Most regular MMO forum dwellers will have come across at least one thread comparing Guild Wars to World of Warcraft. The question is – why?
Perhaps people feel that the two juggernauts should naturally be pitted against each other, but looking for similarities between the two games quickly reveals that there are not many. It may be the fact that Guild Wars was developed by former Blizzard employees, creating the illusion of a dog-fight taking place between the two companies. Whatever the reason, it’s senseless, and here’s why:
On the left we have Guild Wars. It’s the first game to ever leave ArenaNet’s doors, and since its release in 2005 it has secured over 6 million account creations so far. It’s a skill-based game in which gear plays a very insignificant role, as do character levels (the cap being at level 20). PvE is rich in storyline and encourages casual play, and PvP is easy to hop into and out of. The art style leans towards realism and the soundtrack is the work of the award-winning game-music composer Jeremy Soule. ArenaNet charge no monthly fee to their players, instead opting to profit from box sales alone.
On the right we have World of Warcraft. WoW was developed by Blizzard, an established developer and the company responsible for some of the PC’s biggest games. Gear plays a very important role in gameplay, and players are able to level up to level 80. The PvE is rich in story and can also be played on a casual basis, but at level 80 the situation becomes a lot more hardcore. Various PvP options are available, but one needs to level a character in order to play it. The art style is almost cartoony, and the soundtrack is composed Jason Hayes, with whom Blizzard has had a long-standing relationship. Blizzard cashes in every month on both chart-topping box sales and monthly subscription fees.
The only thing people should be comparing, according to the above comparison, are the two games’ soundtracks! Guild Wars and World of Warcraft are two completely different games. The only mechanic the two have in common is the fact that they are both played online, and even then they’re different! Guild Wars opts for instance-based gameplay, and World of Warcraft takes place in an open world. What works for the one, doesn’t work for the other.
In the end both companies have garnered huge success by catering to their specific markets. When gamers realise this, maybe Guild Wars players will stop mocking the grind, and World of Warcraft players will stop laughing at how casual-friendly Guild Wars is.
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