Why the cash shop hate?

I honestly don't understand why people are upset. None of the items are game breaking, there is no pay to win going on. They even added a FREE wedding plan. The money people spend goes back into the game (and I'm sure some wallets but thats besides the point) so why not let the people with the cash to blow blow it. Its like complaining that the rich kid got the new bike and your stuck with your brothers old one.

This is coming from someone who only makes 9k a year and doesn't still live with their parents. Just an opinion. >.>

The hate isn't so much with the cash shop itself but with the exclusivity of the items. People are already paying for the game and a subscription, to have to pay on top of that to get things that could be put into the game itself rather than (or in addition to) the cash shop. Especially when one such feature, the wedding, was advertised before the cash shop really existed, so there was no warning up until the last live letter (just a few weeks ago) that some of its content would be cash only - especially that 2person mount.

It was just not a nice surprise after getting people excited. Same goes with the dyes, there was no warning at all that dyes would even show up in this system, yet the ones that were added are exclusive to the cash shop. Retainers can't even get them.

And for people who RP or collect and stuff, who don't care at all about dungeons and raids (which FF14 has a HUGE casual crowd, far bigger than WoW's), it's all they care about so to have a portion of the game that they care about being locked away behind more money feels like downer. To them it'd be like if SE announced a new dungeon 3-4 months ago, then 2 weeks before it's release they announced it required a key to access it that was available in the cash shop - with no way of getting said dungeon key in the game at all.

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Originally Posted by PenelopeWinn

Its like complaining that the rich kid got the new bike and your stuck with your brothers old one.

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THANK YOU! I mean my gawd if you see something you want on the cash shop, then save that money and get it. If you want it but dont want to spend the money, then guess what, you will not GET it. It's like when the legacy players had exclusive mounts from 1.0. Then ARR rolls around and all the new players "I want that mount!!!! cry cry cry" and guess what, SE gave it to them. So i guess they are using the SAME technique to try and get FREE shit.

This makes me sad. If you want something, and its for sale, save those pennies and BUY it from the cash shop. This is how business works. You are not entitled to every thing in this world for free.

Not to mention the people who are mad at the fact that they "have to pay for a platinum wedding" now actually CAN buy a platinum wedding with gil, but, that is upsetting too, apparently.

Hmmm.... How to put this...

No. It's not game breaking. Does that mean everyone should just accept it though? Not at all. If your priorities are such that you don't care about such content, great for you. If your finances are such that $15 for Project Manager M to play around with the developer tools seems like a fair deal, even better. Please be aware that there are people out there who do care, and who do not have cash to throw about, however.

To me, the simple notion of a pure cash shop (as apposed to a cash shop which simply lets you skip some grinding) in a pay to play MMO is like a crack in an expensive vase. Yeah, it isn't broken. It still functions as a vase and all that, but that small piece of damage ruins its value. The cash shop doesn't ruin this game, but I certainly don't think it improves it in anyway. All it does is gate off content some people may care about behind extra payments.

Its not about Yes i have the money, or no I dont have the money. Players are being little spoiled brats by complaining that they cant access what is on the cash shop b/c they want it handed to them b/c they feel ENTITLED. And also, do you really believe that they will make a purchased item to skip grinding levels, coil turns, ect? If people REALLY think that THAT will happen are paranoid.... and just silly. LOL!

It's like having a magazine subscription and, after a year, not being able to see the pictures unless you pay $1 extra for each one. Sure for some people it's no big deal; for others, they got the subscription for the pictures and are feeling REALLY let down over this change. They wonder, "What am I paying for, then??"

There is also the "slippery slope" or "snowball effect" feeling of impending doom that some folks get. They may wonder, "Is the game actually doing okay?" since, in other games, a cash shop appears around the time the game goes F2P/P2W. And usually, the community is different (for the worse) in F2P games. No one wants that.

Those are my guesses.

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Originally Posted by PenelopeWinn

there is no pay to win going on.

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Buying an exclusive item that has value in the game - real money turned to gil.

That is p2w. (Gil is not a useless currency).

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Originally Posted by MaiyaBeaumont

Its not about Yes i have the money, or no I dont have the money. Players are being little spoiled brats by complaining that they cant access what is on the cash shop b/c they want it handed to them b/c they feel ENTITLED.

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Working towards something in a game you are paying a monthly subscription for =/= having something handed to you for free.

I would much rather, for example, see all of the Scion minions put behind a Delivery Moogle quest relating to each of the Scions themselves. I would much rather see Sleipnir obtained from actually fighting Odin (be it a rare drop from the upcoming Trial, similar to the other Primals ponies, or grinding out a ridiculous amount of Mantels). That makes far more sense to me. Just going "Here, have it for $X" just seems lazy, and in a subscription based MMO it just leaves a bad taste. Am I entitled to what I'd rather see? No. Not at all. I am, however, entitled to voice my opinion of what I'd rather see.

