@SquareEnix: Kickstarter campaign to get a graphic upgrade?

[Raydeus]

They won't be doing it for free. They'll be doing it for the $12.95 (or more) everyone here pays them every month.

If I paid them extra money, it would be for an expansion or other large swath of new content. I'm not about to pay for something I feel they should be doing as a patch or update for the money we're already paying them.

Other games have modernized to support new graphics tech or other audiovisual improvements. Why should we have to pay for what's included in the cost of paying for almost any other MMO?

Did the players of WoW have to pay for the graphic refresh of the entire original continents of the game? No. (It happened with the release of Cataclysm, but you saw the improved/changed graphics whether you bought the expansion or not, unless I've gone crazy)

Are you really comparing WoW's situation with XI's? At this point you are just throwing tantrums and offering zero solutions other that more tantrums.

But hey it's a free forum, keep doing that if it makes you feel better. I would just recommend people to stop replying to your posts because I don't want this thread to be locked before we get at least some response to the proposal.

[Alhanelem]

Are you really comparing WoW's situation with XI's? At this point you are just throwing tantrums and offering zero solutions other that more tantrums.

But hey it's a free forum, keep doing that if it makes you feel better. I would just recommend people to stop replying to your posts because I don't want this thread to be locked before we get at least some response to the proposal.

I'm not throwing tantrums, I don't know why you made such an immature reply.

I've made a valid comparison. WoW's subs have been declining for a while now. If WoW can get a visual upgrade, so can FFXI. You can't just go "oh, WoW. Arugment invalid." If you say this because Blizzard has more money, that's an irrelevant point, because SE is more than profitable enough to be able to reassign the high res master art over the reduced textures made for the game. It's a tedious, not a difficult, process.

I am being completely civil here, there is no reason for the thread to be locked, not that you're ever going to get a response. You're attacking someone for their opinion and the overall tone of your post is extremely rude. You are "reccomending other people not to reply to me." Also extremely rude. If you don't have anything civil to say, perhaps you should try using the block list and following your own advice- not naming and shaming others.

[Zarchery]

Are you really comparing WoW's situation with XI's? At this point you are just throwing tantrums and offering zero solutions other that more tantrums.

A solution to what? The problem of you not having exactly the graphics you want? The look of the game is irrelevant to gameplay. The point he keeps making that you guys are all too dense to realize is that SquareEnix is a BUSINESS. This stuff comes out of their research and development costs. The guy's point with World of Warcraft was so obvious but you're just like "Nuh uh. Doesn't count."

See, Blizzard, being a business, used their research and development budget, which came from selling their products and services, to do what businesses do, and improve their product. They didn't act like a charity and ask people to donate money.

People use Kickstarter to fund their independent movies. Imagine Entertainment doesn't. They use profits from their movies to fund movies.

Not to mention that the development costs for this would be so high, the number of people who would be able to contribute would be so low, that the idea itself is idiotic on a practical level too.

To say nothing of the fact that they won't even drop Playstation 2 support, much less revamp the entire game.

[Alhanelem]

Not to mention that the development costs for this would be so high, the number of people who would be able to contribute would be so low, that the idea itself is idiotic on a practical level too.

The costs associated with this would mostly just be paying a handful of people to spend man hours reassigning textures. See, they already have high resolution art (If they don't, then that means they threw the original masters away which would be the stupidest thing any company could possibly do). So its not like they need to have an art team make new art. They already have the textures- They are reduced in quality to fit the requirements of the game. You always make something in the highest possible resolution and then you lower it down.

See, Blizzard, being a business, used their research and development budget, which came from selling their products and services, to do what businesses do, and improve their product. They didn't act like a charity and ask people to donate money.

That's basically what I'm getting at. I'd liken SE doing a kickstarter for a graphic upgrade to Bank of America doing a kickstarter to launch a new no-fee checking account or Ford doing a kickstarter to introduce some new cosmetic improvement to their cars. Compared to the money you and me make, these corporations print money. They don't need more from us than what they're already taking. If they care about their product, they will do something to improve it on their own using the money we already pay them.

[Demonjustin]

The thing about being a business is that you're trying to make money. If you're going to spend, say, $100,000 on a graphical update your goal is to make that much or more as a result of doing so. Upgrading the graphics of this game will not retain many additional players and will not draw in many long term players either. As it's been said before the game's graphics and gameplay are unrelated, this means graphics in the end won't be enough to retain or pull in players. As a result of this the cost of upgrading graphics won't be covered by the additional money made and it's a bad business choice.

People can run around this subject a hundred times it's not going to change the fact that a graphical update simply won't be done without something like kickstarter being the cause. SE has no financial reason to do this kind of update to the game and if the best argument for why they should do it outside of something like kickstarter is because they're a business or because we've paid for the last 12 years to play this game then you're only going to end up without getting it. Pointing out they're a business is only pointing out exactly why they'll never do it and to some extent never should. Pointing out we've played so long makes it sound like that means they owe us something, guess what though, those dues have been paid over the last few years of continued updates to the game and additional content spread all throughout it. Graphics are not part of the deal, they've never been and will never be. That's just how things are.

The point of this idea is for people who want to fund it to have the ability and power to do so rather than sitting around with their thumbs up their asses hoping one day SE will grace them with that which they so desire. If you want to keep your money then fine, do it, but stop acting as though SE will just do it themselves and that we're wasting our time and money when they will never do it themselves because there's 0 profit and only loss to be had as a result of it on their part.

[Alhanelem]

As I mentioned before, they've already established they can change individual textures on one platform and not another (See: title screen, ability/nameplate icons and 3D font enhancements)

[Arbalest]

This kickstarter would never happen.

[Raydeus]

This kickstarter would never happen.

If you told me that 5 years ago I would've agreed completely.

But nowadays there is a good chance they might actually consider it because not only have Kickstarters proven their viability both with indies and with established companies, but also because it would be something of very low risk and investment for them. Right now it's just a matter of seeing what they have to say about it.

Either way, nothing at all is lost with trying.

[Sixtythree]

You guys should consider performance as well. It'd be great for new models / textures etc... but at the minimum the game really should be more efficient and friendly with new hardware. Who here has decent specs and experiences random slowdowns for no apparent reason?

[Raydeus]

You guys should consider performance as well. It'd be great for new models / textures etc... but at the minimum the game really should be more efficient and friendly with new hardware. Who here has decent specs and experiences random slowdowns for no apparent reason?

Yep, we've mentioned that in the thread before, that something like this would be good :

- Main goals :
1) DX11 client with proper PC optimization and features (AA, AF, V-sync, longer drawing distances, better performance on modern hardware, better audio processing, snappier UI, etc.)
2) HD textures for all items, characters, monsters and areas.

- Additional goals :
1) OpenGL/Mantle support
2) HD Rework of environmental and gameplay FX (particle effects in abilities, spells, etc., water effects, weather effects, etc.)

Models themselves don't really need any sort of rework, just the textures.