In fact, I would say that anyone who purchased the game, enjoyed it, but was less than 100 hours into their experience at the time of the announcement is validated in feeling a bit miffed. There is no hours-played/cost ratio that magically pleases everyone. However, that is not to say that every gamer expects 100 hours of enjoyment for their money. Of course, this logic is only sound when it concerns large periods of time, like it does in the instance of Guild Wars 2 (three years).
People who refrained from purchasing the product at that time and now enjoy it for free did not get to enjoy it while it was only available for a cost. If I pay for a product, and I spend 100 hours enjoying it, it doesn’t matter if it becomes subsequently available for free, because I got to enjoy that product while I could only do so for a fee. Essentially, time spent with a product dictates its value as much as the product itself, provided the product is well received.
Players who paid anywhere from $10 – $150 for the game (depending on sales and which edition was purchased) and got more than 100 hours out of it really don’t have too much to complain about.
To start off, let’s explore one of the more basic complaints about the announcement: “I paid for a game that is now free.” This is only a problem in a very specific context. However, after carefully considering Mike O’Brien’s words during the announcement, I am thoroughly convinced that this transition will not only be smooth for players and profitable for ArenaNet, but that it will be beneficial for the game and its community overall. Others are convinced that the game will become infested with trolls, scammers, and other unruly inhabitants. Some people fear the dreaded “fremium” monetization model that often comes with an MMO’s transition to free-to-play. Despite these precautionary restrictions, however, the announcement was met with mixed reviews from the community for a multitude of reasons. Free accounts will have certain restrictions placed on them to deter scammers, botters, gold sellers, and general ne’er-do-wells from engaging in shenanigans, but are still functional enough to enjoy the game and have a pleasant experience. On Saturday, August 29, ArenaNet president and co-founder Mike O’Brien announced at PAX Prime that the core version of Guild Wars 2 (essentially the game minus any instanced Living World content) would be available free of charge for anyone who wishes to play from that point forward.