Cash Shop a sign of free to play?

[Hanzar]

WoW has a cash shop aswell. Mostly Vanity things (Boost to Level 90 is the only thing I see as bad there) And it is stil sub based. So no.

[Aegis]

Will the game go F2P. NO, look at FFXI...................

XI never introduced a cash shop in 12 years. FFXIV ARR is introducing one inside of 18 months. The two trajectories are not the same.

[Synestr]

Is FFXI F2P? And they did introduce a shop...you could purchase the shantotto quest line through their playonline store/service thing. However it still has a sub. This is a model that will continue on with FFXIV.

[Aegis]

Is FFXI F2P? And they did introduce a shop...you could purchase the shantotto quest line through their playonline store/service thing. However it still has a sub. This is a model that will continue on with FFXIV.

That was a mini expansion...

Tell me what item you could purchase directly in XI.

[Tadacho]

FFXI, 12 years later and a dying population, still isn't free to play. Why would SE do that to this game? At least any time soon, with an expansion round the corner.

[Empressia]

WoW has a cash shop aswell. Mostly Vanity things (Boost to Level 90 is the only thing I see as bad there) And it is stil sub based. So no.

The instant level 90 boost cost $60 mind u, not to mention atm its bugged and peeps who insta boost their toons regretted their stupid move because they stuck with lvl 1 gear and skill and the only way to get all of their skills is to finish the questline which at least requires ilvl 400

TLDR : for FF14 comparison that means imagine trying to kill fate boss and adds using auto attacks with ur weathered weapon and lv1 starting skill /TROLOLOLOLOLOL

[odintius]

XI never introduced a cash shop in 12 years. FFXIV ARR is introducing one inside of 18 months. The two trajectories are not the same.

But still the same company its extra income for them and their getting their money worth now more then later. They didn't expect the success with current player base im sure their expecting number to dwindle down to what they were expecting and just cashing in on current sub's.

[Darkdrover]

The answer is simple: look at the Blizzard Store. Look at what can be obtained from it. Has WoW went anywhere? Has it shut down? Have people stopped playing? Lets just assume the worst and say that somewhere down the line SE does go F2P.....will you stop playing? What if they went to a model like LotRO? Where you can buy everything, but everything you could buy is also unlockable by putting the time in playing the game? To me, if you really enjoy a game, then you will be able to continue to play it no matter what. Look at FFXI though, that game screams to be made F2P, but so far SE hasn't done it. So I just don't think we have anything to worry about yet. So please look forward to it!

[Aegis]

But still the same company its extra income for them and their getting their money worth now more then later. They didn't expect the success with current player base im sure their expecting number to dwindle down to what they were expecting and just cashing in on current sub's.

If this is the case then expect the majority of development time to be devoted to cash shop items, if they aren't confident they can maintain funding on subscription fees alone. A greater proportion of dev time to cash shop is a lower proportion of dev time to actual content.

[Erudain]

Lolz I think I'm having a deja vu....kinda like "It's me or I have already seen this arguments in other forums?"


* Age of Conan introduced cash shop ----> forums question: are we goin F2P? enraged answers: no way we going free to play!!! ----> months later games goes F2P.
* DC Universe introduced cash shop ----> forums question: are we goin F2P? enraged answers: no way we going free to play!!! ----> months later games goes F2P.
* Aion introduced cash shop ----> forums question: are we goin F2P? enraged answers: no way we going free to play!!! ----> months later games goes F2P.
* RIFT introduced cash shop ----> forums question: are we goin F2P? enraged answers: no way we going free to play!!! ----> months later games goes F2P.
* Tera introduced cash shop ----> forums question: are we goin F2P? enraged answers: no way we going free to play!!! ----> months later games goes F2P.
* SW:TOR introduced cash shop ----> forums question: are we goin F2P? enraged answers: no way we going free to play!!! ----> months later games goes F2P.

Are we starting to see a pattern?....good, because I've been seeing it for the last 5 years.
WoW is the only one who retains subs and has a cash shop....one game, alone, solo, that's not a norm, that's called an exception