The increase in cashshop and merchandise

... is highly concerning to me given the aweful state the game has been in since 6.1 which btw Is getting worse. If feels like they no longer care to make income through the game or even update the game. I am concerned this could lead to a rise in the cost of the monthly sub when s.e continues to bleed players and nobody buys the merch. The cashshop items are also not in super high demand..

Cloud was a good attempt to keep the game alive but- she is too difficult and toxic for pf, her bonus pops at ridiculous times (it popped at 3am my time when servers were down for maintenance and only lasted 3 hours after maintenance ended) but regardless this bonus is a fantastic idea that ex trials raids and any loot pinyatta content needs.

But even cloud is not what she could have been. Released
6 months into the tier one has to question what Is the point in doing savage beside her or even juno when she has no lock and they do perhaps if we released her earlier she could have served her intended purpose better... why do I bring this up. Because rn as it stands, Feb 26th 2025. THAT IS ALL THERE IS TO DO. And it's been this way since November.

This is causing players to leave the game as there is no more reason to sub and se continues to grift for money outside the gameplay I am very concerned where they will look next

most the thing you are also speaking about is about NPC gear or hair stuff they never planned us to get look I want yugiri hairstyle but I know the day I have it. it will be in the cash shop and I will be ok with it. because they want out of they're way to allow me to have it so I will pay those few bucks for it.

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Originally Posted by Nero-Voidstails

most the thing you are also speaking about is about NPC gear or hair stuff they never planned us to get look I want yugiri hairstyle but I know the day I have it. it will be in the cash shop and I will be ok with it. because they want out of they're way to allow me to have it so I will pay those few bucks for it.

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“This model that’s basically already in the game was never designed to actually exist so you should be damn glad they decided to be merciful and only make you pay 19.95 USD plus shipping and handling per character for the privilege of owning it”

I wouldn't care if we saw evidence of at least some of the money going back into the game, but we seem to be seeing less and less of that as the xpacs go on.

The microtransactions will continue until morale improves. /s

Hey devs the 1 player sindriiisgaming is bored. Quick make another expansion just for him and have it ready in 5 mins.

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Originally Posted by Mijeme

Hey devs the 1 player sindriiisgaming is bored. Quick make another expansion just for him and have it ready in 5 mins.

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Hey devs the playerbase has collapsed back to pre pandemic numbers, maybe the current content cycle that would make continental drift jealous in its speed isn’t working

I'd be curious to see if there is actually an increase in these items compared to how previous expansions went

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Originally Posted by Saraide

The microtransactions will continue until morale improves. /s

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https://i.imgur.com/ejpfDMR.jpeg

it will continue until the market crashes, but the new generation of gamers grew up with this, they don't know how it was before all this cash shop trash

Are folks so hard up financially that a $5 hairstyle is gonna break the bank? If that's the case, it's time to find a different hobby.

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Originally Posted by DynnDiablos

Are folks so hard up financially that a $5 hairstyle is gonna break the bank? If that's the case, it's time to find a different hobby.

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Do people have so little appreciation of their money they are willing to justify cash shop purchases because and i quote “ Are folks so hard up financially that a $5 hairstyle is gonna break the bank?”

Submitted for your approval im an anaesthesiologist so I’m not strapped for cash if you wanna go that route

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Originally Posted by DynnDiablos

Are folks so hard up financially that a $5 hairstyle is gonna break the bank? If that's the case, it's time to find a different hobby.

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That's missing the point made here, really. Its not that people don't have the money I'd say, its that they find it hard to justify smaller purchases to support this studio if they perceive the quality of the product to be in the decline.

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Originally Posted by DynnDiablos

Are folks so hard up financially that a $5 hairstyle is gonna break the bank? If that's the case, it's time to find a different hobby.

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5$ for one hairstyle , which is already in the game, an asset that is just "locked" in the character creation.
What do you think how much work went into this?. While there are hundreds of "free" hairstyle you can download.

Have some respect for peoples money.

I like that there are threads and threads talking about how disgusting and offensive the cash shop then the minute I mention it may be cash grabby it’s ’oh it’s a business of course it is’ ‘I’ll spend my money how I want’ (Post History > Tales of Adventure Thread).

