The Asura of the Tarnished Coast are a brilliant, if diminutive, people who dwelled, until recently, within the Depths of Tyria, where they regularly dealt with Dwarves, Dredge, and other underground races. However, a dangerous race from even deeper within the world–the Destroyers–overran their subterranean homes, forcing them to the surface. Now, the Asura must [...]

One-on-one interview with Guild Wars
Jeff Strain co-founder of ArenaNet talks with Jon Wood about Guild Wars. Note:Excuse the loud ambient noise, it’s a big show!

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Aside from World of Warcraft, no other MMOG titles have come near the worldwide success of Guild Wars, the free-to-play (but not to buy) title from Arena.net. By making a flexible game, one that both Western and Eastern audiences could enjoy, Guild Wars found itself pulled into a head-to-head grudge match with its competitor World of Warcraft. Despite boasting numbers that would have been record-breaking in years past, Guild Wars has never been able to meet the numbers that WoW has posted, yet they still hold onto a very positive chunk of the online marketplace.

For game publishers, developing a massively multiplayer online game is almost like sticking cash into a $50 million slot machine. Once you’ve pulled the lever, all you can do is wait and watch as the numbers start to line up. Of course, thousands of variables are involved with MMO development, including the talent of the studio hired to make the game and the commitment the publisher has in making that game a success. Yet even with all of the talent in the world, you could end up like the unfortunate Ed McMahon: old, broke, and relying upon the charity of others to pay the bills.

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