Download game & pay for account?

I have a friend that is interested in joining me in GW, but can't afford the 50 bucks. He also doesn't want to buy someone's game/account off of eBay or deal with anything that could be potentially shady or illegal. I told him that I thought I had read many moons ago that you could download the retail game for free from the official website and then pay by credit card to be able to create an account and play, all done online, and for only something like 30 or 40 bucks.

Am I remembering incorrectly? I don't see anything on their site that mentions that, so I'm not sure where I saw it.

And what about buying a used/returned game from one of those bins in the game stores? He feels uneasy doing so. Anyone else get their game that way?

i know you can buy new chapters online.

as for the bin ones how many people have already used the key inside already.

also it is against the EULA and even if you dont believe the EULA is binding accounts have been closed at GW for this.

use at your own risk

if you go to the arenanet site (i think theres a link from guildwars.com, dont know it offhand, sorry ) you can indeed buy the key online. I did this for my mate in Belgium as an early christmas present. It was £30 (not sure what that is in $, perhaps around $45 - 50). Then yes, simply download the client and create your new account!

I dont think I'd risk buying the used box. If you don't have the email that the account is registered to, you can't recover and change the password...

edit: you can buy the key from here: http://www.plaync.com/store/gw_purchase.html
go to the very bottom of the main bit and click where it says PlayNC just below "Buy instant (retail code online, download, no box):"

Those are the very same reasons why he doesn't want to buy a used/returned game. But, he would very much be interested in purchasing a key/account legally from ArenaNet. I'll have to take a looksee.

If anyone else knows more about this, please holler!

Found this support ticket:
http://support.guildwars.com/cgi-bin...p?p_faqid=3159

There really trying you to buy a physical copy but it is possible to get it online.
Doing this will not let his email be his login but it will be <something>@plaync.com login.

odd. the link i have provided lets you buy the key AND use your email address. I know this simply because the key is linked to MY plaync account, but my friend all the way over in belgium uses it (as it was for him as a present). And he certainly doesn't know my plaync account.

edit: read the support ticket again. Its the same link. But if you want to use your email, simply buy the key and put it into your GW client. If you want to use the @ncsoft.com account, then register it on the site.

I bought my account on ncsoft.com with credit card, but its still the full $49.95 price though (unless it has changed in the past few months). Unless you wanna save the tax money (or are just lazy like me) you might as well get the box and disc with it from a store.

Thanks, everyone. I just checked the above mentioned link and it's $49.99 to purchase a key... so, my bud would only be saving on the tax as the cost is the same as buying the box/disk in a store. Too bad.

Don't know how things are where you live (I am in Denmark) but try the internet shops selling the official GW game. Internet shops are generally cheaper than shopping malls, etc.

I know, for example, that there is an internet shop in the UK that sells the game for about £18 which I think is well under $50. Here in Denmark the internet price for the game has dropped, as usual for "older" games, and is now around 250 danish crowns, which I believe translates to under $40. Here I am talking about an official, brand new game, box + CD + manual, but just sold by an internet shop instead of the shop or shopping mall around the corner.

So shop around.

I bought an account for a friend from https://store.plaync.com/home.php

IIRC you will have to setup a store account but after your purchase all it gives you is a User/CD key and a download link What I did was I gave my friend the key, he downloaded the client, installed it and proceeded to create his own new account w/ the key i gave him.

He now has his own account (with his email as his login) of course on my dime

On the back of the game that I bought retail it clearly says, "Not valid for resale by prior owner."

yup, that's possible. but you'd have to load each "area" on the first time you unlock it. it might take a while but it IS cheaper.

Denubis, how much cheaper is it? According to http://support.guildwars.com/cgi-bin...p?p_faqid=3159 to buy an access key is still $49.99 (download game, buy access key, and that's it). When I check out the PlayNC store and click on "Buy the game instantly (retail code online, download, no box)" it takes me to a login screen and doesn't explain any pricing.

Those of you that have purchased a key through the PlayNC store at this link (http://www.plaync.com/store/gw_purchase.html where it says "Buy Instant" on the bottom), can you elaborate on pricing please?

it is still 50 bucks US to buy an account and download the game.

Which of course means it is cheaper and/or easier just to buy the game. Easier because you have the pysical disc and especailly if you have dial-up it is quicker. Cheaper because online you can buy the game new for probably around 40 bucks.

i useally dont trust it.. never bought it.. but they useally sell only trials... that last a bit.. than the real version.

I agree 100%, if you have dial up, you want to have as much of the content already on you hard drive. I misplaced my discs (found them latter) and had to re-install the game. It was fun warping to every town and getting the majority of the content loaded.

I used this method today, works fine, have to do a pointless registration with the site first, then afterwards you pay for the game, then they tell you the game-key.

When you have the game key, its just like having a game-key from the box, you can choose your own email and everyting, however I already have the game installed from cd, so I can't describe the dwnload process etc.

the one on plaync is a full version.

My local Best Buy had Guild Wars on sale. I forgot how much it was, but my friend got it for around $30-$40.