Outside FFXIV itself: Merchandising, Events, Collabs and their availability

So, this is mainly an open thought but... it seems it's been something going on for a while. Grab a seat, I'm going to pull out the Powerpoint.

Yesterday on the PLL, it was told that a normal version of Forked Tower wasn't done because of "its cost" (adlibbed but that was the general feel). And well, it doesn't matter to us as customers but it feels like there's some math that isn't mathing, or it's not optimized enough (and not talking about the game right now).

Aside the game performing well (which seems to be the case) or not, there's the problem on how a general player may feel about their implication outside the game due to their personal status (be it how many cash do they have, where do they live, what languages do they speak, how many free time do they have to play, their age, etc.) and FFXIV (or Square Enix as a whole rather) seems to have lost their entire focus on it, does Square really know its market?

Let's go to the examples; first, direct from the store, how many expensive (100+ $/€) merch do we have?
https://i.imgur.com/t5okhxi.png

93 items. And most of them tend to be released in a monthly basis. With the current global economic status I doubt a sizable quantity of people will buy a 399 earcuff when, for example, they may have saved money to buy a Switch 2 in this case. Not a 1200 turntable. Or a 999 Dollfie doll. Or 110 dollar keycaps that are merely restricted to EN-US keyboards. Or a 2300 FF7 Cloud figure.

And not just talking about merch, PLLs end with "merch and events" and, let's be honest, most of it unless you live on USA or Japan, it's completely null. But when you get an actual global event or merch that maybe you might be able to buy, it's a hair dye.

Yes, most of those merch and events might have sold out at the second and made them big cash, but if they made them big cash, why do we still feel like the money is not pumped into FFXIV development (and instead into projects that are so out of touch that will surely fail like those NFTs back in the day?)

(Follows on the next post)

How could this be solved?

• Affordable and properly priced merch (how about Nendoroids? Popup Parade?, investigate on what your overseas fans buy most outside your current store)
• Events that are not restricted by place (and make you not miss out on stuff, not even on actual game content like that Pizza emote)
• Collabs that are not focused on the customer arche-type that they can do 100+ $/€ purchases on a single item in a monthly basis
• Translations, even if it's not the entire game, at least on the menus; don't pump cash into game projects that will fail and pump it into growing your userbase.

Again, I am not a market researcher, translator, product manager or anything like that. I'm just a fan, and when I like something, I want to also help to make it better with constructive criticism. And I know they apologized in the last PLL and that you can't do stuff for absolutely everyone; but it feels like Square is just without a clear route on how to grow their stuff properly, not just going to the most wealthy customers and hope they buy stuff.

Its sad to say but i know atleast 5 People which bought really expensive stuff in the Store, so even if its really expensive people are buying that shit

If SE made 100 million dollars from FFXIV, SE would spend 99 million dollars on an additional Final Fantasy VII remake. It would then spend $500,000 on more rings for Yoshida, $400,000 on face paint for more comical stream cosplays, and $50,000 on a new Kingdom Hearts idea to scrap 4 years in, and the last remaining $50,000 reluctantly on yet another half baked repetitive begrudgingly made failed idea for FFXIV.

I'm not being even the slightest bit ironic.
No matter how much money FFXIV pulls in, they will never reinvest it back into the game. FFXIV and Kingdom Hearts get the black sheep treatment for whatever reason. It physically pains them to ever do anything for either of them, despite both bringing in a lot of cash. Its like it hurts their ego or something. They dont want to admit no one cares about their other Final Fantasy titles. They want those other titles to succeed sooooooooooo baaaaaaaaad, they're always always always willing to take from these other two to try re-propping them up yet again for the upteenth time in hopes of somehow getting these favored titles back into being mainstream global smash hits. They dont want FFXIV to be as popular as it is. They enjoy the money yes, but something about all of this to me just screams that FFXIV is not what they ever envisioned as being their poster child. FFXIV was always supposed to be lesser loved step child, and nothing more.

Bumping thread with another exhibit of most countries that have active players outside those countries:
https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...52#post6710852

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B. Territories: This Promotion is open only to individuals who are legal residents and physically and permanently located in one of the following countries/territories at the date and time of entry (the “Promotion Jurisdiction”):

• The fifty (50) states of the United States of America, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
• Canada (excluding Quebec).
• The United Kingdom (excluding the British Overseas Territories).
• Sweden.
• Australia (excluding South Australia).
• France (excluding Overseas France).
• Germany.

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I didn't made a point before on how physical sweepstakes ignore directly most countries while others (from other games, or even past ones from FFXIV) do not have these restrictions.

The reality is they're targeting a lucrative niche of the playerbase. They know a small amount of people are going to eat this up consistently.

Square Enix is hilariously bad at merchandising. I've mentioned this in surveys they've sent out over the past few years because I like collecting little doodads and supporting the game. Aside from job pins and magnets, most of the affordable merchandise is basically Japan only. They come out with lower cost items for claw machines and gachapon, which aren't entirely inaccessible but are a pain to get if you don't know how to find it. They have such hugely popular IPs that they could be earning money out the wazoo (see the MTG collab doing gangbusters) and despite owning a toy production company (Taito) they just... don't.

It's a problem with the company as a whole and one they've left mostly unaddressed for years.

when i look at the merch i look at 90% of ot and think its cheap and overprized junk.

one thing i love are all these amazing artworks. but they barely do anything with them.
i would also love some shirts but there are barely any. regional and time limited shirts during fanfests? why?

i heard they have a lot more and better stuff in the ff14 cafe/shop in tokyo.... no clue why they wouldnt sell that stuff online.

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Originally Posted by Asari5

when i look at the merch i look at 90% of ot and think its cheap and overprized junk.

one thing i love are all these amazing artworks. but they barely do anything with them.
i would also love some shirts but there are barely any. regional and time limited shirts during fanfests? why?

i heard they have a lot more and better stuff in the ff14 cafe/shop in tokyo.... no clue why they wouldnt sell that stuff online.

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I've been to two of the cafes about six years ago (the third is a pop-up in the summer, we were there in October), and they honestly didn't have that big of a gift shop, or much that was exclusive. It was mostly the same stuff they sell on the website. The food was good, though.

I can't tell you how many times I've put myself on the "wait list" for the carbuncle plush. Why don't they ever re-release those things? I imagine they're relatively inexpensive to produce, and while they're certainly over priced, they're affordable to do as a gift.

I'm starting to feel like the devs are bitter about FFXIV or the head honchos are, and just want to use it as a cash cow. I know it sounds unhinged, but I just don't feel the love from them for making this game better. There's just way too many QoL improvements they could make, but just refuse to dedicate teams or people to do so.

IMPROVE YOUR MAIN GAME, your main cash driver. Better a bird in hand (FFXIV) than ten in the bush (all your failed projects) Maybe your merch might sell better too, and we might get something better out of you than god awful FF7 remake after remake after rehash after re-imagining, after movie, after spinoff. Stuff like Octopath 2, that seemed to be made with actual passion. And not relying on memberberries and FF7's former success. There are other Final Fantasies too. Hell even FFXIV relies WAY too much on memberberries from older Final Fantasies, sometimes the "references" are just blatant rip offs, down to plotlines in the MSQ

For some reason, SE is also really into selling game-inspired silver jewelry and random accessories for its other big franchises. Honestly, the only thing missing is a LE emote code with that $400 single earring to match the recent $400 figure sold a few years ago. Also, I def have seen folks with the expensive emotes in LL, so they know their audience with disposable cash is out there.

Also, I recall reading they sell like FFXIV stickers, cups, incense, fridge magnets, PJs, small desk ornaments, and some standees, which are more affordable except for the high shipping rate they have for the official SE stores. If you're in the USA, BigBadToyStore always opens a PO for them, but they're up there in prices even for game merch. Ofc I wouldn't mind like Nendo or even PUPs of the cast, but SE rarely allows outsiders to license their series too, and their line is super expensive for below-average quality figures.

