Almost two weeks ago, ArenaNet suspended sales of Guild Wars 2 after its servers were inundated by an overwhelming flood of new players. Needless to say, the game has been a resounding success so far.
However, fantastic, overcrowded game launches are something of a trope in the MMO world these days, and a game must work hard to keep the attention of increasingly fickle MMO fans. Guild Wars 2 already uses a free-to-play model, though, which should put it a step ahead of games that are only now transitioning to free-to-play.
This week, ArenaNet announced that Guild Wars 2 is once again available for purchase through retailers and the Guild Wars 2 website. The company has used its respite from sales to beef up its server numbers in North America and Europe, and to double its number of customer support agents. The company states that the Trading Post should be working better now.
“Preserving the customer experience has always been our top priority,” said Mike O’Brien, president and co-founder of ArenaNet. “We’re supporting Guild Wars 2 for the long run. We’ll always do what it takes to deliver the best online gaming experience for our customers, even when that means throttling sales.”
That’s a pretty bold statement, but one that is sure to resonate with MMO fans. ArenaNet certainly did put its money where its mouth is, though, and suspending sales cannot have been an easy decision.
As a re-release celebration, ArenaNet has released the new “Our Time is Now” launch trailer. The company touts that the trailer is directed by James McTeigue, the director of movies such as V For Vendetta and Ninja Assassin.
