YoshiP stated that MMOs are trending toward F2P

[Makeda]

Is there a potential plan for FFXIV to go F2P?

I suspect they are considering it. I have no idea how strong subs are for this game, but they have to be noticing that WoW lost more than half its subs this past year, after only gaining 30% from the last expac, and is now about to put another expac on the quick in a desperate move to regain ground.

There are basically two subscription MMOs left in the western market. WoW and FFXIV. Wildstar, the third, will be F2P by this winter if not fall - and being a sub based game has almost killed that game despite it having an amazingly good game engine.

The problem with sub games is the bar is set higher for getting people's attention - and the expectation is unreasonable. With a sub game people expect WoW... and even WoW can no longer compete with itself as it is remembered... it has passed its prime and people are feeling that. You cannot compete with nostalgia.

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You CAN do a F2P game right. The cash store attached to Guild Wars 2 is "almost" acceptable. It still has some 'pay-to-win' features (XP booster potions and such), but its real draw is in the vanity items and minipets. It makes enough for that game to keep going very strong. Strong enough to be in expac territory right now. You can be sure the cash shop Wildstar ends up with will look a lot like the one Guild Wars 2 has, but hopefully minus the pay-to-win elements.

FFXIV has something GW2 lacks: Housing.

If they can alter the housing model here to a point were every single character gets a house... then they will be able to make money off of us hand-over-fist. Not sure on that? Look at the king of F2P games: Second Life. That "game" makes money in the high millions every year by letting people buy stuff off its cash shop for vanity and housing.

Two critical changes would be needed for FFXIV to go F2P:

Glamour needs to be available at level 1.
Housing needs to be available at low to free cost for all characters, unlimited supply.

- Do that, and you open up two massive avenues for people to want to buy your loot... without any need to introduce a single element of 'pay-to-win'.

Yep, this is priciesly why i will forever stay away from 99% of F2P MMOs. because all it ends up being is P2W or "if you want to stop this grind, give us your money to make it easier" and normally people who swear by F2P games never realize they are spending 10x the amount to "keep up" then a paid sub.

Guild Wars 2 doesn't do that. You CAN buy XP boosters, but they are very small, and leveling is the least challenging part of that game so they're also a bit pointless.