Imagine if you had a time machine and you went back in time. Not too far, say you traveled just three years into the past. If you met your former self, what would you say? Maybe you’d say something like, “Dude… the stock market is going to tank!” or “Barack Obama becomes the next president.” For Guild Wars fans, the sequel would no doubt be a topic of conversation. Eventually the question would be asked, “Hey man… was the beta fun?”

Your future self would be forced to say, “Beta… there was no beta!”

You’d then have to break the news that two of the founders are no longer working with ArenaNet. Jeff Strain and Patrick Wyatt left NCsoft completely, to work on other video game projects. You might get panicky. “but… but… is it gone… is Guild Wars no more?” You’d tell your past self about Mike O’Brien and how he’s the man in charge now. You’d likely mention his bold words… that he’s “betting [the] company on Guild Wars 2.”

So if you haven’t realized it already, I’m quite annoyed that ArenaNet missed the beta window. It was supposed to happen in the second-half of 2008. Yet, it’s almost the second-half of 2010 and we still got nothing… not even an estimated time of arrival. But surprisingly, this doesn’t seem to bother the majority of Guild Wars fans that I’ve seen online. The general consensus seems to be that waiting is acceptable. The community is showing an extreme amount of patience, opting to a great game rather than a quick game.

The feedback has been absolutely nuts too. It seems that players are looking forward to dynamic events. Details about that and other new Guild Wars 2 articles were released by ArenaNet. While none of this information is extremely revealing, it seems to have done an exceptional job at building excitement.

Once one of the biggest advocates for Guild Wars, why am I on the outside? Why am I so annoyed and frustrated with ArenaNet? Well… I still haven’t gotten past the whole Charr thing. I can be a forgiving man, but even 200 years later they still seem to have attitude. I don’t like the forced alliance with the Charr. I think players should have a choice. They should be able to choose their friends. The same holds true for Tyria’s religions. If you pick human, it seems that you automatically fall under the five gods umbrella. For real world reasons (like Exodus 20:3) or even role-playing reasons, what if you don’t want to follow them? It doesn’t seem that players are given a choice.

My name is Logan Thackeray. I’m human, a citizen of the nation of Kryta. I defend Divinity’s Reach. Though in battle, we fight for our homes, our gods and our queen.

Here’s the official word from ArenaNet/NCsoft…

Writing – Junior Writer/Editor (Contract) – The ArenaNet Writing Team is looking for a junior level writer/editor with a passion for games, an appreciation for great dialogue, and a willingness to learn. Candidates should possess some professional writing experience, and provide samples of published works as well as any referrals.

Job postings like this make me frustrated. If it’s a contract job, why don’t they just freelance it out… TO ME?! Heh, I would rather enjoy writing quests and NPC dialogue. In the qualifications section, “Able to give and accept constructive criticism” is listed as a requirement. That’s awesome. Someone should get in there and have a lengthy conversation about Rurik. I’m thinking that the sequel needed stronger writing. But what’s more important, it should leave room for the player’s imagination. I understand that Guild Wars plays like a storybook, but MMORPGs should be more about the players. A good writer might be able to find the perfect balance… creating quality lore while giving players the freedom to play.

That job was posted on January 18, 2010. Another job was posted two days later…

Artist – Character Artist (Contract) – As a character artist, you will have the opportunity to work with a diverse group of highly trained artists to create 3D characters, monsters, heroes, and other assorted creatures. You and your fellow team-mates will develop characters from start to finish, including concepting, modeling, and texturing models to create some of the most compelling graphics ever seen in a game.

There was another complaint uttered in Gunnar’s Hold. The graphics in Guild Wars 2 aren’t that much different than the original. I couldn’t really argue that. I remember what happened six years ago, when ArenaNet publicly displayed their in-game graphics. It was hard to believe, such an amazing world with no monthly fees. It was all true. But today, there seems to be a different direction. The sequel is impressive, but it’s more evolutionary than revolutionary. I think the entire industry reflects that. With tough economic times, how many people be willing to upgrade their computers for Guild Wars? Instead, it is the artwork that gives the game a competitive edge. Guild Wars has a distinct look. It’s a rich, lush world. That’s why the Character Artist job is important.

With all these artists summoned to one location, it might be like a second renascence in Bellevue, Washington.

NCsoft is enjoying great success with Aion, which lead to record high quarterly sales for the company. As a Guild Wars fan, this makes me sad. ArenaNet should be the best! Guild Wars should be the #1 MMORPG! In the last 12 months, NCsoft’s stock more than tripled. Aion shined while Guild Wars 2 sleeps – like those dragons deep below Tyria. Although, success for Aion means success for Guild Wars! If Aion had been a failure, like Tabula Rasa and Auto Assault, I don’t know what that would do to ArenaNet and Guild Wars.