Where did those people go lol?

Imagine how much more money they would make if they actually fixed Hrothgar and Viera to wear hats.

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Originally Posted by Nero-Voidstails

most the thing you are also speaking about is about NPC gear or hair stuff they never planned us to get look I want yugiri hairstyle but I know the day I have it. it will be in the cash shop and I will be ok with it. because they want out of they're way to allow me to have it so I will pay those few bucks for it.

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I totally agree, in fact we should be GRATEFUL they let us use our money on an already existing asset that is no different at all than any other, they are giving us the PRIVILEGE to buy this hairstyle for $5 that people werent supposed to be using, for ONLY $5 !!!

Seriously, I really question if some of you people read yourself after you write this stuff, if they didnt want you using it, they wouldnt let you use it, not sell it on the shop for $5.

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Originally Posted by DynnDiablos

Are folks so hard up financially that a $5 hairstyle is gonna break the bank? If that's the case, it's time to find a different hobby.

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You are the reason why the gaming industry is going the way it is and is full of microtransactions and DLC's. Shame on you.

This player's perspective is that the cash shop hasn't increased at all, rather the in game non cash rewards and their quality, have decreased. I used to look at using the cash shop as a chance to tip square enix for the great value I was getting. Now I've hit end game since EW, my friends left with DT, and I missed the boat on DT savage, since then I kind of feel like Square Enix should be paying me to sit here in a western DC Chaotic PF with both thumbs up my ass.

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Originally Posted by DynnDiablos

Are folks so hard up financially that a $5 hairstyle is gonna break the bank? If that's the case, it's time to find a different hobby.

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Will SE go bankrupt if they give us the NPC for free? Will it break the game? See, this works both ways.

oh I don't say it's the best thing to do if folks are wondering I personally don't like Hilda hairstyle so that also doesn't bothers me to much but what I would like is more body customization for our character muscle slider for all race scales pattern for Au Ra, better tail model for miqo hats for Viera and hroth. like if those would go in the cash shop I would be complaining for sure! even a age meter would be nice! like 21 to 35 years olds like I dont mind having NPC stuff that wasn't attended for player to have in the cash shop or some mount yes some should be in the game that I will agree on.

it's just remember people ask for all those and doing content for it or adding it to the game where would it go if it was added as reward? criterion savage ultimate field operation? even crafting location? or even island sanctuary?

I do wish people would fight for better content and character customization before NPC stuff I wish we could go smaller for chest too but eh it is what it is.

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Originally Posted by DynnDiablos

Are folks so hard up financially that a $5 hairstyle is gonna break the bank? If that's the case, it's time to find a different hobby.

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The game costs USD$59.99 on purchase, currently. With a subscription plan that averages to give credit to bulk options at around ~$10 per month. For that purchase, once you clear MSQ to current, you are paying ~$10 a month towards a 4 month patch cycle. That means fresh content comes every 40$. This occurs, we'll round up to be generous, 3 times a year. That's 120$ a year for three patches of content.

To put it more aptly, if I spend 40$ on a game, and that game only had as much content as a single FFXIV patch, would I be satisfied with that game? No. No, I'd review bomb that game into the dirt.

So given the content release cycle is in the state it is in asking me to pay half my monthly sub (5$) extra to get the priviledge of access to an asset from an expansion that released 7 years ago is not just absurd, it's patently predatory at best. I'm all for them making money, but in current state asking ~$10 a month for this service is straining credulity; adding a micro transaction atop that when so many reward systems and contents are dead, and then adding a micro transaction on an old asset, is just a pill too jagged to swallow.

Despite my tone I don't actually care that much. I think it's predatory as a fox and I think whales are out there. Nothing for it, but certainly seems like a tax on the gullible to me.

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Originally Posted by Nero-Voidstails

oh I don't say it's the best thing to do if folks are wondering I personally don't like Hilda hairstyle so that also doesn't bothers me to much but what I would like is more body customization for our character muscle slider for all race scales pattern for Au Ra, better tail model for miqo hats for Viera and hroth.

