Originally posted by thinktank001

Originally posted by Loke666

GW2s goal was 3 million copies sold until 31st december (Source: NC soft prelaunch). We know that it sold out abou 2.2 million copies a few weeks after launch. It have sold some more copies since so it probably is somewhere near 2.3-2.6M copies right now.

That is less than target number but X-mas season is up soon so it might sell more or less.

But even if it "just" sold minimum copies there is no way that can be the real reason beyond massive layoffs, it still have minimum sold 75% of target numbers and unless someone in NC soft had the silly idea that everyone who bought the game would spend $100+ in the itemshop (which would be impressive even for a F2P game and totally unrealistic) there is no way that is a big enough disaster for NC soft to make massive layoffs.

So lets think a second, is there some other NC soft games out that have underperformed far under expactations the last few years?

Well, Aion comes to mind first but there are others as well. Korean (as well as Chinese) made games generally do bad in the west and other companies than NC soft have found out this the hard way as well. 

But feel free to blame GW2 if it makes you feel better, personally I have wondered why they didnt do this before. GW2 is probably NC softs only game that is popular in the West at the moment. Aion didnt go F2P becuase NC soft wanted to be kind, it couldnt support P2P any longer.

 

Welcome to the world of the P2W business model.   They don't care about sale numbers.  It is all about item shop numbers.

 

- " Free " players converted to using the cash shop

and

- Amount that players spend

 

If neither of these two metrics are met, then the game is considered underperforming. 

Again, and I don't know people dislike facts:

Anet or NCSoft never announced a GW2 sales targets.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/special/2012/07/182_115061.html

“I expect Guild Wars 2 to sell 3.1 million copies after commercialization in August,” Daewoo Securities analyst Kim Chang-kwean said by telephone. “Since April, the company has received 1 million pre-orders.” He compared the numbers favorably with Aion, of which
NCsoft had 900,000 pre-orders when it was launched four years ago.

Who is I?

Kim, a Daewoo Securities Analyst.

Originally posted by Beatnik59

The NCSoft stock is taking a beating today.  Also, a savage article appeared in The Korea Times that criticizes NCSoft for the CoH closure:

http://koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/biz/2012/12/602_126197.html

 Nice link.

Originally posted by Wraithone

Originally posted by TalulaRose

Originally posted by evilastro

Originally posted by FromHell

I'm not saying this. In fact I think GW2 would never work as a sub game.

Fact is they don't earn a lot of steady money each month because there is no sub fee and player numbers are rather dwindling.

The heavy cash shop focus might work for some, but I doubt the broad masses buy treasure chest keys and the other stuff they are selling.

You keep throwing 'heavy cash shop focus' around in every single GW2 thread. I haven't spent a cent on the cash shop in GW2 and have had no desire or need to.

What exactly was so essential for you to buy?

Oh whats that?

Nothing?

Then stop being a fool and saying it has a 'heavy cash shop focus'.  The business model they have worked fine for GW1, and it will work fine for GW2. Just because you are used to years of being exploited by companies that charge you for effectively doing very little, doesnt mean that another company cant operate without doing the same.

 

I haven't spent a cent on the cash shop in GW2 and have had no desire or need to.

 

Maybe if you and all the others who haven't spent past the box price things wouldn't be looking alittle grim over at NCSoft.

If the game is so good, why not support it?

Anet and NCsoft picked the business model.  One of the differences (between GW1 and GW2) is the economic times we live in.  Their cash shop is long on fluff, and short on anything really necessary. Which some people consider to be a plus. 

But that does tend to limit their potential profits. 

Good business model if you have other avenues of income...which are faultering. And since GW2 sales will continue to drop off.....it will be hard for NCSoft to justify it...unless they can come up with other sources of income.

Better hope their sub based games can pick up some steam, in the long run its either that or cut people and more people and then a game here or there, followed by more people...maybe get bought out by a bigger company.

Me personally, I am hoping the MMORPG world implodes and it goes back to a niche market.

There is one data point for GW2.

It is #6 on xfire, ahead of D3. That can't be too bad, business-wise.

Originally posted by Gaia_Hunter

Originally posted by evolver1972

Originally posted by thetimes

Originally posted by korvass

Isn't NCSoft 'simply' the publisher of GW2? As far as I've seen from videos and interviews, the game is developed entirely by ArenaNet in their own offices.

Given the evidence that I can see with my own eyes, there's nothing that says GW2 is underperforming.

NCsoft is the owner and publisher of GW2. NCsoft west is Areanet. NCwest is the office to be "realigned."

While NCSoft owns ArenaNet, NCWest is not ArenaNet, though ArenaNet may be a part of NCWest; I'm not sure about that.  ArenaNet's offices are located in Bellevue, NCWest is in Seattle.  Two totally different cities.

 

Since GW2 is one of NCSoft's biggest money makers, I doubt there will be much "realignment" when it comes to ArenaNet.  This is more likely trimming the fat after shutting down CoH and selling Aion.

NCSoft West isn't Arena.net.

In fact a few years back (2008) NCSoft moved some people from Anet to NCSoft West, most notably Jeff Strain and Patrick Wyatt.which both left in 2009.

 

"NCsoft is consolidating their European and U.S. subsidiaries, including ArenaNet, under a single lable, NCsoft West,..."

---

Originally posted by botrytis
ALso, if NCSoft and A.Net both have offices in Seattle, why not merge the two.