There was some good news. It is possible that a beta test is getting closer.

As for the new titles, as we already announced,  there are Blade and Soul being developed in Korea and also Guild Wars 2 under development in US. I believe that there will be a certain public event in the year 2010. So, at this point, it could be a at least a closed beta test for those titles.

- Jaeho Lee

In order to be a great leader, one needs foresight… the ability to predict the future. And while I saw this coming, it doesn’t make this news any easier. Although, I must admit, I do find this news to be encouraging. With roughly two years to launch, I have the space I need to build… THE ULTIMATE GUILD WARS FANSITE… and I can catch up with my title farming. It also gives ArenaNet the time they need to make Guild Wars 2 better.

I wandered over to Amazon.com and I was a little surprised to see what I saw. Guild Wars 2 is available for pre-order. Of course, this shouldn’t be a shock to me. I hate buying games in retail stores because the sales people pester me to pre-order games that I have no interest in. Heh, but GW2 is something that I am interested in… very much so.

There’s something more official feeling about seeing the game listed online. With the release of the Guild Wars 2 trailer, and now spotting this, Guild Wars 2 is starting to feel more real. I wasn’t worried about ArenaNet finishing this project. It’s more about wondering about when…. WHEN is the game going to be released? When’s that’s supposed to happen. What’s the release date? Just like retailers, fansites have to prepare for release dates too. I don’t know when to expect the game, but things are starting to get interesting.

Here’s the official posting…

Description
ArenaNet is looking for a quality assurance tester with a passion for online role-playing games to join our QA team. Candidates must have extensive experience playing and testing games across a wide variety of genres, be resourceful in an environment of continually changing constraints, and be driven by a strong desire to learn and improve the games they work on.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Work well in a team environment to successfully accomplish assigned projects
• Document testing procedures and writing/editing test cases
• Identify and report bugs via a database
• Verify bug fixes and monitor active issues
• Responsible for the overall quality of products
• Communicate and coordinate activities with team members and other departments

Qualifications:

• 2+ years testing video games
• Passion for Guild Wars
• Copyediting experience (Chicago-style editing familiarity preferred)
• Works well in a creative team environment
• Reliable and self-motivated
• Extensive experience playing games
• Strong communication skills
• Creative and analytical thinker
• Strong problem solving abilities
• Familiarity with Word and Excel
• Experience in creating and running test cases
• Basic knowledge of Wiki page formatting
• Ability to communicate professionally with players
• Flexible schedule that adjusts to testing needs
• Able to work in a fast-paced, fluid environment with minimal supervision

This isn’t a job. It’s a hobby that you get paid for. I could easily do this from my house. Heh, I remember the good old days of Alpha / Beta testing the original Guild Wars. I was a chatty fellow back then, with over 2,000 posts on the developer forum. Ahh… the memories. However, I’m a New Yorker and that’s where I intend to stay. Is your situation different? Perhaps adventure on the West Coast is calling you. I highly suspect that this job is about Guild Wars 2 testing. Imagine… paid to play! But hey, no slouches allowed! If you do get the job, remember that millions of gamers are expecting a high quality game!

Check http://www.arena.net/jobs for more information.

“We have six new MMO titles in our pipeline, three in Korea and three in the US, which are well underway in development. These projects are being monitored systematically, under the project review process, which we put in place last year.” NCsoft CEO Jaeho Lee adds, “We will make every effort to make sure the smooth launch of these new products during 2009 and 2010, which we believe will strengthen our position as a global leader in the global online gaming industry.”

NCsoft is putting a lot of faith into Aion, which is scheduled for a North American / European launch in the second half of 2008. In the highly competitive market, is there room for another MMORPG? NCsoft seems unwavering to try new things.

“We also hear that Warhammer Online and Lord of the Rings Online will come to the market this year, but actually we don’t worry much about those new titles because traditionally that kind of US developed MMO titles are quite different from the games Korean gamers are familiar and also enjoying.” Lee adds, “The biggest competition of Aion will be World of Warcraft and that is our market assessment.”

During the conference call, Lee responded to the less than impressive sales of Tabula Rasa. “This is kind of a new style game, which was not in the market before. Richard Garriot and his development team tried to create a totally different genre of MMO game. So it’s kinda new to the market, so we’re still testing whether the market is ready to accept and take this new type of game.”

Lee later added, “I should admit that the actual result of Tabula Rasa has been disappointing. Because of that reason, our US is doing their best to update with new content and making another marketing promotion event.”

