Is FFXI getting a cash shop?

[Draylo]

Sorry but they are a business so they will want to make money. Look at all the idiots buying 24 dollar Odin mounts and 40+ dollars on two accounts so they can get their own 2 seat chocobo in FFXIV. The model works unfortunately because of people like that.

[Seillan]

Sorry but they are a business so they will want to make money. Look at all the idiots buying 24 dollar Odin mounts and 40+ dollars on two accounts so they can get their own 2 seat chocobo in FFXIV. The model works unfortunately because of people like that.

Well hopefully, considering that the FFXI playerbase is largely older and "set in their ways", maybe they'll refrain from adding a shop here out of fear of backlash. I'm pretty sure the Japanese FFXI playerbase wouldn't be to keen on it either.

Ultimately though, I guess if the shop ever becomes a necessary evil to keep the game from getting shut down, it'd be the better alternative I suppose.

[Finuve]

Sorry but they are a business so they will want to make money. Look at all the idiots buying 24 dollar Odin mounts and 40+ dollars on two accounts so they can get their own 2 seat chocobo in FFXIV. The model works unfortunately because of people like that.

I pretty much blame those people for how awful the MMO genre is anymore.

It boggles my mind that people accept getting their wallets pillaged so horribly in a subscription based game

[Shirai]

Well hopefully, considering that the FFXI playerbase is largely older and "set in their ways", maybe they'll refrain from adding a shop here out of fear of backlash.

I doubt it, I really do.
To be fair, the whole "set in their ways" died long ago, the game has changed and so has a lot of the playerbase and the ones truly set in their old ways quit and moved on long ago.

I'm pretty sure the Japanese FFXI playerbase wouldn't be to keen on it either.

Sorry, but I have to YOINK those rose tinted glasses off.
You are grossly underestimating the willingness of the Japanese when it comes to paying extra for useless trinkets related to something they like, physical or digital doesn't matter.

[Malithar]

Well hopefully, considering that the FFXI playerbase is largely older and "set in their ways", maybe they'll refrain from adding a shop here out of fear of backlash. I'm pretty sure the Japanese FFXI playerbase wouldn't be to keen on it either.

Have to very much disagree. Check out Decazoom Mk-XI and Escritorio, two of the more recent includes with physical merchandise in Japan. Yes, that's an all jobs gun + camera, and an all jobs polearm that looks like a giant quill pen. Neither are within "lore" as some may say, they're very much out of place in the game. While things like these, the Tidal Talisman, various hats and clubs they've given away over the years, etc, were not available directly from a cash shop, they did require further purchases to acquire. Whether it's due to this generation of gamers or whatever you may want to blame, a vast number have no issue with shelling out extra to get something extra, cosmetic or otherwise.

I'd be more surprised if SE doesn't add a cash shop at this point.

[Comeatmebro]

As long as it stays cosmetic, all good. Can always dat swap all the cash shop stuff to something really shitty looking!

[Dale]

I doubt it, I really do.
To be fair, the whole "set in their ways" died long ago, the game has changed and so has a lot of the playerbase and the ones truly set in their old ways quit and moved on long ago.

I'm going to have to disagree somewhat because I believe Seillan is making a point I agree with.

A lot of us have been turned off by modern trends in the MMORPG genre and returned home to FF XI. Quite a few of the older players I once knew still play this game, and all of them attempted to get into Final Fantasy 14 but just couldn't. So I really do think the only thing keeping Final Fantasy XI alive at this point is its appeal with older more traditional RPGers who are set in their ways and refuse to change to go along with this new generation of gamers. And to abandon that and give in to modern trends would doom this game I believe.

This game has changed over the years. You are right about that. But it still retains much of its original design and plays very differently to the modern MMORPG. This game still has long term goals and an emphasis on hard work - rewarding the player based on their in-game efforts rather the thickness of their wallet. So I think if they start adding a lot of the modern-day bells and whistles - like cash shops for example - they will be walking a very thin line and risk alienating the very people keeping this game alive.

