What are the Chances FFXIV will go F2P?

[Jennestia]

I have a plenty, so I must as you the question,m "Have you played F2P?"

Yep plenty of them, including 2 new ones and they're all the same exact game with a different setting and different gimmick -- so there's no "competitive nature" of F2P games, as they're all basically the same and people choose whichever one has theme they personally like, they're just throwing out the MMOs in hopes to make money, not necessarily compete, because if you've played one F2P MMO, you've played em all as they say which is why the one thing that separates them is the theme of the world, e.g Lucent Hearts is a Romance/Zodiac themed one while Iris is a 'magical' themed one, yet plays the same.

The cash shops and microtransactions are also generally the same throughout them all, some companies try their best to not make "more money = get further", but you can pretty much guess what types of items would be sold.

[kukurumei]

The cash shops and microtransactions are also generally the same throughout them all, some companies try their best to not make "more money = get further", but you can pretty much guess what types of items would be sold.

Heck no, or you're probably just been glammored to not noticing all the retail smoke and mirrors they pulled over on you.

Successful F2P cash shops know how to milk people for money.

Some of the more popular useful ceations in the f2p world

-Exlusive limited sales. aka Sale items. For a limited time, or limit amounts:
They just don't put stuff on cash shops anymore...no..they rotate it. To put people in a state of constant fidgeting. Want that santa dress? That pegusus mount, that no-break +1 upgrade gem. Tough. you have to constantly watch the cash shop to show up...but it doesn't just "randomly" show up...no...there are "expensive" times and "cheap" times.

It brings out bargin hunters! and bargin hunters forget that they've been taken for a ride!

-Balance. They can't be completely useful or completely fluff. No one would ruin the balance, the other won't attract customers. It has to be "slightly" useful.

- Permanent vs temporary. No things can't be permanent. There won't be repeat customers, but customers won't buy things that waste as well...what a tough nut to crack...not if you're good. Just the right amount of bundling and right amount of permanent vs used...and you got your self a never ending sale. Let's put this nice permanent costume, with a 10 day pet...just to hook them... they thing it's a fluffy, but once they get used to the pet they will wait for a permanent version...and oh wait...what's this a 10 use instant teleport?

- Upgrade system. Always a bit of random, a bit of stat, but just enough carrot with that stick...what combine them to make a 100% upgrade...ya buy in bulk to save!...in bulk...$$$

Face it, from what you posted, you've probably been taken for a big ride on your F2P experience if you even serious into those games.

F2P is a business not unlike opening a retail store. You need very very experienced people to make money not on merits but on trends, fashions, and consumer salesmanship.

Why does amazon and ebay become household names and not cheapcheapcheap.com, or thebestproductonearth.com? Because they know how to SELL!

Novices...

bet you never asked yourself why hotdogs comes in packs of 8 and buns in packs of 6 question.

[SuzakuCMX]

Yep plenty of them, including 2 new ones and they're all the same exact game with a different setting and different gimmick -- so there's no "competitive nature" of F2P games, as they're all basically the same and people choose whichever one has theme they personally like, they're just throwing out the MMOs in hopes to make money, not necessarily compete, because if you've played one F2P MMO, you've played em all as they say which is why the one thing that separates them is the theme of the world, e.g Lucent Hearts is a Romance/Zodiac themed one while Iris is a 'magical' themed one, yet plays the same.

The cash shops and microtransactions are also generally the same throughout them all, some companies try their best to not make "more money = get further", but you can pretty much guess what types of items would be sold.

Could say the same about most MMORPGs. You quest and grind to get to end-game, story is about impending doom and fighting to stop it, end-game is mostly grinding for l33t gear or giant bosses that have gimmicky attacks or you just tank-and-spank them.

But in Perfect World, MOUNTS ARE FLYING SWORDS :O

EDIT: Oh and some gimmicky PvP stuff too, usually, where one class is always way out of balance at the lower levels.