Poll: Should you be able to use existing accounts with the Steam version of Guild Wars 2?

[Ashantara.8731]

> @"Dante.1508" said:

> > @"Ashantara.8731" said:

> > Why would you?? The less one depends on a third party platform the better.

>

> Because if the Gems are cheaper to buy for the rest of the world we would use that over the standard account. Many customers aren't American, we get rorted over here in conversion rates for Gems.

 

Why would the Gem Store differ just beause you are launching the game via Steam instead of via the ANet game launcher?

 

Are you expecting Gems to be sold outside of the game, on Steam? If so, Steam knows where you are located and you still pay in your own currency, i.e. more than Americans (I know this from tons of other Steam online games).

[sitarskee.5738]

Hell no. Gems prices would go much higher imho due to steam taking a pretty high percent of in-game transactions.

 

Not sure how ANet will solve this tbh, probably steam players will have a separate gemstore with higher prices?

[firedragon.8953]

I don't really see a point. We have friend lists in game, etc. to contact friends. Most likely this was done so GW2 can keep full profits from non-Steam members. I support that because I want GW2 to keep improving and running for many many more years.

 

Also, as someone mentioned, you can make a new Steam account to gift your non-steam account gem purchases if there is a convenience issue pertaining to foreign currency and purchasing gems, etc.

 

I am happy with the move. I hope that we get more players to have a more diverse and bigger community of fellow players.

 

Honestly, I really don't care until I see how the Steam version is implemented and if standing on Valve's shoulders provides a better view, or if it just results in more instability and caveats. If there is some surprising benefit (unlikely), then maybe ANET would consider a one-time conversion to a Steam account. I feel this may be a "grass is always greener on the otherside..." issue. So choose wisely if this ever becomes the case.

 

Anyway! Good move Anet! I hope this substantially grows the player-base. Looking forward to the "new faces".

 

 

 

[Vancho.8750]

> @"Randulf.7614" said:

> There's almost certainly a reason we aren't privy to. A poll isn't going to change that

Most probably it is about money, The Anet launcher uses Digital river as payment method, for Steam it will use Steams payment method. So the account is tied not only to the game but also to the charging service provider, the current accounts are probably filed under some agreement with Digital River and separating them would cause legal issues. So Arenanet covered their ass by doing the simplest thing, what is on steam is on steam, what is on their launcher stays on their launcher so they will not have legal obligations to one another.

If you look at the news you can see the EPIC vs Apple thing, which is probably why arenanet is doing this, EPIC tried to circumvent the Apple store policies and they got booted off it, so they are having the most stupid legal war over who will take the money of the people.

[Kulvar.1239]

Will the community be able to create skins in Steam ? I know Warframe does that.

[Hevoskuuri.3891]

Well, it would be cool, but I honestly don't care either way. If Steam's 'play' button just fires up GW2's native launcher, automatic updates won't be possible. I guess access to the overlay is the only bonus side here, and you can probably use an app that allows that anyway.

 

Nice to see a swarm of new players coming in though.

[White Kitsunee.4620]

I'd say no if these were fresh servers that were exclusive to the steam version. But they won't be, so there's no reason not to

[Ayrilana.1396]

> @"miraude.2107" said:

> > @"Ayrilana.1396" said:

> > What benefit is there to going through Steam?

>

> Numbers. Simply put, steam lists the amount of players online at any given time. Now this is a big deal. Why? Someone looks at the store page of Guild Wars 2, is interested but unsure so clicks on Community Hub. In the top right, it shows players playing right now. Using Ark as an example, right now there are 32k in game. Naturally your mind will go, oh so a nice amount of people are playing, I'll give it a go. Now imagine clicking that and seeing only 500 people in game. For an MMO, you will go oh....so not that many people to play with, I'll pass. Thing is, you don't know that that 500 is only a small margin and don't see the other 30k playing with original accounts.

 

Except it’s based entirely on Steam users. If not that many people play through steam, it could have a poor effect on the appeal. What if only a few thousand are using steam at any given time. That could reinforce the idea that GW2 is a dead game.

 

> That's one of the benefits of Steam and steam integration of OG accounts. Like ESO on steam right now has 5k people playing and that whole reason is that people linked their already existing accounts to steam. If they hadn't allowed that, it would be much lower in my opinion.

>

 

And someone that hasn’t played GW2 will see a number like 5K and be impressed enough to purchase the game?

 

I can see the benefit when it comes to currencies and payment option though.

[otto.5684]

I am not sure if I am missing something, but why would you buy the game, again? But ya sure. If you want to buy it again..

 

If you are thinking of doing free transfer to steam account, that will not happen.

[Dante.1508]

> @"Ashantara.8731" said:

> > @"Dante.1508" said:

> > > @"Ashantara.8731" said:

> > > Why would you?? The less one depends on a third party platform the better.

> >

> > Because if the Gems are cheaper to buy for the rest of the world we would use that over the standard account. Many customers aren't American, we get rorted over here in conversion rates for Gems.

>

> Why would the Gem Store differ just beause you are launching the game via Steam instead of via the ANet game launcher?

>

> Are you expecting Gems to be sold outside of the game, on Steam? If so, Steam knows where you are located and you still pay in your own currency, i.e. more than Americans (I know this from tons of other Steam online games).

 

Steam sells currencies of mmo's on the games store page, which has to be put on as the countries converted currency, which bypasses the games, which in turn bypasses the conversion rates. All mmorpgs have it on steam you buy subscriptions and mmo currencies..

[Dante.1508]

> @"Seera.5916" said:

> > @"Dante.1508" said:

> > Yes we should and other mmorpgs had no issues, i can guarantee its to do with GEMS.. I have a feeling its because of other countries getting cheaper Gems on steam.. as money is already converted there, not forced to use USD.

