Compromise: Just Charge $5 For Now. Once 2.0 is Out, Then Charge $12

[Starlord]

Much like everyone else, $5 seems to be a reasonable price as long as they don't charge extra for retainers. $12 on this game with 2.0 still 2 years out is a bit hard to stomach though.

Its about 10 months away actually for PC Sept-Oct= Distribution of 2.0 Software

[DantesAmore]

i definitely don't mind paying $12 for the game once 2.0 is out but current state it BARELY stands up to Runescape... thats $5 so between 5-7 makes more sense then 12

[Davorok]

I'm thinking SE should offer 3 "Bundles" for subscription"

Bundle #1: $5.99 = One(1) Character & One(1) Retainer.

Bundle #2: $9.99 = Two(2) Characters & Two (2) Retainers. *

Bundle #3: $14.99 = Four(4) Characters & Four(4) Retainers *

* Retainers will be accessible by multiple characters if created on the same world server.
Example: Two(2) Characters created on the same server can share two(2) Retainers.

I don't know if the Retainer part is doable but thought I would throw it out there.

[Rentahamster]

My Thoughts Exactly... People need to stop thinking the game itself is only 50% complete..., Version 2.0 is 50% complete.. ugh lolz.

Version 2.0 is the revamped game that they are launching that will be their retail-ready game to present to the world. That game will be deserving of $12. Until that moment comes, Version 2.0, the game we all should have been playing already, is still incomplete.


http://www.zam.com/story.html?story=28045

"The one thing though is we don't want people to think that version 2.0 is going to be a completely new game. It's still going to be FFXIV, it's still going to be in the world of Eorzea, it's still going to have those features that players have come to get used to in FFXIV. That's through these updates that we'll be making up through Version 2.0, that the transition from the game we have now into the new Final Fantasy XIV will be very smooth, but it's not a totally different game.

This is the same game. When 2.0 arrives, I'll pay $12 no problem. But while this current game is an unfinished 2.0, I don't think it's the best idea to charge like it is finished.

[TheVedis]

lets face facts

people just want a deal

even if the game had 50 endgame raids, theyd still want to pay only 5 dollars if they could get away with it


thats the real truth behind all these threads, people wanna try to see if they can trick SE into charging less so they can pay less

[Starlord]

Bottom line:

*Whatever SE Chooses for us to pay Monthly for FFXIV, Its either you pay and enjoy the game, or Option B Don't Pay Wait for 2.0, Twiddle your thumbs, Take a walk in the park, Go on a date, Go to a bar, Go to the Movies, Go to a Friggen Gentlemans Club for all I care. Use that 12.99 on something you want if FFXIV isn't up to snuff with you.


[SIZE="7"]END OF STORY![/SIZE]

[XxOstiaxX]

i really hate using anything wow as an example cuz the fights arent tank and spanks for the most part

instead, they are scripted, in other words, do exactly what it wants you to do, or you die

and thats worse imo

but again, you still have not yet done the content, you CAN NOT use youtube videos as an example of how you have first hand knowledge and know what your talking about
we had another poster a while back who used youtube as their gospel for why they knew everything about the game, and i dont wanna think about that anymore lol

But they are fun, hella fun(Not saying tank spanks fights are not fun, i particularly liked them because as a rogue i could dominate everybody in DPS.) also they are scripted too. just the most simple form of a boss fight, he stands there, and you just dish away, no worries no concerns, either he kills your tank, or you kill him, end of story, simple.

Look at this fight for example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcSj0...eature=related

Not a tank spank, instead your healers have to heal the target boss, to win the encounter while you hold the enemy at bay :P Now weather scripted is better or tank&Spank is better, in my opinion T&S is the most basic if scripted fights, i really dont know how people can even lose a fight like that.

[Anapingofness]

I'm thinking SE should offer 3 "Bundles" for subscription"

Bundle #1: $5.99 = One(1) Character & One(1) Retainer.

Bundle #2: $9.99 = Two(2) Characters & Two (2) Retainers. *

Bundle #3: $14.99 = Four(4) Characters & Four(4) Retainers *

* Retainers will be accessible by multiple characters if created on the same world server.
Example: Two(2) