WebProNews

Tag: Guild Wars

  • Guild Wars 2 For Mac Announced & Released

    By all the current evidence, Guild Wars 2 seems to have had a successful MMO launch. Just last week, ArenaNet re-released the game for online purchase. This is after halting sales on the title to make sure the overwhelming rush of new players didn’t bring their game crashing to a halt. Today, ArenaNet is releasing Guild Wars 2 to a group not often associated with MMO gaming: Mac users.

    ArenaNet stated that the beta version of Guild Wars 2 for OS X is now available to anyone who purchases the game or who has already purchased the game. It connects to the same servers as the PC version and has the same features. It was emphasized, however, that the Mac version of Guild Wars 2 is still in beta, and might have issues.

    David Campbell, ArenaNet marketing and web coordinator, stated on the Guild Wars 2 news blog that many ArenaNet employees are Mac users themselves. From the blog post:

    Bringing Guild Wars 2 to the Mac is huge for us, because it introduces the game to an entire group of players who are often ignored by game developers. The ability to play together with your friends is one of the underlying principles of Guild Wars 2, and providing a Mac client means that friends and guildmates can play together regardless of what operating system they favor.

    On top of it all, ArenaNet staffers are big fans of Macs. We offer them as part of our employee laptop subsidy program, and our president Mike O’Brien is rarely seen without his Mac laptop. We’re as excited as anyone to play Guild Wars 2 on OS X.

    Any questions that gamers have about the Mac version of Guild Wars 2 are likely answered in ArenaNet’s Mac Edition FAQ.

  • Guild Wars 2 Sales Resume, New Trailer Released

    Almost two weeks ago, ArenaNet suspended sales of Guild Wars 2 after its servers were inundated by an overwhelming flood of new players. Needless to say, the game has been a resounding success so far.

    However, fantastic, overcrowded game launches are something of a trope in the MMO world these days, and a game must work hard to keep the attention of increasingly fickle MMO fans. Guild Wars 2 already uses a free-to-play model, though, which should put it a step ahead of games that are only now transitioning to free-to-play.

    This week, ArenaNet announced that Guild Wars 2 is once again available for purchase through retailers and the Guild Wars 2 website. The company has used its respite from sales to beef up its server numbers in North America and Europe, and to double its number of customer support agents. The company states that the Trading Post should be working better now.

    “Preserving the customer experience has always been our top priority,” said Mike O’Brien, president and co-founder of ArenaNet. “We’re supporting Guild Wars 2 for the long run. We’ll always do what it takes to deliver the best online gaming experience for our customers, even when that means throttling sales.”

    That’s a pretty bold statement, but one that is sure to resonate with MMO fans. ArenaNet certainly did put its money where its mouth is, though, and suspending sales cannot have been an easy decision.

    As a re-release celebration, ArenaNet has released the new “Our Time is Now” launch trailer. The company touts that the trailer is directed by James McTeigue, the director of movies such as V For Vendetta and Ninja Assassin.

  • Guild Wars 2 Finally Gets A Release Date

    Guild Wars 2 Finally Gets A Release Date

    The guys at Arenanet have been pretty forthcoming about all of the features and details we can expect from Guild Wars 2. Through a series of successful beta weekends and constant developer diaries, players have come to know the ins and outs of Guild Wars 2. There has been one question constantly nagging us though – when will the damn game come out?

    A short video released this morning by Arenanet reveals the answer to that very question. Guild Wars 2 will officially launch on August 28. That leaves us only a little under two months to get ready for the biggest MMO launch this year.

    While EA is currently trying to salvage Star Wars: The Old Republic and launching The Secret World on July 3, Arenanet is coming to the beleaguered MMO players side. The verdict is still out on The Secret World, but TOR has already proven to be just another WoW clone with Star Wars skins. From what players have been saying thanks to the aforementioned beta weekends, Guild Wars 2 is going to change the game on what to expect from MMOs.

    Of course, Guild Wars 2 could just become like all other MMOs and die out within a few years. I don’t really see that happening though as it’s going free out of the gate with only a one-time up-front purchase of $60. The developers at Arenanet will be constantly supplying the game with new features and expansions as the years go on as well ensuring that Guild Wars 2 remains in the minds of many.

    While the game will be launching in August, Arenanet can still take the time to work a few more kinks in the game. They announced that the final beta weekend will take place on July 20 and last through the 22. You can still pre-order the game and get in on the last beta weekend if you’re so inclined.

    If you are so excited about Guild Wars 2 getting a launch date and must talk to somebody about out, there are plenty of folks at our Guild Wars 2 forums who would be happy to oblige. Start up a chat and set up your parties for August 28.