Regardless if you’re in New York City or Paragon City, the world needs love. If you’re into a more romantic side of online gaming, and you have an active City of Heroes account, you may have a chance view the live ceremony. It will take place in the Training Room, the test server. The event starts at 3:00 PM EST / 6:00 PM EST and it is scheduled to repeat for three hours. Attending the event is largely based on luck, as you’ll have to be in the correct zone. The official instructions are to look for ushers in Atlas Park and Mercy Island™ (there is one usher in each zone).

Also coinciding with the holiday, the week long “Spring Fling” event starts on February 14 at 8:59am PST / 11:59 AM EST. Villans and Heroes alike can complete Valentine’s Day inspired missions. Other MMORPGs have holiday events, but now City of Heroes sports an unusual enhancement…

For $9.99 plus applicable sales tax, players of City of Heroes can expand their selection of attire and express themselves with wedding related expressions. Through the Wedding Pack, romantic gamers can don a tuxedo or a wedding dress. They can also use four new emotes: Propose, Throw Confetti, Throw Rose Petals and Throw Rice. The Wedding Pack is available through the NCsoft Online Store.

Here are the official update notes…

• NCcoin has been added! New items are available for NCcoin purchase: 3 new mech sets, 1 Jetpack, 7 new weapons and 8 new paint cans!
• Difficulty for Last Stand: Balance for difficulty 3, 4, and 5 has been adjusted. NPCs’ HP and weapon damage has been increased slightly.
• Credit rewards have increased for certain ranks.
• The lobby screen should now properly display all remaining match times.
• “Store” and “Hangar” display location has been changed.
• Room description text has been reduced to 25 characters (originally was 30).

“How much would you pay for such an entertaining experience? Exteel is not $49.99. It’s not $29.99. It’s not even $19.99. Through the beauty of Internet distribution and alternative pricing models, Exteel is yours – FREE!”

Exteel reminds me of one of those infomercials. Here’s this seemingly amazing product – at an amazing price – so where’s the catch? Has NCsoft gone mad? Why would they give away Exteel for free? With the availability of open beta, I decided to check things out.

The copyright date was the first thing that caught my eyes. It’s 2005. If you’re looking for a game to test your new GeForce 8800 GT Graphics Processor, this is not it. Exteel looks good, but it’s not cutting edge. Even at maximum settings, the visual quality feels about 3-4 years old. That’s actually good news for players with older hardware. The minimum system requirements are fairly low: Windows 2000/XP, AMD Athlon 800 MHz or Intel Pentium® III 800 MHz, 256 MB RAM, 1 GB available HDD space, GeForce Series 4 video card, 16-bit sound card, Broadband Internet connection, Keyboard and mouse.

A good game doesn’t need to have an insane polygon count to impress me. It just has to be fun. I was somewhat disappointed by the graphics, but that was overshadowed by the simplistic interface and easy to use controls. Movement is based on the standard WASD / Mouse controls. With hardly any orientation at all, you can jump right in and start shooting things to pieces.

The Earning Release showed how NCsoft is trying new things, to stay competitive in the fierce Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game (MMORPG) market. Guild Wars doesn’t have monthly fees. Rather, profit is dependent upon the sale of additional content. Eye of the North, the latest Guild Wars expansion, helped to push the franchise to 4,500,000 activated accounts.

That’s not the only sales model NCsoft is experimenting with. Exteel, a game about giant mechanized robot action, will generate revenue through in-game item sales and in-game advertisements. Dungeon Runners and Exteel are the two “Free-to-Play” games, which are based around the new pricing model. The basic game is free, but advertisements and in-game perks will generate revenue.

“As a publisher of MMO games, the community is of the utmost importance to us. We are constantly looking for more ways to grow the community for these titles and give them what they deserve – great gaming experiences supported by advertising that doesn’t detract from gameplay,” said Dorothy Ferguson, vice president of sales and marketing at NCsoft North America.

Tabula Rasa was released on 11/2/2007. While the pricing model ($49.99 box, plus $14.99 monthly fee) is fairly standard, the genre and gameplay is not so atypical. The Sci-Fi shooter is different from the plethora of medieval MMORPGs.

“We are all very excited about the addition of Tabula Rasa to our catalog of games,” stated Robert Garriott, CEO of NCsoft’s North American operation. “One of NCsoft’s goals is to provide different types of online gaming products – both within the ‘proven’ fantasy genre and outside the genre, as well. This game is truly unique; we hope that Tabula Rasa’s science fiction background and military combat action proves to be enjoyable to many types of gamers.”

With Lineage I & II representing 74% of NCsoft’s Online Game sales, the majority of the company is still build on a legacy. But with the Exteel open beta to start on November 14, and Tabula Rasa already on retail store shelves, the next quarterly Earning Release should be quite revealing.