I'll pay anything for this Chocobo Barding

[BorisDaBlade]

Are whales really that bad for the game? Serious question.

[alimdia]

Are whales really that bad for the game? Serious question.

Depends on the amount of items that go into the cash shop instead of the game. We're not in a terrible situation right now, but the more whales we get the more the balance will tip towards them.

[Jandor]

Are whales really that bad for the game? Serious question.

They sure are.

[Kosmos992k]

Are whales really that bad for the game? Serious question.

No, so long as the items that the whales are buying are simply fluff. If it's just premium fluff, then the whales can continue cross subsidizing the game for as long as they have the $$ and it will be good for everyone. Additionally, so long as the whales revenue stream is a fraction of the subscription (including retainers) revenue, the existence of the shop and whales should not be a problem either.

[LunarEmerald]

Are whales really that bad for the game? Serious question.

This is nothing. True whales spend thousands on mobile gachas.

[Laerune]

Are whales really that bad for the game? Serious question.

Whales are only bad when they encourage the developers/publishers to add more items (outfits that people want and RNG items) to the cash shop and change ingame content so players are encouraged to spend money on cash shop, so they can play in a normal manner. In FFXIV its not that bad, since there are no P2W items and the stuff that whales can buy are mostly glamour items, minions and mounts.

I used to play some F2P games and while the cash shop was not that bad, mostly sold inventory spaces, special mount and outfits (what FFXIV is doing right now), the moment the publisher noticed that they have Whales there spending 100-500 euro/dollars a month, that is when they started to introduce RNG lockerboxes, the boxes contained from the worst items in the game to the best and the only way to open them was via a item that one can only bought from the cash shop. The whales started mass buying the keys, the publisher started making alot of money and they started adding those boxes in more content.

Whales have a big role when it comes to the cash shop in a mmorpg, less people spend alot of money on cash shop items, means the developers/publishers less likely lock certain items behind a paygate.

[NessaWyvern]

Are whales really that bad for the game? Serious question.

I think you probably haven't grinded 250 Bismarck ex kills :P When I was trying to get the bird before the totem exchange for one, that whale was terrible.

[NekoNova]

Are whales really that bad for the game? Serious question.

Yes.
Companies shift their focus to supporting/pleasing only their wales, neglecting the majority of their player base