NCsoft confirms Guild Wars 2 on console

By Wesley Yin-Poole Published 15 February, 2012

Is "in the preparation stage".

A console version of MMO Guild Wars 2 is "in the preparation stage", NCsoft has said.

Speaking in a financial conference call today, reported by Guild Wars Insider, NCsoft executives confirmed - for the first time - a console version of the exciting fantasy online game.

In response to an analyst question about console versions of its games, NCsoft replied: "When it comes to Guild Wars 2 as we have announced already, we are in the preparation stage."

We've had a listen to the call ourselves and the quote is accurate.

Just to be sure, we checked in with our friendly neighbourhood NCsoft representative, who issued us the following statement:

"Currently ArenaNet is focused on making GW2 the best PC MMO ever released."

"Currently..."

While a console version of Guild Wars 2 now seems certain, a launch alongside the PC version - due out some time this year - seems unlikely.

"Realistically speaking I don't think it would be likely that we will be launching the console version [and the PC version] together," an NCsoft executive said on the call.

The PC version's release date will depend on the results of the large scale beta test, currently scheduled for some time in March or April, NCsoft said.

Picture of Wesley.

About Wesley Yin-Poole

Wesley is Eurogamer's news editor. He likes news, interviews, and more news. He also likes Street Fighter more than anyone can get him to shut up about it.

Read more articles from Wesley by visiting the Wesley Yin-Poole archive page.

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Comments (43) Latest comment 2 months ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • CrumpledPaper #1 3 months ago

    'member this?

    http://us.ncsoft.com/en/news/press-releases/ncsoft-signs-ex-1.html

  • Kanjin #2 3 months ago

    Just as I was readying myself to buy it on PC? I'll buy on the Xbox too then, that'll show 'em.

  • cheeky-sod #3 3 months ago

    Awesome. Free to play, I hope.

  • Shikasama #4 3 months ago

    I've not played GW 1, but I assume this means you only have 6 or so abilities to use at a time?

  • Dizzy #5 3 months ago

    If you can play same character on PC and console, they have my money :)

  • gribb #6 3 months ago

    These comments seem miles apart from official confirmation...

  • Crazyman424 #7 3 months ago

    This is fucking BS. MMOs are the only genre not tainted by console fanatics.... Anet had better keep the console and PC versions seperate...

  • uknortherner2000 #8 3 months ago

    @gribb http://www.guildwars2guru.com/forum/showpost.php?p=1114921&postcount=79

    "We stated multiple times in public that we have a small team working on a console version, but that we are fully dedicated to make the most kickass game for PC"

  • Crazyman424 #9 3 months ago

    @uknortherner2000 Thanks for that. Now I feel a bit better. +1

  • Stranded87 #10 3 months ago

    @Shikasama

    Yep, in the first game and I would assume in this one you have (i think) 6 skills or spells available at any one time, but that's out of a pool of hundreds which you can change in hubs. It allows for thousands of different character builds.

  • DanForinton #11 3 months ago

    @Shikasama Not this time around - the mechanic they've been talking up is that you have a bunch of abilities that you'll have preselected at the last hub and can't change until the next hub AND a bunch of abilities that are dependant on the weapon you're currently wielding - swap weapon, have different abilities (I think it's six of each)

  • nitx Verified Online Engineer, GameLoft #12 3 months ago

    Great for console players but I am going to get the PC version . Now how about that Beta invite NCSoft :)

  • gribb #13 3 months ago

    @uknortherner2000 That still just says that they have a small team working on it...That doesn't mean it'll happen.

    The title of this article suggests that NCsoft has confirmed that the release will definitely happen.

  • graysonavich #14 3 months ago

    CONFIRMING that they might be thinking about it.

    At some stage.

    The Sun headline much?

  • Crazyman424 #15 3 months ago

    @FluffyTucker Cool. I take my first comment back, I was mainly worried that development cost would be sucked up by creating a console version.

    I saw the comments before I read the whe article.

    My bad.

