The folks at ArenaNet continue to be suspiciously intelligent in their handling of their highly anticipated MMORPG, and here's what Mike O'Brien, Guild Wars 2's executive producer, had to say on the subject of microtransactions:

"...it's never OK for players to buy a game and not be able to enjoy what they paid for without additional purchases, and it's never OK for players who spend money to have an unfair advantage over players who spend time."

So, a rich and irresponsible guy won't have an advantage over a poor guy with no life. Great. In case you're short on Actiontrip Credits and can't afford to read the rest of the story, here's the free, condensed version: gold earned in-game is the currency for e-peen items, and gems bought with real money are the currency for vanity items. You want one of those fancy mini-jupes too? No problem. Gems can be bought with gold as well, so with enough dedication, you'll be able to get your hands on anything the rich bastards do. Happy?