[Dale]

Sorry but they are a business so they will want to make money. Look at all the idiots buying 24 dollar Odin mounts and 40+ dollars on two accounts so they can get their own 2 seat chocobo in FFXIV. The model works unfortunately because of people like that.

This is a niche game though. It will never be able to compete with newer games by using similar tactics.

To be successful in today's market you have to either copy WoW (like Final Fantasy 14 did), become F2P/P2W - or offer a unique experience that appeals to a smaller audience that's willing to pay for something different. I just don't see where a Final Fantasy XI would fit in if it started trying to become more like Final Fantasy 14. I just think it's a bad move.

[Zephrose]

I doubt it, I really do.
To be fair, the whole "set in their ways" died long ago, the game has changed and so has a lot of the playerbase and the ones truly set in their old ways quit and moved on long ago.


Sorry, but I have to YOINK those rose tinted glasses off.
You are grossly underestimating the willingness of the Japanese when it comes to paying extra for useless trinkets related to something they like, physical or digital doesn't matter.

To Shirai's point, the Japanese very much like their cosmetic and novelty items for just about anything. Software and Game developers just took it a step further and added this point of sale to their digital products. And not to alienate any cultures, but people around the world have picked up this habit as well.

I'm going to have to disagree somewhat because I believe Seillan is making a point I agree with.

A lot of us have been turned off by modern trends in the MMORPG genre and returned home to FF XI. Quite a few of the older players I once knew still play this game, and all of them attempted to get into Final Fantasy 14 but just couldn't. So I really do think the only thing keeping Final Fantasy XI alive at this point is its appeal with older more traditional RPGers who are set in their ways and refuse to change to go along with this new generation of gamers. And to abandon that and give in to modern trends would doom this game I believe.

This game has changed over the years. You are right about that. But it still retains much of its original design and plays very differently to the modern MMORPG. This game still has long term goals and an emphasis on hard work - rewarding the player based on their in-game efforts rather the thickness of their wallet. So I think if they start adding a lot of the modern-day bells and whistles - like cash shops for example - they will be walking a very thin line and risk alienating the very people keeping this game alive.

I've found a lot of people who dislike other MMOs are those who dislike being outside of their comfort zone. Moving to a new game with no friends and a new system of play. This can make a new player feel very uncomfortable and alienated. These same people believe the game they are trying new is just not for them and then go back to something they know well and are comfortable in. And in honesty, this is just human nature. No one likes to be outside of their comfort zone. It's just like being a kid in school and then having to move. The feeling of being in a different place is scary. I relate a lot of this nature to people moving from FFxi to FFxiv. But this is for a different topic.

This is a niche game though. It will never be able to compete with newer games by using similar tactics.

To be successful in today's market you have to either copy WoW (like Final Fantasy 14 did), become F2P/P2W - or offer a unique experience that appeals to a smaller audience that's willing to pay for something different. I just don't see where a Final Fantasy XI would fit in if it started trying to become more like Final Fantasy 14. I just think it's a bad move.

And this is why I think them adding a Cash shop might make them a bit more money before they have to kill the game. Give you all the goodies in/out of game so you can feel like you are a part of the grandeur that is FFxi.

[Stompa]

And this is why I think them adding a Cash shop might make them a bit more money before they have to kill the game. Give you all the goodies in/out of game so you can feel like you are a part of the grandeur that is FFxi.

That feeling of 'being part of the FFXI grandeur' occurs when you log in and play FFXI. You don't have to pay extra money in a giftshop to have that feeling.

Also on "kill the game" some people in the player community have been saying "FFXI is dying" since early 2005. So I will really wait for an official SE announcement before I start thinking the game is dying or about to be killed.

Its worth remembering that FFXI has paid for FF14 to remain on life-support for such a long time. Not the other way around.