 

People really want to see GW2 fail. WHY? I never understood the attitude of some people who gleefully jump up and down when a game goes south.  Seems to me, if it was their lively hood that went south, they would want people to at least have sympathy.

---

I laugh out of frustration. Game companies are not listening to the market. Millions of us don't really have a game to play. So when another massive venture comes out and tanks, all we can do is laugh and say we told you so.

Originally posted by Arclan

 

---

Originally posted by botrytis
ALso, if NCSoft and A.Net both have offices in Seattle, why not merge the two.

 

 

People really want to see GW2 fail. WHY? I never understood the attitude of some people who gleefully jump up and down when a game goes south.  Seems to me, if it was their lively hood that went south, they would want people to at least have sympathy.

 

---

 

I laugh out of frustration. Game companies are not listening to the market. Millions of us don't really have a game to play. So when another massive venture comes out and tanks, all we can do is laugh and say we told you so.

Somebody is playing the games. Who could they be?

I don't think it is millions - that is an exageration.

Lol , it was bound to happen sooner or later , putting every MMO F2P with a cash shop means you are eager on seeing your MMO products in the green by trying to get massive ammount of people to jump in the band wagon and start wasting their money on a pointless cash shop MMO.  

 But it does show one thing , that our MMO community is finally waking up and seeing what the MMO world has to offer us. Every MMO"RPG" type released in recent years are more of the same. 

 It's always sad to see people laid off at this time of year , but it was bound to happen sooner or later.  Heck , it was written in the sky!!

"The insider word on the street was that..."

Awesomeness. I'm going to have to start using that one.

Lot's of desperate spin in here  from a mere

" seattles office is realigned and some contracts canceled"

"no details how much"

"no concrete reasons known"

"no closer or distant plans regarding this matter announced yet"

and the usually deliberately ignored/denied "eveything including financials points at GW2 as a financial success"

"financials reports look good. doing better than almost any other Western MMORPG publisher"

Some people here are trying a bit too hard. Mad GW2 is a success and driving? Or just still mad about CoH? Or just WoW (or any other MMORPGs) fanbois trying to distract from their own games much worse (or equally "negative") financial trend?

Even in massively's article is pushing the drama too far again (likely from the same massively autor continously bashing NCSoft, who painted even an acquisition by NCSoft of another company as something bad because it pressed on their profits). Meanwhile no word of them about Blizzards financial much worse "losses" by the same definitions of Massively, because thats a big nono. No the opposite the other is hailed for their profits while both are profitable.

“NCsoft is realigning internal publishing resources to better suit the needs of our game development studios,” Davis told PC Gamer. “As a result of the realignment, several employees and contract positions were affected. This was a very tough decision to make and wish the best for all NCsoft employees in their next ventures.”

This all the aritcle states really on PC Gamer. People are reading in alot into SEVERAL positions.

Get real people.

Originally posted by botrytis

ALso, if NCSoft and A.Net both have offices in Seattle, why not merge the two.

 

People really want to see GW2 fail. WHY? I never understood the attitude of some people who gleefully jump up and down when a game goes south.  Seems to me, if it was their lively hood that went south, they would want people to at least have sympathy.

since these people cant make their own games they need to pick on companies that make good games and look for any reason to wish for their demise. Why not get a degree and make their own dream games and avoid crying altogether? lol

Players feedback is important for game improvements, but instead of suggesting good changes or constructive criticism, they prefer to wish failure upon gamemakers.

Originally posted by ForumPvP

There was a time when buying gold was a bad thing,so bad that it could hurt the company.

Now ,if you dont buy gold  ,then company  will die.

 

Originally posted by ForumPvP

Originally posted by ForumPvP

There was a time when buying gold was a bad thing,so bad that it could hurt the company.

Now ,if you dont buy gold  ,then company  will die.

 

 

Buying gold is still bad - who says it isn't?

Read what I posted above yours - people making mountains out of molehills again.

Originally posted by Sukiyaki

Lot's of desperate spin in here  from a mere

" seattles office is realigned and some contracts canceled"

"no details how much"

"no concrete reasons known"

"no closer or distant plans regarding this matter announced yet"

and the usually deliberately ignored/denied "eveything including financials points at GW2 as a financial success"

"financials reports look good. doing better than almost any other Western MMORPG publisher"

Some people here are trying a bit too hard. Mad GW2 is a success and driving? Or just still mad about CoH? Or just WoW (or any other MMORPGs) fanbois trying to distract from their own games much worse (or equally "negative") financial trend?

Even in massively's article is pushing the drama too far again (likely from the same massively autor continously bashing NCSoft, who painted even an acquisition by NCSoft of another company as something bad because it pressed on their profits). Meanwhile no word of them about Blizzards financial much worse "losses" by the same definitions of Massively, because thats a big nono. No the opposite the other is hailed for their profits while both are profitable.

No real need to "try hard". NCsoft makes a long habit of shooting itself in the foot, in terms of its western operations.  Its come to the point that their reputation is almost as low as Nexons in some circles. One need not be a "hater" to take note of their past actions, and attitudes. 

As for Blizzard, they have their own problems. But thats only to be expected at this point. 

Originally posted by DMKano

The insider word on the street was that GW2 was underperforming, this pretty much confirms those rumors. 

I hope all those affected land on their feet - layoffs during holiday season is just heartless.

Where did you get this "insider word on the street"?