I want an official response.

[SynGrell]

Same. It makes me really wonder how old these people are. MMOs weren't like this when I was growing up. Back then it was even questionable that a game be P2P.

See, odd that you say that. The first majorly successful MMOs were all Pay-to-play. In fact, one of the forerunners for modern MMOs was a game called island of Kesmai, which released in 1985 and actually charged by the hour. MMO's being free-to-play is a very recent development, along with the sense of entitlement to things you haven't actually payed for and are not essential or something you have a right to.

Same. It makes me really wonder how old these people are.

Seems like we should be asking you that question.

[SDaemon]

Same. It makes me really wonder how old these people are. MMOs weren't like this when I was growing up. Back then it was even questionable that a game be P2P.

You are seriously questioning peoples' age because they understand that nothing in the cash shop is worth stressing and worrying over and that it subtracts nothing from the main product?

[Nominous]

Same. It makes me really wonder how old these people are. MMOs weren't like this when I was growing up. Back then it was even questionable that a game be P2P.

Let me get this straight, again, you hypocrite.

So when you were growing up, you admit that the idea of paying monthly for a game was an unheard of idea. The norm was buying a game, and being given access to all it offers. However, at some point it changed the market. It became the norm, for most MMO's released in that time period to have a subscription fee. People accepted it. Even you, apparently.

Now, pretty much the same thing is happening, and you're criticizing people for accepting it just like you accepted sub-fee MMO's? Get over yourself.

And just like other people said, that question needs to be turned around on you. I wouldn't assume you're an adult, when you don't even have a basic grasp on what is considered a mandatory purchase, and things you can bear to live without.

[Xieveral]

Minions are not required to play the game. At all, and no. They are not content.

There is a hunt target with a spawn condition requiring people to walk around with their minions out. It doesn't have to be a cash shop minion, though.

[silentwindfr]

i wish to add some stuff that some people miss, most subs game that did get a cash shop that begin to get a lot of vanity item did end in free to play. the point is a lot of player did come in FF14 because it was a subs game and was wanting to avoid the cash shop stuff that most of the mmorpg are plagued with.

you have tons of free to play out, why make one of the few last mmorpg subs go down this way?
because the cash shop is not needed actually for get tons of cash from the game. no it's clearly a greedy move and nothing that you say can go against this sole fact.
with 2.000.000 subs per month (even with only legacy player at 9.99 euro) they get 19.980.000 euro (more of 24.700.000 USD) and it's only with the lowest subs actual, most people are not at this one and with the retainer subs it far more. do you really believe they use 24.7M USD per month in the game? really?

indeed they need cash and them goal is to get cash, that true. however, the question of: do they do the game for money or money for make game?
but please show me what i miss, because, actually they are getting tons of cash and the silly escuse of: "the cash shop is for get more content in the game" look bad... even for a kid.

[SynGrell]

indeed they need cash and them goal is to get cash, that true. however, the question of: do they do the game for money or money for make game?

They are a company, first and foremost they exist for profit and have a legally binding duty to act in the best interest of their shareholders. This means maximizing profit and making the company financially successful. If the cash shop is successful in generating revenue, and subscriptions do not drop significantly as a result, the shop will remain.

World of Warcraft has a cash shop, and has had one, for some time now. Selling mounts and mini pets, as well as character services such as faction changes or server transfers. The game is still, by far, the most financially successful MMO that currently exists, with a sub count that dwarfs all others. Cash shops in general, have little to do with a game's success. What matters is the quality of what isn't in the shop.

[SynGrell]

Let me get this straight, again, you hypocrite.

So when you were growing up, you admit that the idea of paying monthly for a game was an unheard of idea.

They aren't even admitting something, because they're just entirely wrong. The first major modern MMOs were subscription based and not controversial, considering the predecessors had been doing it for more than a decade already.

"Amused" certainly is amusing for a lack of a better word.

[Xhominid]

The Ego in this thread is ASTOUNDING.

Amused...let it go. Hell, anyone who agrees with his egotism should just freaking leave. I'm going to say this for the last time:

If you BOUGHT REAL LIFE SQUENIX MERCH FOR A MOUNT OR MINION, STOP WHINING ABOUT THE DAMN CASH SHOP! Don't give me this shit that it's "different", you bought it for the damn minion/mount, the Cash Shop gives you an easier way without needing to spend way more than you should.
And if you decided to go the route of minion and mount collecting, YOU SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THIS WAS A RISK SINCE YOU BOUGHT SQUENIX MERCH FOR THEM!!!
You have no one to blame but yourself if you want to eat at every Burger King, but you don't have the expenses to do so.
You have only yourself to blame if you are a car enthusiast and want to drive every car in the world, but can't afford the cars.
Stop acting as if you can ignore the principle here all of a sudden.

[Roris]

you have tons of free to play out, why make one of the few last mmorpg subs go down this way?

All WoW clones go down this route, no exceptions. It's by design, initial high volume sales and accounts created thanks to the hype and brand if it's an existing IP, then the inevitable dip in subscription retention rates because the original they copied still does a lot of things much better, and the clone while better in some aspects still doesn't hold a candle. The less subs, the less monthly income and the more extra resources they need to cover updates and operations.

Cash shops are the easiest and fastest way to achieve this emergency plan to obtain more resources, as long as you build one people will sadly come, the companies are counting on them to make up for the lost subs. Though they are SE so I wouldn't put it past them to seriously think they can pull a WoW and hold both a sub and a cash shop, that has never ever worked at all except for WoW, all other themepark MMOs that have tried this eventually just went F2P and even less went B2P. Considering they had the idea they could compete with WoW since the 1.0 days, and it was one of the main reasons they so badly rushed the game, it's no surprise they're doing all this.

[LineageRazor]

Sort of amused that the OP complains about referring to cash shop items as optional, and then defines "not optional" as anything someone might want to buy. It's a rather roundabout way of saying "CASH SHOP BAD NO EXCEPTIONS", as so many other threads do. Maybe they were hoping the thread would be taken more seriously if it wasn't obviously a CASH SHOP BAD thread? Admittedly, I actually read the thread, so maybe it's a worthwhile, if somewhat underhanded tactic.

I have no real opinion on it; there's nothing in the Cash Shop that I feel obligated to buy. There's stuff I'm sort of interested in, there, but it's yet to reach the point where I feel like paying real money for it. Maybe I'll feel different later. Maybe they'll someday put something there I must have. Maybe then I'll question whether a cash shop should exist at all. I dunno.

Still, the idea that there are collectors out there for whom this is mandatory content, though, is kind of weak... I readily admit that there may be folks that consider this kind of content mandatory - but REAL collectors of that kind are already resolved to spend thousands of dollars on their hobby. There are minions and mounts that are only obtainable by attending things like Fanfest, after all. To people that devoted, the pittance charged by the cash shop is a non-issue; they could buy everything currently available there, and still not put a dent in what it would cost to fly to Vegas. They would probably laugh out loud at the thought of the cash shop being a bad thing - quite the opposite, it facilitates their hobby by making some of their collection easy to get!