I get that World of Warcraft set the bar low when it comes to cash shops, but other MMOs have since done a much better job, and XIV was even respectable with Veteran Rewards as an alternative to a cash shop (which it was originally pegged as).

Honestly, if anything the minions and mounts in the cash shop are handed to you. Which is harder to obtain? Sleipnir or any of the Primal ponies? Wind-up Yda or Fledgling Apkallu? Damn, the amount of meaningless time sink they pumped the Sightseeing Log full of probably means you'd spend more money in continued subscription fees going after that Apkallu than you would on Wind-up Yda...

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Originally Posted by MaiyaBeaumont

Its not about Yes i have the money, or no I dont have the money. Players are being little spoiled brats by complaining that they cant access what is on the cash shop b/c they want it handed to them b/c they feel ENTITLED. And also, do you really believe that they will make a purchased item to skip grinding levels, coil turns, ect? If people REALLY think that THAT will happen are paranoid.... and just silly. LOL!

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You are very wrong and confused. Your comments are deliberately hateful and not the general theme of what you call cash shop haters.

The main juxtaposition is the exclusivity period. Not a sense on entitlement. Items in the cash shop that were once available in the game past are mostly fine with everyone. Items exclusive in there and no way to get them without paying cash are by a large margin not acceptable among the cash shop haters. I really don't like calling it cash shop haters because it's not a good description of what we are. I'm sure a better word can work just can't think of one.

He......hehehe...

None are pay to win....

Let's do this. Buy golden plans of eternal bond, sell them, obtain gil, use that gil for acquiring the latest crafted stuff I need for my relic, or buy i110 HQ crafted gear....

BUT IT'S OPTIONAL!

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Originally Posted by Nalien

Working towards something in a game you are paying a monthly subscription for =/= having something handed to you for free.

I would much rather, for example, see all of the Scion minions put behind a Delivery Moogle quest relating to each of the Scions themselves. I would much rather see Sleipnir obtained from actually fighting Odin (be it a rare drop from the upcoming Trial, similar to the other Primals ponies, or grinding out a ridiculous amount of Mantels). That makes far more sense to me. Just going "Here, have it for $X" just seems lazy, and in a subscription based MMO it just leaves a bad taste.

I get that World of Warcraft set the bar low when it comes to cash shops, but other MMOs have since done a much better job, and XIV was even respectable with Veteran Rewards as an alternative to a cash shop (which it was originally pegged as).

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I agree with this. When they added the tank mounts to the game, the reasoning they gave was that it might inspire people to ask "Wow, how do I get that?" and then try their hand at tanking. The response to "Wow, how do I get that?" being "lol get out your credit card" is lame.

I think there wouldn't be nearly as much hate about the cash shop if there was actual value for money. My biggest issue with it is that it seems intentionally made to screw over the consumer, which is unfortunate.

We're talking about a virtual product. There's no need for many of these items to be so darned expensive, and even the cheaper items, while not abhorrently costly, don't give adequate value for money. The dyes are a perfect example of a cash shop item gone wrong. $1 per SINGLE one-use dye. That's horrendous. That's stooping lower than a limbo dancer.

I daren't remind anyone that people already PAY to play the game. Exclusivity and additional purchases should never be used in the same sentence EVER. And when they are, they had better damn well be worth the cost.

So basically the message is- L2P (Learn to Pay)? I could buy whatever I want from the cash shop but I won't be based on principle. I already bought the game, and am paying the subscription every month to support new development and features beyond simply the ongoing server operability and maintenance. No point in me typing two or three more paragraphs to say what so many have already said on that subject; I'll vote with my wallet, and one way or another others will do the same with theirs.

Content or even bonus content for that matter should never be about how much of a fat wallet you have to spend on it.

It's optional which is true, but they're clearly neutering features to put "bonuses" in the shop.

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Originally Posted by Sadana

It's like having a magazine subscription and, after a year, not being able to see the pictures unless you pay $1 extra for each one. Sure for some people it's no big deal; for others, they got the subscription for the pictures and are feeling REALLY let down over this change. They wonder, "What am I paying for, then??"

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This analogy is inaccurate. A better example would be:
It's like having a magazine subscription and, after a year, they also release a collection of additional articles with other pictures, which can be purchased individually if anyone is so inclined or interested in one or more of these articles. At the same time, they also continue to release the magazine as always, per your subscription, with new pictures there as well.

Because a cash shop in a subscription game comes off as a greedy money grab. Also, a cash shop destroys the formerly egalitarian society that used to exist in favor of a 1st class vs coach society. That is, for the same subscription fee, we all - doctors, lawyers, business people, fast food workers, stay at home moms, college students, etc - used to have an equal chance to achieve anything and everything in the game. But not anymore.