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Yeah but why would they put all the work into modernizing the character creator when some reused cosmetics for a fraction of work makes more money?
It is short term thinking for quick profits.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbbvK2Dnkao

in case you havent seen this.

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Originally Posted by yesnt

Will SE go bankrupt if they give us the NPC for free? Will it break the game? See, this works both ways.

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Nah, it wouldn't break the game.

However ... they should definitely restrict it to players who have subscribed for 10+ years so it's something to look forward to.

Honestly, I thought this was about the irl dolls, $400 fragile statues, and camping gear ads with ffxiv collabs.

I mean, I can accept regional exclusive gear costing money but even years-old NPC hair is rough when it could've IDK been a measure of goodwill from the moogle events.

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Originally Posted by CCheshire

Honestly, I thought this was about the irl dolls, $400 fragile statues, and camping gear ads with ffxiv collabs.

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In the end... those are part of the issue too, no?
Square Enix openly uses FFXIV's popularity to turn the game into an advertisement platform and lure in the money by offering regular products but with the FFXIV Logo printed on them for twice the price (what a steal). All the while treating the main game like an orphan.

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Originally Posted by ovIm

In the end... those are part of the issue too, no?
Square Enix openly uses FFXIV's popularity to turn the game into an advertisement platform and lure in the money by offering regular products but with the FFXIV Logo printed on them for twice the price (what a steal). All the while treating the main game like an orphan.

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True, I just keep thinking FFXIV players deserve more than SE treating them as whales like I'm still salty the Erevnille minion is tied to the Dawntrail artbooks for $40 instead of a quest b/c they just needed that spare $$$.

Its optional.

I wouldn't mind if it was $5 if they were account wide, I hate having to spend more for multiple characters. All Mogstation purchases should be account wide but they won't ever do that, they are making more money forcing players like me to buy them again for multiple characters.

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Originally Posted by Rinoa_353

I wouldn't mind if it was $5 if they were account wide, I hate having to spend more for multiple characters. All Mogstation purchases should be account wide but they won't ever do that, they are making more money forcing players like me to buy them again for multiple characters.

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That and the recent trend with splitting up the items thus causing players to spend more in total to get the whole set if they want it

Whereas you used to get the hairstyle included with the outfit set

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Originally Posted by DynnDiablos

Are folks so hard up financially that a $5 hairstyle is gonna break the bank? If that's the case, it's time to find a different hobby.

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No, I'm complaining in the same way one does about taxes. Because it feels like less money is going back to anything but management payroll than it did some 20something years ago, and the results of this are pretty plain to anyone with umm...eyes.

It's a part of life now. Whatever. But can we actually see some of these questionably gotten gains go towards something productive? That'd be nice.

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Originally Posted by DynnDiablos

Are folks so hard up financially that a $5 hairstyle is gonna break the bank? If that's the case, it's time to find a different hobby.

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It's not a case of being "Hard Up" to me it's a case of milking the player base.

They take our sub money and give us near nothing in return yet are pushing the cash store, so it's not a "We need money because we're giving you so much" it's a "We just want more money, and we lock new things behind the store instead of in game".
They can't even bother to account-bind purchases beyond mounts.

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Originally Posted by Supersnow845

Hey devs the playerbase has collapsed back to pre pandemic numbers, maybe the current content cycle that would make continental drift jealous in its speed isn’t working

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:D

It definitely isn't. This year will be telling.

The cash shop, imo, wouldn't be as egregious if they did what other games like ESO, FO76 and even WoW does and give us currency equalling our subs to spend on cash shop items. I know WoW isn't exactly cash shop currency, but a lot of what goes into our cash shop is what makes up the rotating selection of items to buy in WoW.

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Originally Posted by DynnDiablos

Are folks so hard up financially that a $5 hairstyle is gonna break the bank? If that's the case, it's time to find a different hobby.

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Originally Posted by DynnDiablos

I'm sorry, what did I get exactly in 7.1? 7 filler MSQ quests that took an hour and PeluPelu deliveries that were junk?

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Same kind of person who votes for a certain President and then wonders why insulin prices jumped, why farmers' subsidies are being turned off, why the DoE isn't giving their disabled son assistance.

Like bruh seriously try to learn cause and effect lmao