For t-shirts, they did a collab w/Uniqlo a few years ago that sold out in a few hours and never restocked in the USA, if that counts?

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Originally Posted by Batbrat

They dont want to admit no one cares about their other Final Fantasy titles. They want those other titles to succeed sooooooooooo baaaaaaaaad

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If they want a sucessful NEW FF game, maybe they should let fromsoftware make a FF themed game.

It's whale hunting.

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Originally Posted by CCheshire

For some reason, SE is also really into selling game-inspired silver jewelry and random accessories for its other big franchises. Honestly, the only thing missing is a LE emote code with that $400 single earring to match the recent $400 figure sold a few years ago. Also, I def have seen folks with the expensive emotes in LL, so they know their audience with disposable cash is out there.

Also, I recall reading they sell like FFXIV stickers, cups, incense, fridge magnets, PJs, small desk ornaments, and some standees, which are more affordable except for the high shipping rate they have for the official SE stores. If you're in the USA, BigBadToyStore always opens a PO for them, but they're up there in prices even for game merch. Ofc I wouldn't mind like Nendo or even PUPs of the cast, but SE rarely allows outsiders to license their series too, and their line is super expensive for below-average quality figures.

For t-shirts, they did a collab w/Uniqlo a few years ago that sold out in a few hours and never restocked in the USA, if that counts?

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SE always uses fomo and ingame vanity to overprice the crap out of their cheap items. Like the only reason the statues sold anywhere near as well as they did is because people wanted the ingame emote to flex their wealth.

The price of merchandise isn't unique to Square Enix or even the video game industry, it's a middle earners money pit in all hobbies. Bonus points if you get an in-game reward for buying the physical item. Attending events such as Fan Fest or a Premier League football match are the same, doubly so if you need to travel far or stay at a hotel overnight.

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Originally Posted by Arohk

If they want a sucessful NEW FF game, maybe they should let fromsoftware make a FF themed game.

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Ew no keep that Soulsborne shit far away from FF.

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Originally Posted by Vesplume

Square Enix is hilariously bad at merchandising. I've mentioned this in surveys they've sent out over the past few years because I like collecting little doodads and supporting the game. Aside from job pins and magnets, most of the affordable merchandise is basically Japan only. They come out with lower cost items for claw machines and gachapon, which aren't entirely inaccessible but are a pain to get if you don't know how to find it. They have such hugely popular IPs that they could be earning money out the wazoo (see the MTG collab doing gangbusters) and despite owning a toy production company (Taito) they just... don't.

It's a problem with the company as a whole and one they've left mostly unaddressed for years.

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Kinda follows with the 14 side of the company. Maybe its just company policy to be unbending, uninnovative and doubling down on not earning money. Like swallowing Sony for exclusives and doing console. When shutting down pc releases loses them money on that first wave of interest.

Not a really good start for the new CEO

I just noticed the twins' earcuff today and I can't believe how much that thing is over-priced. It looks incredibly cheap, even the stone in it is an inexpensive white chalcedony that's plentiful and maybe 10 bucks for that size. $400 for ONE earcuff is wild... it'd still be too much for two of them, but at least it'd be closer to resembling a reasonable price. Keep in mind the Haurchefant shield pendant necklace goes for $250, it's also silver and roughly the same amount of material minus the cheap stone. The pendant is still overpriced as well, but looks downright reasonable compared to the earcuff, lol.

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Originally Posted by Devotions

I can't tell you how many times I've put myself on the "wait list" for the carbuncle plush. Why don't they ever re-release those things? I imagine they're relatively inexpensive to produce, and while they're certainly over priced, they're affordable to do as a gift.

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I got a yellow one near the end of the run when blue was sold out. They never made a red one either. I would love to have both of those (plus the new true blue they have now). Why not re-release those 2 existing ones, plus a new red one, containing the minion codes? Or do cute plush mini keychains?