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It’s been a crazy, exciting couple of weeks here at ArenaNet. Last week we premiered the first playable demo of Guild Wars 2 at gamescom in Cologne, Germany, and this week we officially announced the necromancer (which showed up in the gamescom demo). As we prepare for PAX next week, let’s take a quick look around the web at some of the recent conversations and reactions about Guild Wars 2.
There’s a lot to cover, so let’s get started!
- The GW2 gamescom demo was featured heavily in the European gaming press. Jeux Video set the stage with a gamescom preview article outlining the key gameplay features and what to expect from the demo. The German site Gamestar analyzed the game and came away impressed, while Onlinewelten discussed GW2 with ArenaNet Senior VP Randy Price in an English-language video interview. IGN UK ’s Nick Kolan gave readers an overview of his hands-on experience playing as both a charr and human. “… wherever I seemed to go, there was something to do,” he said.
- The French site Univers Virtuels interviewed Lead Content Designer Colin Johanson and Continuity and Lore Designer Jeff Grubb about the Ghosts of Ascalon, “legacy sites” from Guild Wars that appear in Guild Wars 2, and more in this English-language video. Univers Virtuels also released a comprehensive French guide to the GW2 gamescom demo.
- On this side of the water, the gaming press was equally enthusiastic. Gamespot was intrigued: “…we’ll be following [Guild Wars 2’s] lofty goals with interest.” Gamespot also conducted an informative video interview with Lead Designer Eric Flannum.
- PC Gamer was impressed with what they saw in Cologne. “…the game looks gorgeous, but beyond the pretty pixels it fundamentally understands that there can be more to the genre than grinding, leveling and alts.” Game Informer was just as impressed when they took a look at the game. “Guild Wars 2 is looking nothing short of incredible, and I can’t wait until the release.”
- Kotaku chronicled their forty-five minute demo session and concluded, “This is the sort of game I could get lost in. I want more.” Massively combed through all the cool bits of info collected from gamescom over the week by players, while Ten Ton Hammer offered a broad overview of the GW2 demo.
- We snuck the necromancer in as one of the playable classes in the Guild Wars 2 demo, and in the following week we formally introduced this sinister master of dark arts to the world. Ten Ton Hammer didn’t wait until the official reveal to analyze the necromancer in action, and MMORPG.com declared that “every game needs a necro.” Massively approves of the updated necromancer capabilities, which makes the class “bigger, badder, and deadlier than her Guild Wars counterpart.”
- Guild Wars 2 Guru did a fantastic job compiling all the news and reveals from Cologne in their epic “This. Is. GAMESCOM!” thread. Speaking of GW2 Guru, Developers Isaiah Cartwright, Leah Rivera, and Devon Carver answered a bunch of player questions about the game in this info-packed thread.
- Did you catch that incredible Rytlock Brimstone charr costume from Nimba Creations? Check out some behind-the-scenes shots of the costume and learn how they made it in this post by a Nimba effects master!
- In other news, we’re proud to announce that ArenaNet’s community team has been nominated for Best Online Community Relations for the Game Developers Choice Online Awards, which will be held at GDC Online in Austin, Texas on October 7. Congratulations to Regina, Martin, Stéphane, and Emily for the nomination!
We’ve had a week to catch our breaths – now it’s time for PAX! We’re bringing the Guild Wars 2 demo to our backyard in Seattle from September 3-5 – we hope to see you there!
