Guild Wars 2 Launches, Over One Million Copies Sold So Far

Today ArenaNet formally opened their MMORPG Guild Wars 2 to all players. The game has been open to pre-purchase and pre-order customers since Saturday and Monday, respectively.

Pre-purchasing the game also earned players access to all of the beta test weekends and an in-game item called Hero's Band. This offer proved very enticing to players. Over one million gamers pre-purchased the game in total.

Guild Wars 2 is set 250 years after the last GW expansion. The world of Tyria is once again under attack, this time from five Elder Dragons who have awoken from their underground slumber. The diverse races of the world must come together to combat this new threat.

GW2 has generated a lot of excitement due to the ways that it turns the usual MMORPG formula on its head. Gone are the defined class roles (tank/healer/DPS) featured in other games; each profession is essentially capable of all tasks. World vs. World vs. World matches will pit three servers against each other in massive battles. Players can dodge and roll away from attacks from enemies, making combat a more active experience.

No monthly subscription is required to play GW2. Instead, the game is powered by microtransactions. Certain cosmetic items, game services or convenience features can be purchased with gems, which in turn can be bought by real-world money. Players can trade in-game gold for gems as well, so it's possible to play through the game without spending any money on microtransactions.

It should be interesting to see whether GW2 will siphon players away from World of Warcraft. WoW is a month from releasing its latest expansion, Mists of Pandaria, so ArenaNet has a window of opportunity to build up a player base. Blizzard might be able to hold their subscribers' interest with today's release of patch 5.0.4., though.