Everyone say hello to the new kid on the block:
Guild Wars: Now Open for Business
Not quite sure what to make of this one, but I suspect it'll be nowhere near the Warcraft-Killer everyone not playing WoW would like. PvP is always a spikey subject, and in the face of nearly a decade of collected evidence, not for most people. However, many elements come into play, including the amount of skill needed, twitch or stat-grooming based, ambushing, penalties and rewards, and all that good stuff. Personaly, I only go for PvP in Planetside, and only then because it's so free of consequence. Otherwise it's just paranoia, guilt and leisure-time anxiety I could happily do with out, thank you. Still, that's just me - many other people think differently.
One of Guildwars' big things seems to be 'No Monthly Fee'. Obviously this makes it a totally unsuitable candidate for Operation Cheapseats, there being no free trial to speak of, (which is generally not seen in very new or successful games anyway,) so I'm afraid there won't be any insightful player's eye views here. (At least not yet...I am weak and visit game shops a lot though...) However, both Foton and Ethic have signed up, so expect witty observation and mini-reviews over there...I know I do!
I hope it does suceed...indeed, I hope ALL MMOs suceed - I'm just disappointed a lot is all. I do wonder if any game can base itself around PvP and still have mass appeal though - invariably most players will lose lots to the top 10%, and no-one really wants to lose a PvP battle, or really enjoys being ganked. Having said that, PvP in Guildwars will almost certainly work better than a game designed around PvE, with PvP tacked on as an afterthought (i.e. Most of them). Something along the lines of a Swords and Sorcery Planetside might be quite fun, but my worry is it will just be another wretched world ruled by paranoia and fear of being 'pwned', along with subsequent humiliation and material loss. Not my thing, but I salute you if it's yours.
Good luck Guildwars!