  • Crazyman424 #16 3 months ago

    @Crazyman424 *whole even...

  • Triggerhappytel #17 3 months ago

    @CrumpledPaper
    Heh, weirdly enough I was thinking about that the other day, and wondered what had happened - assumed it had just fallen through, like so many games do.

    Quite interested in this coming to console. I don't play PC MMOs, but I'd gladly give one with the pedigree of GW a whirl.

  • Shikasama #18 3 months ago

    @Stranded87
    Aye I thought it would be something like that as I play DCUO and obviously thats on PS3 as well.


    Cheers for the info DanForinton

  • Xardan #19 3 months ago

    This is not surprising to me. I remember thinking back when watching the leaked playthroughs, how consolised it looks.

    The view is up close 3rd person, simple interface, the movement and animations very action orientated. I think it would suit console play very well.

  • Wildsleven #20 3 months ago

    awesome news!! :D

  • silver001 #21 3 months ago

    @Xardan that would be weird considering that gw2 system is an improved version of gw1 combat and that was designed way become consoles had to power to even attempt to play a MMO.

  • silver001 #22 3 months ago

    @Kanjin Given how closed off microsoft is with xbox live, i doubt it. Secondly, if you are gonna wait, its gonna be a long long wait for you. Since if it does come out, they will still need to port it to the console.

    edit: Guild wars 2 buy 2 play model probably wont change just because it comes to the console.
    Edited by silver001 at 15/02/12 @ 19:26

  • WinterSnowblind #23 3 months ago

    @Xardan The gameplay, combat and skill system are all very similar to GW1. The game is simply designed not to be a boring slog fest, like most MMO's are; positioning and dodging is important (and the camera can be pulled in or out, like most games)

    IF it gets a console release, the PC version will be unaffected by it, especially considering we're just months away from release at this point.

  • Rubios #24 3 months ago

    I played over 4000 hours (yes, yes, I know, I hate myself for that already) of Guild Wars PvP back when I had no responsibilities whatsoever, because you know, high school is serious business...

    I can't see myself in front of a PC for more than two hours nowadays, so this is GREAT news for me.
    Edited by Rubios at 15/02/12 @ 19:52

  • RandomTerrain #25 3 months ago

    This would be perfect for consoles, I hope they make it. I really enjoyed the first Guild Wars, but I much prefer to play games on consoles most of the time.

  • wayn3h #26 3 months ago

    @Rubios

    Same, clocked up 5-6000 odd hours whilst at college/uni. Not something I brag to the girls about, but to be fair I had a lot of fun and met some cool people PvP'ing.
    Not bad for a non-subscription game.

  • jogyourmind #27 3 months ago

    Yay consoles are joining the mmo world. I look forward to a future where conversations in games will be like this:

    me: Inc!

    5 minutes later...

    D00dB4llz: wt dz inc meen /

  • overcorpse #28 3 months ago

    PS3 being the console then i presume.

  • CheesecakeBobby #29 3 months ago

    Would love to see it on Wii U. The controller would be perfect for MMOs, but whether Nintendo can come up with the requisite network structure is another issue...

  • Pwnsweet #30 3 months ago

    @CheesecakeBobby

    Nintendo can't <insert anything positive>

  • WinterMute78 #31 3 months ago

    @Crazyman424 whats it matter if pc and console were on the same servers ? Surly it would mean more players in the game world and you wouldn't even know what system they were on. I've played cross system games before and although the experience was generally crap it was nothing to do with the players or there choice of system just bad games. But none of them were mmo's. Personally I welcome the idea of cross network games. All us console owners will need the pc players to show us how to play mmo's :)
    Edited by WinterMute78 at 16/02/12 @ 02:38

  • FortysixterUK #32 3 months ago

    Considering a controller has limited controls compared to a pc I'm thinking a kind of " Guild Wars 2 lite" is in the offing. Chat won't necessarily be an issue as Xbox and PS have headsets, but you sure as hell don't want to chat with every PUG you join.
    Have to wait and see I guess...or plug a keyboard into your console.
    I'd be very interested if GW2 turned out to be anywhere near as good as the original Phantasy Star online, which was designed around the joypad and worked well.

