Okay, this has probably been asked but for the life of me I'm failing at finding the answer anywhere.

I understand that the gem store is the cash shop in GW2, what I'd like to know is how many gems is my dollar worth?  Basically, if I decide to spend 20 bucks on gems, how many gems does that net me?  Anyone got an answer or linky? 

Or bacon, if you don't have answers I also take bacon.

http://lorehound.com/news/guild-wars-2-microtransactions-explained/

""Guild Wars 2 system is similar, but instead of one purchasable item, it gives players an entire item-store to buy things with.  This also creates a dynamic between the two currencies, as gold will always fluctuate in value, while gems will not. The reason being, that the price of items in the item-store are a lot more consistent than items sold in-game by other players.

This system then creates a sub-market that will actually allow players to make, potentially, huge profits by constantly trading gold for gems. When the value of gold is high, trade it all for gems. As the value drops, trade your gems back to gold, and depending on the fluctuation, you’ll get more gold back then what you started with.""

400 gems about 5 USD, note that it's still beta and this may change.

Linkage: http://news.mmosite.com/content/q/2012-03-27/guild_wars_2_the_cash_shop_items_get_leaked.shtml

Also, in beta 1 euro = 100 gems.

Still too early to know. But the 5 Dollars/400 Gems is a good baseline. I do expect different values, though.

I hope we wont see the '$1 = 1 euro' equation in GW2's Gem store.

As a European customer who is willing to spend money on the store I'll be greatly turned off if they do that!

Originally posted by Elesthor

I hope we wont see the '$1 = 1 euro' equation in GW2's Gem store.

As a European customer who is willing to spend money on the store I'll be greatly turned off if they do that!

Reason enough for me to not even buy the game.

I despise it when they do that. With game sales it is bad enough but I understand with VAT and different warranty rules and such but not with in-game items.

Originally posted by thekid1

Reason enough for me to not even buy the game.

I despise it when they do that. With game sales it is bad enough but I understand with VAT and different warranty rules and such but not with in-game items.

You do know that the Cash Shop is mostly fluff and some account/character services, right? And that you can use the game currency to purchase Gems?

And, that there is no subscription?

If you don't like what you have seen so far about the game, that's ok. But skipping it simply because of conversion tables of something that's 100% optional is not a very rational choice.

Originally posted by thekid1

I despise it when they do that. With game sales it is bad enough but I understand with VAT and different warranty rules and such but not with in-game items.

It's not VAT specifically (can't be, since every European country has different VAT rates).  Prices are always determined locally, not by exchange rate. Euro price is determined via average consumer goods price level for the European market, and it doesn't care whether it's a real item or a digital one.

I don't get some of you guys.

Regardless of the actual game a game developer makes, if they don't implement real life foreign exchange rates you will not buy the game? And for pure fluff items which you do not need to buy!

Should 1 euro = $1.35 from March? $1.30 from March 15?  $1.34 from March 31? 

How about $1.23 from May?

Of course I suppose you would be mad at arenanet and demand your money back for being screwed over at the higher rates.

Originally posted by Rhianni32

I don't get some of you guys.

Regardless of the actual game a game developer makes, if they don't implement real life foreign exchange rates you will not buy the game? And for pure fluff items which you do not need to buy!

Should 1 euro = $1.35 from March? $1.30 from March 15?  $1.34 from March 31? 

How about $1.23 from May?

Of course I suppose you would be mad at arenanet and demand your money back for being screwed over at the higher rates.

You dont get it indeed.

Its not about the exact rates. Its how some developers choose to set a cost of 1euro on items that are priced at $1 at the US for the sake of  a "rounded" number.

Apple got it right with their iOS store. The $0.99 games are 0.79 euros in the store. I dont care if the rates are 100% accurate as long as they set the difference at an average of the rates of the last years or something (I dont know how they calculate these rates tbh, I'm not an accountant).

I don't think there are finalized numbers yet.  What we do know is home server transfers cost 1800 gems (this, of course, may also be subject to change), and this is supposed to amount to $15-20.  

By the time the game launches, there won't even be any euros. :)

How many gems per drachma - that is the question.

so in the game 1 euro = 1.25 US....i really don't see how that screws over anybody? and imho is a pretty good rounded estimate. would you rather the price be .96 for the euro? is anyone really worried about that .04 that is buy fluff items? :P

(and that is using old exchange rate averages.

http://www.forecasts.org/euro.htm

you look at most websites that acurately forcast exchange rates, and they are all saying euro is in a slight decline this year, which would mean at release, the 1 to 1.25 rate Arenanet used in beta so far would actually be giving euro the advantage.)

Originally posted by Naevius

By the time the game launches, there won't even be any euros. :)

How many gems per drachma - that is the question.

hehe you jsut reminded me i have an old 100 drachma note O.O i wonder if it will ever be worth anything as a collectors item O.O that wud be cool. yay having parents who were stationed in greece when they were young! hrmmm i wonder how much that woulda been in US dollars back when it was an actual currency.

honestly i have nothing to add to what others have said to the op tho, its all fairly clear, and what isnt is stuff that we cant kno untill the game launches.

Originally posted by StrixMaxima

Originally posted by thekid1

Reason enough for me to not even buy the game.

I despise it when they do that. With game sales it is bad enough but I understand with VAT and different warranty rules and such but not with in-game items.

You do know that the Cash Shop is mostly fluff and some account/character services, right? And that you can use the game currency to purchase Gems?

And, that there is no subscription?

If you don't like what you have seen so far about the game, that's ok. But skipping it simply because of conversion tables of something that's 100% optional is not a very rational choice.

No it is not rational, so what.

Why does everything have to be rational.

I don't like the idea of a publisher screwing me over with dollar euro conversion rate. It gives a bad taste in my mouth and that effects the enjoyment I have in the game.

Valve does it. I don't like it. I still play Valve games because they have a lot of credit in my book. Arenanet or whoever the publisher is does not.

Originally posted by thekid1

Originally posted by StrixMaxima

Originally posted by thekid1

Reason enough for me to not even buy the game.

I despise it when they do that. With game sales it is bad enough but I understand with VAT and different warranty rules and such but not with in-game items.

You do know that the Cash Shop is mostly fluff and some account/character services, right? And that you can use the game currency to purchase Gems?

And, that there is no subscription?

If you don't like what you have seen so far about the game, that's ok. But skipping it simply because of conversion tables of something that's 100% optional is not a very rational choice.

No it is not rational, so what.

Why does everything have to be rational.

I don't like the idea of a publisher screwing me over with dollar euro conversion rate. It gives a bad taste in my mouth and that effects the enjoyment I have in the game.

Valve does it. I don't like it. I still play Valve games because they have a lot of credit in my book. Arenanet or whoever the publisher is does not.

Remember.. you can also buy Gems with In game gold as well as trade gems for in game gold.

From what Ive seen, the market goes up and down, during beta it was 7-20s per 100 Gems.
Im sure at launch that will change.

If your a trading wiz you could probably make some nice cash.

Here is a good overview of the Guild Wars 2 economic system.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kx7o7CRoDXc&list=PL7F92E9EB1ABA900D&index=1&feature=plpp_video

To the European folks here:

1 Euro = 100 gems

4 Euros = 400 gems

400 gems = 5 USD

4 Euros = 5 USD

1 Euro = 1.25 USD

I don't see the issue...