The pull factor of Pay to Play

[Meshico]

That's sort of what I was getting at. Would you as a director set aside a half-dozen people to make a new raid, with a new dungeon, new mob types and bosses to introduce 5-6 new item designs for those playing the sub, or would you set aside those same six people to churn out 30+ new items for the cash shop. Unless you think that new raid will bring in more revenue than the vanity items the best business case is to make the vanity items.

Not necessarily, you are gambling whether one will make more money or not. As while the other has decades of "testing" if you will as a source of truth. That new, non-extra-paying, content keeps people entertained, while being an entertaining industry keeping people entertained seems priority.

I've said it once, and I'll say it again, look at "Xbox One" a lot of people may not vote, but if put up against a wall...they will and they usually vote for the better deal (not necessarily the cheapest).

[Aegis]

That new, non-extra-paying, content keeps people entertained, while being an entertaining industry keeping people entertained seems priority.

Yes, but your goal would be to divert the minimum resource necessary to battle/systems content to keep from losing subs while using the remaining resource to create instant revenue. Without a cash shop you would divert all resource to battle/systems content.

[Kaeda_Valentyne]

Minions, dyes, and a "premium" wedding experience are not content. They are not an experience. They are vanity items.



Not at all. Minions, mounts, and dyes are reskins of existing items, the development time on them, as compared to new armor sets, quests, and stories is negligible.

Really?? Way to contradict your own post.
Please I would love to here how the "premium" wedding experience is not an experience.

For me The selling point was that it's a FF game. With things I like most being behind a pay wall its making me think I should start to look elsewhere. I used to log in daily for 5 or 6 hours at a time now I'm on less than an hour a week. I used to be able to get everything I wanted with effort and time now I have to consider spending extra money on things. It leaves a sour taste in my mouth.

[Meshico]

Yes, but your goal would be to divert the minimum resource necessary to battle/systems content to keep from losing subs while using the remaining resource to create instant revenue. Without a cash shop you would divert all resource to battle/systems content.

Try to think about it this way, as a business owner, you want to pay your employees as little overtime as possible, and as a consumer you would not want the employees working overtime because that would impact your purchase price in some small way.

If your employees do work overtime as a business owner you would want that to not impact their day-to-day business and they are working overtime to "go the extra mile" and it would increase your profits in some way shape or form.

If you start to separate your employees to do only extra items, vanity and such. Well then you are creating a divide, and not focusing on what has been making you money and are now experimenting on a new venture. This is totally OK! But with any and all "New" ventures it comes with risk, and at this point in time, the risk has paid off. But if you push the limit...it may not.

The wedding premiums are the first of which I think are a risk in the wrong direction. I have my limit, and if it is reached, I will simply cast my vote (unsubscribe) and that will be the end of my character.

-Tari

[Andevom]

This is just where games are today. You buy a game and can enjoy it on its own, but there's almost always something extra you need to shell out real cash for. DLC, extra outfits, seriously, you see it everywhere.

It's been an educational experience here for sure, because you can see people's varying definition of what "pay to win" means. Personally, I always equated it to "money can grant you a significant advantage over other players, and you can't reasonably progress in the game without buying something". Other people find the collection of vanity items to be "winning" in their own right. Then there are those who feel the struggle towards getting those items is the true victory, and just getting it by purchase isn't something that should be promoted (although this isn't really something you can pin on the cash shop, people use gil to buy all sorts of things that required others a lot of effort). You can't say anyone is wrong here, but it appears a lot of these personal definitions aren't very widespread across the game as a whole.

A lot of this comes down to exclusivity. Honestly, if the items on the cash shop were obtainable by everyone, hardly anyone would care about them. How many people do you see waltzing around with the Wind-Up Airship? If that same minion required clearing the Final Coil with a .1% chance of it dropping, it'd be the most sought after thing in the game. People want things that other people don't have, and the fact that there's a way for others to obtain stuff while they can't annoys them. You can make the case "well yeah, but the chance of obtaining it is there for everyone in game," but how many people are reasonably going to have a shot?

The minute things like levels and gear can be *directly* purchased from the cash shop, then yes, I think we have a problem. But I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt and believe that's not going to happen.

[Felblood]

If you cant afford $20/40, for a one time thing, to support the amazing development team and Square Enix, then go play any other MMO that doesn't have a cash shop. (Does it even exist?)

Stop eating at McDonald's three times a day and there is your $20. Don't go out drinking every weekend.

I mean if you are kid or basement dweller with no job, then maybe your Grandma will send you some money for Xmas. Seriously though, all the stuff on the cash shop is optional. Were we expecting Eternal Bond to be free? Ya I was, but I work, and 20/40 bucks is nothing in the grand scheme of things.

Just imagine if you were a console/single player PC gamer. You would be spending 50-60 bucks on new games several times a year.

[Metabug]

If you cant afford $20/40, for a one time thing, to support the amazing development team and Square Enix, then go play any other MMO that doesn't have a cash shop. (Does it even exist?)

Stop eating at McDonald's three times a day and there is your $20. Don't go out drinking every weekend.

I mean if you are kid or basement dweller with no job, then maybe your Grandma will send you some money for Xmas. Seriously though, all the stuff on the cash shop is optional. Were we expecting Eternal Bond to free? Ya I was, but I work, and 20/40 bucks is nothing in the grand scheme of things.

Just imagine if you were a console/single player PC gamer. You would be spending 50-60 bucks on new games several times a year.

Case closed. Doctor says we're poor beggars.

I'm definitely not wealthy enough to play free to play games. That's true.

[Gumiho]

SE is gonna make a Cash shop only instanced dungeon
Grade 5 Materia
Raiding gear for no raiders
Housing in coerthas?
5th and 6th retainer for double fee

Pay to win, soon or later

Remember me, if that happens just quote what I said

[Ashgarth]

SE is gonna make a Cash shop only instanced dungeon
Grade 5 Materia
Raiding gear for no raiders
Housing in coerthas?
5th and 6th retainer for double fee

Pay to win, soon or later

Remember me, if that happens just quote what I said

I can see housing plots becoming the next "COMPLETELY OPTIONAL EVERYTHING IS FINE!!!!" thing.

[Felblood]

Lets look at it this way.

$20 Eternal Bond + Sub $15 / 30 days = $1.16 per day
$40 Eternal Dond + Sub $15 /30 days = $1.83 per day

Like I said, quit buying that McDouble and Small Fries every day and you'll be golden.