, imo. But I’ll take your side for once and wait for someone in GW2 to actually spend lots of money, constantly, on these convenience items just to have advantages in WvW, compared to someone who spends a bit more time playing the game.
      - MMO_Doubter
        
        Then you know nothing about how competitive people are in PvP. Some will spend LOTS of money to get even a small advantage.
      - Spammerbam
        
        Bring it on.
      - MMO_Doubter
        
        ANet: “Cha-ching!”
      - Spammerbam
        
        MMO_Doubter: *pays real money* thinking he/she can win.
    - pandora005
      
      Obviously I wouldnt mind if they did it … inside their policy of giving out gear with IDENTICAL STATS through lots of different methods. As such it isnt a yes/no answer, but you like to go fusion about it anyways without bothering to think about what has been said by the devs and what can be seen in game.
      
      GW2 is NOT … NOT … a gear based MMO where the end game consists of endlessly grinding for a random chance to get your dream gear. You can get gear with your dream stats through lots of different methods and this should make it clear that there wont be any problem through ANet selling those items for cash. You could get equal gear through other methods. Now please stop trolling and activate your brain and think.
- Spammerbam
  
  Those would actually be Costumes and cosmetics.. and no, they wouldn’t be selling real gear; that would cause an outrage for everyone. It didn’t happen in GW1 and it certainly won’t happen in GW2.
  But wait, why are you still posting comments? You’re not done making your point? I’m guessing either you must be really bored with your current MMOs, or you’re having fun trolling – so if that’s the case, then I guess it’s pretty fun to read your comments and reply to them.
  - Sharuko
    
    Outrage? Old Ben just said most people that understand GW2′s gameplay would not have an issue if Arenanet sold real gear? Are you two confused?
    - Spammerbam
      
      I’m talking about real gear that gives you a statistical advantage over others.
      - Sharuko
        
        I think you are being vague on purpose. If you can get “Set A” with stats in game by doing a dungeon. You would be ok if we could buy “Set B” with real money as long as it has the same stats as “Set A” and not better than “Set A”, is that right?
      - Spammerbam
        
        No, to me, it would not be okay if you’re able to purchase gear that way. What you’re thinking is that the XP, Karma, and magic find boosts would eventually lead to this, but in reality, it’s not significant enough to notice that huge difference for someone who spends the money, compared to those who didn’t. These items really doesn’t get you that far.
        If you do, however, spend the money to use these boosts every hour, it will only get you ahead by a few days. And considering that these boosts can be easily found in-game means that people, who doesn’t spend money, can catch up quite easily.
        But back to the Armor/gears topic: No, I don’t think it’s fair for someone to buy these gears (with stats) up front.
        Only cosmetic costumes that changes your appearance is okay.
      - MMO_Doubter
        
        You keep an eye on the drop rates for the items that are also in the cash shop.
        
        I think you are going to see a lot “what happened to the drop rates” threads after release.
      - Spammerbam
        
        Yeah? Only from drops?
      - MMO_Doubter
        
        That’s right – keep moving the line when you are shown to be wrong. You will get lots of opportunity in the coming months.
        
        1 – vanity items only
        2 – convenience items
        3 – stat gear, but trivial numbers
        4 – gear, but not ‘game-breaking’
        5 – …
        
        Same old cash shop denial. I am sure ANets loves you folks.
      - Spammerbam
        
        How cute. Share the love..
- garkLamer
  
  Look.. if me and all hundreds of thousands “fanbois” out there are all just victims in the biggest MMO marketing scam of all times… I promise I will personally find you Sharuko and take you out for the best dinner you ever had!
  Do you really think that all these professional artists, designers, writers and programmers working at A-Net, showing their faces and spending all this time with their future players, press and demanding fans, after five long years of development are just gonna throw it all away for a few extra bucks in a cash shop? “O’brien: HAHA! GOTCHA FOOOLS! We were only kidding! All you need to do to win in GW2 is spend 99$ on a complete maximum stat gear-set and fookin PWN all nabs in game!”
  