  • jogyourmind #33 3 months ago

    @FortysixterUK

    I just can't imagine an MMO working on a console without it being utterly butchered. The MMO I play currently for example, I use the 1 to 0 keys for one bank of hotkeys, and then the same again with shift for a second bank of hotkeys, and then I have more banks of hotkeys which I just click on when I need. The only way you could do that with a gamepad would be if one highlighted and you scrolled through them, which would take far longer than just pressing a key or clicking. I dread to think of a healer playing like that.

    GW2 is different though, it doesn't seem to have multiple large banks of hotkeys and instead has a one small row of which changes depending on what weapon you equip. Or something like that. So I think it could probably work ok on a console. I don't know how fast paced the combat is either, so maybe if there is plenty of thought time between moves, it would be ok.

    The chat thing is where it all falls to pieces in my mind.
    Edited by jogyourmind at 16/02/12 @ 05:41

  • dagas #34 3 months ago

    @cheeky-sod I'm guessing it will have the same price model as the PC version. You buy the game but there is no monthly fee. So it's not free to play, but not a subscription either.

  • optimusprym8 #35 3 months ago

    Console MMO would have to be on PS3 due to the more open nature of PSN, hence Free Realms and DCUO. The NC deal with Sony was with SCEE I believe and died on it's arse when they shuttered the NC Brighton-based internal dev team who were working on a PC/PSN game

  • jimr9999us #36 3 months ago

    haha gw2 fanbois go blow yourselves

  • Kremlik Verified Co-Founder, Crash To Desktop #37 3 months ago

    I'll just copy and paste what I said on Massively (bare in mind this was in response to other comments as well)
    It 'could work on console if you look at Vita/WiiU (and possibly the next xbox) the touch pads are almost mouse actions thus instead of using a limited amount of buttons you've got access to ALL the buttons as normal just you are pressing instead of clicking, or it could simply be coming to PS3 which already has confirmed keyboard/mouse support for DUST 514 and already works for DCUO.

    To say the game would be 'dumbed down' is a little unfair to the game as the mythic 'console gamer stigma' isn't limited to consoles EVERYONE uses PCs and portable devices just as much as consoles these days.

    The game doesn't need a ton of hotkeys either to play IF a pad would be required, however looking at the tech we are GOING to have next gen touch controls are going to be the new 'must have tech' and consoles WILL be able to have PC ports again instead of the current situation due to tech limitations

  • Zomeguy #38 3 months ago

    The game is simply designed not to be a boring slog fest
    PvM in GW1 was a snorefest and I uninstalled at about L12. I am still not very confident in this one...

  • butler` #39 3 months ago

    @Kremlik um, the 'dumbing down' isn't just in reference to console gamers, but the consoles themselves (particularly their input devices, which can't compare to kb/m).

  • Crazyman424 #40 3 months ago

    @WinterMute78 Its unbalanced. Thats the short version.

    Chances are the PS3 gamers (I own one incidentally) will have a worse connection, console gamers would be totally outclassed by the mouseturning, naga owning PC vets... no PC gamer can come close to the speed of a mouseturning PC gamer. Its like comparing a lion to a kitten... also console gamers are a totally different userbase...

    Important distinction: This is NOT an action game, its a fast paced MMO. Thats a world of difference.

  • jogyourmind #41 3 months ago

    @Zomeguy

    Well hopefully it will be better this time, but you can apparently be part of massive PVP from level 1, so I think you could probably level up and progress by doing other things than PVE.

  • geeza2020 #42 3 months ago

    @cheesechipsandbeans - sorry, I couldnt understand what you're saying with dark souls' cock in your mouth.

  • Mightymarc #43 2 months ago

    I suppose a console version will have to do seeing as they aren't making it available for Mac.