The
ArenaNet Blog has a post by Mike O’Brien discussing microtransactions in
Guild Wars 2, their upcoming MMORPG. He explains: "We have a new player-driven market that allows players to trade gold for gems and gems for gold. If you want something, whether it’s an in-game item or a microtransaction, you ultimately have two ways to get it: you can play to earn gold or you can use money to buy gems. We think that’s important, because it lets more players participate on a level playing field, whether they use their free time or their disposable income to do it." In spite of how the original Guild Wars also used microtransactions, this is not going down well, as demonstrated by the
100+ pages of comments on the Guild Wars 2 Guru Forums on the topic. Thanks Titus_Nefarius.