  …right..
  - MMO_Doubter
    
    Most of the artists, writers and programmers likely have no idea what the bosses have planned. Those who do still need to eat, so they do as they are told.
    
    As for the “gotcha!”, well I guess you didn’t play Warhammer Online. No cash shop, but big time gotcha.
    
    Anet isn’t doing it for a FEW dollars.
    - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=691267330 Dewey Cooksey
      
      ”Most of the artists, writers and programmers likely have no idea what
      the bosses have planned. Those who do still need to eat, so they do as
      they are told.”
      
      That’s the attitude of a serf and a slave. Free people know that everyone is self-employed with their primary client being their current “employer”. They can quit (fire their client) at any time for any reason and secure other more beneficial clients elsewhere. No one is forced to work for anyone in a free market society.
Sklys

I will not pay to play and sure as heck will not pay to win. In gw1 and gw2 you do neither. At
this point in time A-Net has some work to do on the Gem shop, which they are doing.
I see Sharuko has made a comment which is nothing more than a troll line, to bad he caught
so many (me too this time). His sick way of having fun is trolling. Will say good for A-Net not
giving him his money back
http://www.facebook.com/people/LLanowar-Elf/100003731135688 LLanowar Elf

Buying “time” is cool and all, until they exploit that situation by making certain tasks miserable unless you pay to avoid them. I don’t expect GW2 to implement pay-to-win items in their store, but I am certainly wary of the “pay for convenience” stuff. If your game is a streamlined, engaging experience all the way to cap without any pointless tedium, why would anyone pay for convenience? The motivation is only there when there IS tedium and annoying grinds, so there’s a very real possibility they purposely make certain things annoying unless you pay up.

Anyone who denies this possibility is simply caught up in their irrational devotion to ArenaNet. Lets not forget that they’re a business, and they will make the decisions that lead to the most profit. They aren’t some benevolent, charitable enterprise looking to bring gaming bliss to all. Certainly there are many passionate game developers, designers, and artists who want to make the best game possible, but for everyone one of them there’s someone in marketing/management who just cares about $$… and they’re the ones that call the shots.
- Old Ben
  
  In the long run, even players that don’t buy anything at the gem store are beneficial for Arena Net, because they increase the server population, improve the experience of _other_ players, and make those more likely to want to buy some new hat or pet to stand out from the crowd. It also makes the game more visible, attracting new players who will (at the very least) pay for the game itself.
  
  Team Fortress 2 makes a lot of money by selling hats (and a few other items, but you can get those as drops or craft them from recycled materials – the hats are the real business). I’m sure Arena Net is keeping an eye on Steam transactions (and the TF2 Mann Co. Shop), and will do their best to keep as many players in the game as possible, because in the long run that means more profits for them.
  
  Someone who stays with the game _might_ some day buy something, but someone who leaves because they find some game mechanic annoying never will.
  
  P.S. – There are pay-to-win items for GW2 on sale right now on e-Bay. Faster CPUs, faster graphics cards, mice with 10+ buttons, etc…
- pandora005
  
  If you could work an hour at McDonalds and gain 5$ and then invest that to save an equal or greater amount of time spent “farming” in GW2 for something you win. Its just idiots who dont see this and who dont want to work for anything who cry a lot about it. Personally I wont pay for anything and will go the “farm it” way, but then I am not one of the people who will be annoyed by not getting everything for free. Its just my chosen path and has more to do with my unwillingness to use a credit card to buy stuff on the internet.

ArenaNet's Mike O'Brien Speaks On Guild Wars 2 Microtransactions

Guild Wars 2 Dragon Ball PvP Sneak Peek

Last Stand At Southsun May 28th

Guild Wars 2 Microtransactions: Still Consistent and Strong

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Sign in to your account