So whats with the awful rumors?

Terrible rumors of this game going free to play. Thal's bloody balls, if FFXIV -ever- goes free to play that's going to be the end of it's time as the best MMO on the market.

Glad it's not happening.

There's no way they'll go f2p while the game's still maintaining a sizeable and healthy playerbase on a subscription model. That would be silly.

Whoever is coming up with those rumors is silly.

There have been people salty about this game's success from (relaunch) day 1. Ignore 'em.

I can't recall ever seeing anyone suggesting as much. Where did you hear the rumours?

There was an interview where Yoshi-P reiterated that this game would not go f2p unless there was an overwhelming demand from the playerbase and/or if the game was on its last legs. Of course lots of reporting outlets put a false spin on the topic for clicks and bring out the people who don't want to pay

there was an interview where Yoshi P was asked and he didn't say no, but he said something to the effect of if 80% of users wanted to they would consider it. It's mentioned in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjChg31G1WQ

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Originally Posted by Theodric

I can't recall ever seeing anyone suggesting as much. Where did you hear the rumours?

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Theres been some youtube speculation about it, I actually honestly haven't watched the video since the idea bothers me so much.

Of course youtube is stupid 90% of the time so..

https://venturebeat.com/2013/06/17/f...lay-exclusive/

I don't think much has changed.

Sounds like you ended up watching a click bait video.

Why would you go F2P if you can get away with a Cash Shop AND Subscriptions anyway?

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Originally Posted by Sylvina

Theres been some youtube speculation about it, I actually honestly haven't watched the video since the idea bothers me so much.

Of course youtube is stupid 90% of the time so..

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Yeah, your first mistake was hitting up youtube. The game's fine and healthy. They wont go f2p considering XI still isn't.

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Originally Posted by Risvertasashi

https://venturebeat.com/2013/06/17/f...lay-exclusive/

I don't think much has changed.

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https://theenterprisedaily.com/2017/...ough-fans-want

Cept it being brought up every so often in some shape or form.

Honestly, it's just the same shit different day really. The stance has not changed, nor do I think it will. Also F2P should be called C2P (convenience 2 play), cause 'free' is just.. not really free anymore *cough*cashshops*cough*

also keep in mind Yoshi P never out right says no. He either dodges the question or leaves a vague answer. However I doubt SE is willing to risk tarnishing FFXIV again after the blunder of 1.0 with a f2p model. Not to mention sub model is more consistent. The only thing that worries me is if this game starts going "pay-to-earn" or "pay-to-win". It's already happened with additional retainers and cash shop exclusive items.

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Originally Posted by Marxam

also keep in mind Yoshi P never out right says no. He either dodges the question or leaves a vague answer. However I doubt SE is willing to risk tarnishing FFXIV again after the blunder of 1.0 with a f2p model. Not to mention sub model is more consistent. The only thing that worries me is if this game starts going "pay-to-earn" or "pay-to-win". It's already happened with additional retainers and cash shop exclusive items.

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The retainer thing always irked me, but I need space, so...not much of a choice there. As far as the cash shop goes, as long as it's vanity-related things I don't really care. Dyes I wish were less rare in-game though, but I guess they need to incentivize people to buy them somehow.

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Originally Posted by SilverObi

There was an interview where Yoshi-P reiterated that this game would not go f2p unless there was an overwhelming demand from the playerbase and/or if the game was on its last legs. Of course lots of reporting outlets put a false spin on the topic for clicks and bring out the people who don't want to pay

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While I agree that at this point game isn't going to go f2p. Yoshi will do what his bosses say and come up with some lie so player base feels better. He isn't your buddy he is an employee and has clearly shown that.

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Originally Posted by Marxam

also keep in mind Yoshi P never out right says no. He either dodges the question or leaves a vague answer. However I doubt SE is willing to risk tarnishing FFXIV again after the blunder of 1.0 with a f2p model. Not to mention sub model is more consistent. The only thing that worries me is if this game starts going "pay-to-earn" or "pay-to-win". It's already happened with additional retainers and cash shop exclusive items.

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They have a lot of f2p games for phone platform. So who knows maybe someone will think enough people will like them. While some players don't like f2p, sites spin it as a positive if population stays healthy and some players do like it.

Final Fantasy XI is still on a subscription. I see no indication that XIV would go F2P.

This game funds SE other game projects, doubtful it would ever go F2P, lol

It’s just stupid click bait put out by morons who have nothing to say, and no integrity as to what constitutes journalism in the most basic sense. Don’t click on that garbage.

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Originally Posted by Marxam

also keep in mind Yoshi P never out right says no. He either dodges the question or leaves a vague answer.

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I mean, yeah, he's said he would be willing to do almost anything if there's enough player demand for it. Even an open pvp server.

Buuuut unless we see the forums clogged with threads of "Go f2p now!" I don't see it happening. And I don't particularly see any threads demanding it...

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Originally Posted by Risvertasashi

I mean, yeah, he's said he would be willing to do almost anything if there's enough player demand for it. Even an open pvp server.

Buuuut unless we see the forums clogged with threads of "Go f2p now!" I don't see it happening. And I don't particularly see any threads demanding it...

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Some sort of in-game poll would be nice. The forums are just a small sample and, I'd say, not very representative.

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Originally Posted by Lilseph

Some sort of in-game poll would be nice. The forums are just a small sample and, I'd say, not very representative.

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Certain ideas in the past seem to have been forum inspired (like primal themes for the primal mounts back in ARR or the totem system for HW primal mounts), but overall yeah, this isn't a representation of the majority. In-game polls would be a great thing.

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Originally Posted by Senliten

Honestly, it's just the same shit different day really. The stance has not changed, nor do I think it will. Also F2P should be called C2P (convenience 2 play), cause 'free' is just.. not really free anymore *cough*cashshops*cough*

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Just to nitpick a bit, F2P games definitely exist, and they are free to play. They of course come with cash-shops that vary from pure fluff items to P2W items, just depends on the game. However, you can still play these games without dipping into the cash-shop.

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Originally Posted by Zojha

Why would you go F2P if you can get away with a Cash Shop AND Subscriptions anyway?

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OH SO TRUE. SE has a good deal going for themselves right now - don't see f2p hitting this game any time soon. Even XI still has a sub, and that game is ancient as far as MMOs go.

The only reason why F2P is repeatedly brought up comes down to the fact that FFXIV and other sub based MMOs are the minority now. All Yoshi-P is saying is as long as FFXIV has a healthy playerbase that's willing to pay a sub, there will never be a need to go F2P.

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Originally Posted by Vahlnir

The retainer thing always irked me, but I need space, so...not much of a choice there. As far as the cash shop goes, as long as it's vanity-related things I don't really care. Dyes I wish were less rare in-game though, but I guess they need to incentivize people to buy them somehow.

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they were at one point. I remember when I would keep getting dyes from quick ventures and it got to the point where I had up to 10 jet black and 12 pure white in a span of a few week. However once they put it on the cash shop it drastically dropped and I haven't seen one pure white or jet black since. I rarely get the pastel/metallic dye but I always felt they nerfed to drop rate and coupled with the increase in items the older the game gets it becomes more and more harder to obtain. This in turn makes the dye sets on the cash shop more enticing.

The cash shop as of 4.1, is slowly introducing items or "optional-services" that do give players advantage over others so no, the cash shop is not only for vanity. Retainers are the biggest one because the market potential of having multiple retainers vs the two everyone gets is undeniable. You have more resources, selling space and ability to gain items through ventures at a higher rate. There's also jump potions but that's something entirely and more or less affects you the player because even if you do use it you still need to put the time and effort to learn your job or else you are gonna have a bad time.

Honestly F2P games turn me off. I prefer paying a sub because I know I will have access to everything I need to be able to progress in the game without having to browse an online store.

Not all F2P games are pay to win, but enough are that I'm very wary of them.

It's not really a rumor. Yoshi said he'd consider it if the playerbase wanted it but it would require them to change the way they did things so they could make money(the second half is implied but he said it nicer) in a recent interview. On one hand it'd be free so awesome but on the other it'd prolly be pay to win so screw that.

Most f2p games become pay to win... then there are the bots which would instantly become 2000% worse... and of course players who decide to become aholes because essentially there is no real risk in getting banned... this game in its current subscription based model is not only doing ok but it's growing... so I don't see any reason for them to change tactics anytime soon

How can it go F2P when sucking all your money out through the subscription, the mog kiosk and the digital store isn't enough? :rolleyes:

It already has a F2P cash shop in a subscription model. What more would they gain? Moreover, how could they justify F2P when they keep delaying content like this? They have your money already with subscription. Delays with F2P = no income from delays.

These rumors have been going on for like four years now! Now I have played other games like Rift where there were rumors but then the rumors ended up being true. Rift went free to play of course...

But for that to happen, at least in the case of the MMO I played that went F2P in the past, it's usually a process. There really hasn't been any clues that it's going to happen yet. With Rift at least, it became pretty obvious it was going to happen as soon as they sold gear that was as good as what you'd get in dungeons and what not on their cash shop. The biggest sign is when the game seems to be struggling with it's pay model and keeps revamping it and changing the pay structure. FFXIV seems pretty solid on that aspect at the moment.

I can't say that the game *won't* go F2P but at the same time, rumors are just rumors right now. We haven't had any kind of clues so far that I've seen. So unless someone wants to link a timestamp of a live letter or link to some article, there really isn't any proof that they have F2P on the table.