Before if someone had better/cooler stuff, it's because they worked for it in game. Now, it's because they have more real money. Which is something to be expected in a F2P game, but not a P2P game like FFXIV.

Yes, in the real world richer people have better stuff. But we have enough of that IRL, why bring that social dynamic into a fantasy game we all play for enjoyment?

Cash shops - outside of account services such as Race changes, server transfers etc. - should not exist in a P2P MMO. Players are paying a monthly subscription for content, NOT a monthly subscription to have to buy, for example, 80% of the content and have that last 20% locked behind another pay wall.

None of the items are important, none of them even matter. Sure, it's vaguely paying to win, but that's because of "almost legalized RWT" through selling Plat bracelets to other players, which baffles me. But that doesn't hide the fact that these are items we shouldn't have to pay more for, because that is what the subscription is for - to allow us access to all the content.

Continued below.

Continued from above.

It's a slippery slope. Who's to say that CT3 in 2.5 won't be locked behind a pay wall now? Or all the Golden Saucer require funds to partake in too? It starts off as "just a few things" then transits to most updates being about cash shop.

Development time, that we already pay for, is being wasted on stuff that they expect us to pay more for. I don't understand how people can not see the problem.

There's also this reason the poster above gave

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Originally Posted by kiotsukete

Yes, in the real world richer people have better stuff. But we have enough of that IRL, why bring that social dynamic into a fantasy game we all play for enjoyment?

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Gaming is to escape from the harshness or stress of reality. So using "it's like real life" excuse for this is a pathetic way of condoning such acts, as it no longer is a game but an alternate life.

Sadly, because this is a FF game, there are so many fans who believe SE can do no wrong and can get away with murder.

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Originally Posted by WHS

You are very wrong and confused. Your comments are deliberately hateful and not the general theme of what you call cash shop haters.

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No I'm pretty sure I understand EXACTLY what this is. LOL. I'm just calling it how I see it. People want things for free.

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Originally Posted by Nalien

I get that World of Warcraft set the bar low when it comes to cash shops

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^ Thank you. =) Finally someone understands that SE is giving the player base, (for the most part) of what they are used to. Cash Shops.

EDIT:
I never played WoW so to see all the hate spew is really shocking. Isnt this what people wanted? I don't know, as I have never played a game with a cash shop before. So with that said, I could care less if Joe Tiddley down there wants to collect EVERY thing on the game. if he has to pay to get that optional content, if he wants it guess what. He will buy it. IT's not like they are giving out FREE level 50 characters geared to the teeth for 50 bucks. This is a GAME. Meant for entertainment purposes lol geez. Seeing people so up in arms over a game is quite hilarious.

I dont mind the whole "cash shop" thing. If people wanna buy things without working for them, fine. their money goes towards the game, their subscriptions go towards the game. Now that being said, you shouldnt make certain things only accessible thru the cash shop, especially if its new content. If you want to pay money for a dye that you can get randomely in game but dont want to work for it, fine. but to have said dye only be purchasabe thru cash shop alienates people who play the game for the chance to acquire said item. Now they have a system in place which they could use to help alleviate this issue, the loyalty system with the subscription service. Maybe give wedding service to people who maintain subscription for x number of months without break in service. or something.

Also, just because we pay for a subscription doesnt mean we should have unlimited acces to everthing they put out for this game. My understanding is that the subscription allows us to use servers. not just have everything they think of for free because we pay monthly.

A point I missed earlier is that the barrier between this MMO and a F2P MMO is thinning. Why should players continue to pay monthly for cash-gated updates when they could do that in other MMOs that are F2P?

I also think that what they can do is offer maybe mounts and such but make the ones you get in-game look different than the ones you get from cash shop. For ex. In-game minion could have a certain color and effect than same said minion bought in shop. that way players can either get the one they want or have both, but you can say hey, you bought that minion but in order to get this cooler version, you have to do this said quest and such...just an idea.

I dont mind the few minions here and there, and the dyes. But the Eternal Bond thing is a step too far, it was a feature that was teased months before, only for us to find out recently that most of the good stuff is locked in the cash shop.

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Originally Posted by Xephenon

A point I missed earlier is that the barrier between this MMO and a F2P MMO is thinning. Why should players continue to pay monthly for cash-gated updates when they could do that in other MMOs that are F2P?

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Well. Wow is using the cash shop since the join with Activision. Is wow a F2P? a P2W?

Who cares if a player buy a bracelet and put in MB or PF.

Player A has 0 millions an a precious item.
Player B has 5 millions or 10, whatever.

Player A sell the item to Player B.

Player A has 5 millions now
Player B has 0 cash and a precious item.

The money in the market is the same.

They haven't reached the acceptance stage of grief yet.

I could care less about the cash shop, I just ignore it. I'm so cheap, I even pay the basic entry subscription, for both myself and my girlfriend.

This argument is just getting ridiculous, and I don't blame the developers for ignoring these threads.