WoodenPotatoes had a fun video this past weekend about Classic Guild Wars 1, and I fully admit I clicked on it just to hear the music again, but I’m glad I did because he cycles through a bunch of predictions and wishes – maybe more wishes than anything – about how ArenaNet might celebrate the original Guild Wars’ 19th birthday this month and 20th birthday next year. Among his more hopeful ideas is that ArenaNet could return to updates, either in a small way (like adding a Winds of Change-esque zone) or a big way (like actually finishing Utopia).
“I would happily pay over the odds for a Guild Wars 1 experience,” he says, while admitting that he wouldn’t lower the bar as much for GW2.
ArenaNet has discussed before that it considers classic servers to be “trend chasing” and won’t be doing it, but GW1 is sitting right there already, and I certainly wouldn’t mind a revitalization. I might even want that as much as GW3. But would people pay for it?
Let’s talk about it for this week’s Massively Overthinking. What do we think ArenaNet will do for GW1’s birthday? Will it ever turn its gaze back to the classic game in a big way? Would you be willing to pay for it if it did? Or would you rather the studio focus on the future and GW3?
Brianna Royce (@nbrianna, blog): I really did shake my head hard at the “trend chasing” comment. Man, Siege Perilous launched July 1999. This is an ancient idea now, and big MMOs were doing it many long years before WoW finally gave in and did Classic, and none of it was chasing trends – just the opposite! It’s almost always looking backwards somehow.
But that said, I still harbor so many good feelings and memories for Guild Wars 1 and would love to see any kind of revival at all that pushes people back to it. I played it for years and want reasons to play more! Would I start over on a fresh start server? Probably not. Would I actually play a super ultra hardcore mode? Nope to that either. But it’d bolster the population to the point that farming and trade and runs would perk back up, and I’d have fun doing my thing in that people soup. I had lots of unfinished toons and even a class or two I never put serious effort into (Sins, mostly). I’d love to just have any good reason to go back and roll up a new toon and smash around with my heroes. And if it’s content, I’d pay for it too, though like WP, I don’t see myself shelling out for cosmetics there again.
Do I really expect any of this? Not really, honestly. I am given to understand that GW1’s technical limitations (forget financial ones) take most things beyond modes and reskins off the table, which is why ANet moved to GW2 in the first place.
And I don’t really see this as an either/or thing with GW3. Work on GW1 and GW2 is on some level work on the future of the franchise and love for its whole playerbase. The fact that the company never abandoned GW1 is one of the reasons people were happy to leap to GW2. ArenaNet can harness that same community power for GW3.
Chris Neal (@wolfyseyes, blog): This is going to be even more speculative than most other replies purely because I don’t really play a lot of Guild Wars anymore; I’ve stopped playing Guild Wars 2 wholesale, I touched Guild Wars 1 for maybe a month when it launched and then again when Nightfall launched, and a return trip to GW1 for CMA was one of the worst experiences I’ve had. All fhis is to say I’m extremely mentally removed from this game than others are here.
Even so, it would be kind of nice if ANet decided to pay more than just lip service to the game that started its studio (presumably) and has made a major impact in the genre space (arguably). I strongly doubt it would actually devote development grunt to the title again, but perhaps kicking off some kind of slightly new event would be good. Or even casting some highlight or retrospective about the game might be enough.
Colin Henry (@ChaosConstant): Honestly, for a game from 2005, I think Guild Wars has aged as well as one could expect. I think the gameplay is solid for what it is, and the graphics, while clearly long in the tooth, aren’t as painful on the eyes as many of its contemporaries. Besides, if you’re the kind of person who wants a classic MMO, I think you will likely be willing to put up with graphics that aren’t state-of-the-art. I’m not sure a remaster would bring in enough people to justify the cost.
As for a “classic” server, I don’t really know what they could do in terms of progression, given that there was never a level cap increase so content never really goes out of style like it does in a more WoW-like MMO. I guess you could just lock people into each of the campaigns in turn so they are all forced to do the same content?
That said, I could never get into Guild Wars 1, but I think a lot of that was that I never had anyone who was interested in playing with me. It’s a very group-centric game, so maybe what I need to get me into it is something like a remaster or classic server to bring a critical mass of players back. I’m still skeptical that it would last, though, and I think the existing server would continue to be significantly more popular.
Justin Olivetti (@Sypster, blog): I’m always in support of a legacy progression server! Fresh start, maybe throw in some unique twists or incentives (extra goodies for Guild Wars 2’s Hall of Monuments?). Barring that, I wouldn’t mind a retrospective video going through the history and development of this game and the impression it’s left on the industry. Personally, no, I’m not going back to Guild Wars 1 for anything at this point, however. I put in my time and don’t have deep roots there anyway.
Mia DeSanzo (@neschria): I think we are well beyond classic servers being “trend chasing.” It seems to simply be a fact that a good number of people prefer to get in on a game and experience it with other people from the start, getting the experience of playing through the same things together the way people did earlier in a game’s history. I didn’t play Guild Wars 20 years ago and have only played it briefly at all. A classic server might actually appeal to me, since I know it means I wouldn’t be the only actual newbie in the game.
MJ Guthrie (@MJ_Guthrie, blog): I’ll be honest, I never liked the original Guild Wars. I remember excitedly getting the beta disk and installing it, but the game didn’t gel with me; I didn’t like the format. In fact, I never even connected my GW account at launch, thereby never claiming the special goodies from my beta participation. And I never regretted it.
However, I am glad that I finally got into Guild Wars 2 — even if it took mounts to bribe me in! I do enjoy the sequel game with friends, and I’ve really enjoyed most of the story.
So, if ArenaNet focuses on only GW1 for the big anniversary celebration (which, mind you, it deserves!), I won’t be paying it much mind. But I’ll be happy for all the folks who remember the game fondly and want to hype with it. Honestly, I hope the OG and fans get some love and attention from it all. If the studio wants to add in goodies to GW2, I’ll be quite happy to nab them and participate. And if the studio wants to also add in some GW3 hype, I’ll be checking it out with interest.
Sam Kash (@thesamkash): I’m a big old fan of the Guild Wars franchise. I haven’t played often in the past couple of years, but I still think fondly of it. Both games had some of the best PvP. The original in terms of design and breath of options and the second in terms of combat itself – up to a point.
Despite all that, I wouldn’t go back to the original. Not in any meaningful way. The past is the past and likely should stay that way. I know gamers love their throwback servers, but I just don’t see myself being interested. It’s old. It was great for it’s time, but I just want something new.
Maybe it needs to be GW3. GW2 is a great game, but for where my PvP interest lie, the ANet devs have already thrown in the towel.
So maybe with a new game they could actually attempt to look at what made GW1 PvP so great and bring it back to modern times. With GW2 PvP, Anet thought it knew better than the community (or at least better than I), and that didn’t work out. The studio tried the “my way or the highway” PvP design, and clearly players chose the highway. Maybe with a new game, the devs could be a bit more openminded, and maybe they’d strike gold again.
Every week, join the Massively OP staff for Massively Overthinking column, a multi-writer roundtable in which we discuss the MMO industry topics du jour – and then invite you to join the fray in the comments. Overthinking it is literally the whole point. Your turn!