This what it came from: https://gamerescape.com/2017/10/03/y...del-for-ffxiv/

"When talking about the subscription business model that Final Fantasy XIV has held since it was released, he had this to say:

“That being said, if 80% or 90% of our players are demanding we go free-to-play, then we might need to look at shifting our business model, but we would also need to change our game design to match that business model. It all depends on what the game design should be based on what our players’ needs are.”"

Oh that is interesting, I had not seen that article. Nice find.

Did he bring up F2P or were they just asking him about it? I mean I guess he can't just rule it out because he wants to cover his bases I'm sure.

That would be a massive undertaking for them to change to micro-transactions though. Would they do it? I wonder. They said 80%/90% of the playerbase requesting it might make them consider it? How many are actually asking for F2P though? I have no idea. If I were to guess though I'd say they were just a vocal minority.

I'd probably quit playing if this game ever went free to play and went heavy on the cash shop stuff. Really hope this isn't true.

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Originally Posted by ElazulHP

I'd probably quit playing if this game ever went free to play and went heavy on the cash shop stuff. Really hope this isn't true.

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Yeah this is one game where I can just pay my sub every month and never have to worry about feeling nickel and dimed. I spent far more money on "free to play" mmos than I spend here, probably too much for my own good.

I don't think it will happen, or at least not in the nearby future when people are willing to spend cash for additional space and silly stuff that should've been in the game from the get go AND pay a subscription on top of it. People just like nostalgia too much and will suck on anything to support this game, even buying trash on the cash shop.
Oh and when I say trash, I only mean stuff like pets, mounts and costumes (especially costumes): I'm totally fine with other services like fantasia or naming (but there should be ways to gain it in the game too). Even WoW doesn't overdo it, as they only sell unique pets and mounts in a game where there are already hundreds of pets and mounts. This game definitely does not have that much, so it feels like they're ripping off content from the game only to put it on the shop instead. Which I'm fairly sure it is.

With that said, I'd definitely keep playing if this game went f2p. Why? Well with so much lack of content (patch 4.1 should be up by tomorrow and I didn't even bother to resub, it's that poor) or content that barely lasts a week (or even a day), what's the point of spending 13 euros/15 dollars on it? Sure f2p games lack on content and usually don't have much going on but hey, it's free and I can quit anytime if I get tired: no commitment at all.
But in a Sub based game there's more commitment, especially when you're paying to play and trying to make your money worth it, but if this said commitment isn't paid off in full I simply don't see the point in continuing: it's like throwing money in a fireplace, minus the smoke.

TL;DR: I doubt it will go f2p and they'd probably shut down the game instead (they already made their money back from the 1.0 fiasco, this game is just here to milk the players until it's inevitable demise), but if it did, well, I'd definitely try again and probably invite my friends again who couldn't stand it.

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Originally Posted by Cherie

Oh that is interesting, I had not seen that article. Nice find.

Did he bring up F2P or were they just asking him about it? I mean I guess he can't just rule it out because he wants to cover his bases I'm sure.

That would be a massive undertaking for them to change to micro-transactions though. Would they do it? I wonder. They said 80%/90% of the playerbase requesting it might make them consider it? How many are actually asking for F2P though? I have no idea. If I were to guess though I'd say they were just a vocal minority.

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I think he was asked about it and as far as I know.... all of no one has asked for it to be F2P. I am assuming it was just a random thing asked given no MMO has successfully stayed under the sub model since FF11/WoW.

Ugh....Blizzard making up lies because they're butthurt again.

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Originally Posted by Theodric

I can't recall ever seeing anyone suggesting as much. Where did you hear the rumours?

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This is not a rumor. Yoshida stated in a 4.1 interview that they would consider going to F2P if 80-90% of the player base demanded it. MrHappy has a video on YouTube concerning this.

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Originally Posted by Rizon

This is not a rumor. Yoshida stated in a 4.1 interview that they would consider going to F2P if 80-90% of the player base demanded it. MrHappy has a video on YouTube concerning this.

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It is a rumour, because they are not thinking about going F2P.
A ridiculous question was asked, and he answered it the best he could.
How someone could garner any meaningful information from that, is where rumours are born.
This thread existing is proof of someones stupidity in reading something that doesnt exist.

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Originally Posted by Rizon

This is not a rumor. Yoshida stated in a 4.1 interview that they would consider going to F2P if 80-90% of the player base demanded it. MrHappy has a video on YouTube concerning this.

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Which probably won't happen. Nothing's impossible, but this is highly unlikely. XI still has a sub and it has been going for over a decade...and only has a couple hundred thousand subs now? Idk, that was the last I heard. But either way, if it's still got a sub, then XIV will have no issue.