The massively multiplayer online (MMO) game has evolved, offering gamers a breath of fresh air. The unique approach to the game includes the developers’ decision to keep Guild Wars free-to-play that means that gamers won’t have to pay any monthly subscription fees now, which sounds fun. Users can simply buy Guild Wars 2 with a starting price of $59.99, which depends on the version they want. But, what’s good is that there will be no regular bill, just micro-transactions in the game that players can use to enhance their characters. Free-to-play service grows as the subscriptions of a game go down. With this decision, the developers seek to aim new customers, who find monthly bills a barrier to enter gaming market. However, there are also other creative changes made to this follow-up version. Designers of the game appear to have worked to get back the magic of MMO, which seem to have got lost among players. Designed to get together players from all over the world, this updated version of the game pulls people as one. Chris Whiteside, Lead Producer, Guild Wars 2 said that the team behind the game really wanted all players from different parts of the world to get together and interact with each other rather than competing for the same objectives related to specific areas of the game. “It’s designed to be dynamically accessible,” he said. “So if someone turns up, it doesn’t negatively affect the experience, like how the enemies will behave.” Guild Wars 2 also hopes to offer players an opportunity to work together. It wants to persuade people to come together and experience the world. In a move to encourage a community, designers made the Guild Wars 2 world a persistent one. The game continues to change even when players leave the game. And to add more fun, actions that players take can alter the in-game world for the entire community, which can change their in-game experience altogether. For example, if a player’s characters release or detain a village from the opposition, it will influence the political situation for every other player who may walk through that area. The team has also put special emphasis to its beta weekends. It even invited players to take a look at the game during a particular stage of development. They also read the message boards and other community input from fans. The first version of Guild Wars sold 7 million units, which was ahead of the alpha and beta tests of the game. The team of Guild Wars 2 said that around 50 to 60 percent of players did understand the changes team made when they saw the first beta weekend, whereas 40 percent seemed completely lost. So the team reached out to people directly, and based on feedback, made the changes before it came out with a successful second beta weekend. The game is expected to be a hit among gamers. Whitman said, “We can’t wait to see the players, enjoy the world with them and see the whole world come to life.” Players who pre-register can play the game on Saturday ahead of the official release on Aug. 28!