>

> FFXIV has the same set up. So some MMO's do have that problem.

>

> Either all Steam or all FFXIV site, you can't mix or match or launch the game from any but the appropriate launcher.

 

As i said to another the store web pages sell currencies straight through steam, in the customers own currency, not USD, so it bypasses the conversion rates. So in turn its cheaper on the customers outside of America to use the steam version. It has no effect on which launcher you use.

[Swagger.1459]

> @"Cronos.6532" said:

> Hey, if the community wants it, ArenaNet might change their mind and turn it around before the Steam release. We pay, we say!

 

What would be the benefits to GW2 players if Valve took like 30% of the total revenue from Anet and NC Soft? So you can log in through Steam on an existing account?

[Seera.5916]

> @"Dante.1508" said:

> > @"Seera.5916" said:

> > > @"Dante.1508" said:

> > > Yes we should and other mmorpgs had no issues, i can guarantee its to do with GEMS.. I have a feeling its because of other countries getting cheaper Gems on steam.. as money is already converted there, not forced to use USD.

> >

> > FFXIV has the same set up. So some MMO's do have that problem.

> >

> > Either all Steam or all FFXIV site, you can't mix or match or launch the game from any but the appropriate launcher.

>

> As i said to another the store web pages sell currencies straight through steam, in the customers own currency, not USD, so it bypasses the conversion rates. So in turn its cheaper on the customers outside of America to use the steam version. It has no effect on which launcher you use.

 

I don't see what that has to do with the fact that other MMO's have the same issue. My comment wasn't addressing the reason at all. Just the fact that other MMO's have the same issue. As your comment could be viewed as other MMO's don't have that issue, when in fact some do.

[Cronos.6532]

> @"sitarskee.5738" said:

> Hell no. Gems prices would go much higher imho due to steam taking a pretty high percent of in-game transactions.

>

> Not sure how ANet will solve this tbh, probably steam players will have a separate gemstore with higher prices?

 

> @"Friday.7864" said:

> You will probably have to pay more for gems on Steam since they take 30% of revenue

> Why you would want to do that is beyond me

 

They'll probably be the same price.

 

> @"otto.5684" said:

> I am not sure if I am missing something, but why would you buy the game, again? But ya sure. If you want to buy it again..

>

> If you are thinking of doing free transfer to steam account, that will not happen.

 

The game is free, so you would just be able to sign in like normal after downloading the game through Steam.

 

> @"Ashen.2907" said:

> Of course not. The yes option is ludicrous.

>

> Now, had the question been, "would it be nice to use existing accounts with the Steam version of GW2," that would be a different matter entirely.

 

What's the difference?

[Ashen.2907]

> @"Cronos.6532" said:

> > @"sitarskee.5738" said:

> > Hell no. Gems prices would go much higher imho due to steam taking a pretty high percent of in-game transactions.

> >

> > Not sure how ANet will solve this tbh, probably steam players will have a separate gemstore with higher prices?

>

> > @"Friday.7864" said:

> > You will probably have to pay more for gems on Steam since they take 30% of revenue

> > Why you would want to do that is beyond me

>

> They'll probably be the same price.

>

> > @"otto.5684" said:

> > I am not sure if I am missing something, but why would you buy the game, again? But ya sure. If you want to buy it again..

> >

> > If you are thinking of doing free transfer to steam account, that will not happen.

>

> The game is free, so you would just be able to sign in like normal after downloading the game through Steam.

>

> > @"Ashen.2907" said:

> > Of course not. The yes option is ludicrous.

> >

> > Now, had the question been, "would it be nice to use existing accounts with the Steam version of GW2," that would be a different matter entirely.

>

> What's the difference?

 

The difference between a degree of obligation and something you might find kind of nice?

 

The owners of the game have said that existing accounts will not be compatible (for lack of a better term) with the steam version. The only way it "should" be otherwise is if the owners wanted it to be so.

[Reirli.3817]

i thought about this, with both sides in mind.

 

the conclusion: yes

 

i know that for a fact because if that happens a lot of people who initially quit gw2 will want to start playing gw2 again because they see it on steam, and WILL want to log in through steam. where else would they be? i know a large portion of people who spend most of their time on steam, so logging in from a place of familiarity to a distant account that they're familiar with which holds their primary email and password would be completely beneficial to everyone, such as veteran players, returning players or people who quit after a few days, and fresh faces. new people get to try it out and message through steam with their buds with ease, see who is playing gw2 - link up, this is the time where you can increase sociability.

[Reirli.3817]

> @"Kulvar.1239" said:

> Will the community be able to create skins in Steam ? I know Warframe does that.

 

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Design-a-Weapon_Contest

 

maybe, but it'll happen ever so rarely.

[Cronos.6532]

> @"Ashen.2907" said:

> > @"Cronos.6532" said:

 

> > > @"Ashen.2907" said:

> > > Of course not. The yes option is ludicrous.

> > >

> > > Now, had the question been, "would it be nice to use existing accounts with the Steam version of GW2," that would be a different matter entirely.

> >

> > What's the difference?

>

> The difference between a degree of obligation and something you might find kind of nice?

>

> The owners of the game have said that existing accounts will not be compatible (for lack of a better term) with the steam version. The only way it "should" be otherwise is if the owners wanted it to be so.

 

Eh, it's a pretty common use of "should"; I wouldn't read much into the semantics. One could also view the developers as having made the wrong decision. For example, official _Old School RuneScape_ polls to decide the content in the game often phrased "Should X be changed?", allowing players to decide the "should" as they generally know better than the developers.