If the servers are down for a while will people come back?

[viion]

People in Tokyo still go to work. There's absolutely no signal that development has been stopped, or even paused. The development team doesn't need the servers up in order to work. Shutting down the server doesn't mean that they shut down square enix, barred the doors and went home.

Well the reason the servers are going down is due to internet supplier turning off, and I think SE HQ will most likely reduce their power consumption, not using PC's and such.

Everyone is expecting a delay so why wouldn't they halt?

[Skeeter]

I think the current population left of this game is die hards and will probably stick around. It won't hurt the future of this game more than SE already has. Realistically almost all MMOs that get off to a bad start in the western market never recover. The past few years of failed releases can act as a testament to that. However, SE is in a bit of a unique situation with a potential Ps3 release down the road. If they don't get this game into shape and up to modern standards, and relaunch it on ps3 it won't matter.

[Abriael]

Well the reason the servers are going down is due to internet supplier turning off, and I think SE HQ will most likely reduce their power consumption, not using PC's and such.

Everyone is expecting a delay so why wouldn't they halt?

Delays are possible, or even better probable (not because they won't be working, but because there'll probably be moments in which they won't be able to work), but i would ask you a more appropriate question: Why would they halt?

Power outtages are, accoring to the news, programmed, so companies will be able to work a schedule around them. It's in SE's best interest to get the game to higher quality levels as soon as possible (it gets them closers to the moment in which they'll be able to add revenue sources to this game, whatever they will be), and they still have to pay their employees, whether they're at home or at work. So no, I seriously doubt they're going to tell them "oh, just stay home and come back when the servers are back up".

[Khannon]

I will come back.

[Raim]

I say good riddance to people who quit because a natural disaster kept them from playing a video game. This is far more important. That being said, I don't think many people who enjoy or are dedicated to the game will be effected by this in the long term. The forums are actually quite tame in this situation, which shows the respect in this community. Imagine the whining on the WoW forums if their servers were shut down due to a disaster.

[Nephera]

I say good riddance to people who quit because a natural disaster kept them from playing a video game. This is far more important. That being said, I don't think many people who enjoy or are dedicated to the game will be effected by this in the long term. The forums are actually quite tame in this situation, which shows the respect in this community. Imagine the whining on the WoW forums if their servers were shut down due to a disaster.

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[Xatsh]

It is a fact some people will quit, I expect maby 5-8% will quit if it goes much longer then a week. Mainly the ones who log in like 3-4hrs a week or what not. The people we see everyday in game I would be surprised if they left over this.

As for development delays, I expect some major ones. As in I would not expect another update this month. If they are having to shut down servers, I have a feeling they are not going to have a 100 person staff on PCS all day either. That and they are working on much more lucrative titles which will bring them 100s of millions guaranteed I am sure have priority above FFXIV in a time where they have to limit development.

[Abriael]

As for development delays, I expect some major ones. As in I would not expect another update this month. If they are having to shut down servers, I have a feeling they are not going to have a 100 person staff on PCS all day either. That and they are working on much more lucrative titles which will bring them 100s of millions guaranteed I am sure have priority above FFXIV in a time where they have to limit development.

Development has nothing to do with the servers working. No internal testing is done on the public servers, and their internal test server can easily be kept working, as it consumes just a fraction of the electricity used by the whole server farm (it may eaily be shut down just when there's a planned outtage).
Also, game development teams don't overlap. The games which "will bring them 100s of millions guaranteed" have their own development team that will continue to work exactly like the FFXIV one.

The very fact that they actually enlarged and strenghtened the development team bringing in people FROM other teams, is pretty much an indication that the development of FFXIV is a priority for SE.

Other games bring in "100s of millions" only once. MMORPGs has the potential to bring in millions over a much longer timeframe. So it's pretty much a priority for SE to bring the game to a condition in which it'll become a revenue source.

Oh, and I just learned that the first round of outtages in Tokyo has been suspended since shortage of energy is not as bad as it was hypotesized, so the situation may improve in the next few days.

[Ragnar]

well, i would say many were still playing the game even if they weren't enjoying it that much, many were playing because it was more an habit than fun, and they were socializing via the game... A week off might be enough for them to find something else to do, and if it's off it might seriously affect the game population since many other games are coming out ...

[Chezen]

I say good riddance to people who quit because a natural disaster kept them from playing a video game. This is far more important. That being said, I don't think many people who enjoy or are dedicated to the game will be effected by this in the long term. The forums are actually quite tame in this situation, which shows the respect in this community. Imagine the whining on the WoW forums if their servers were shut down due to a disaster.

I'd have to agree. If someone would quit over this, I'm not sure if I would care for their contribution to the game community anyway.

And I agree with a lot of the sentiment here, most of the players left are die-hard FF fans anyway. I myself fully admit to being an unashamed, outright fan-gal. Like others have said, FFXIV's redemption will come with the PS3 release. SE has to get it right for that; I don't think there would be a 3rd chance. It's only because they are Final Fantasy that they even have a second chance, at least I think.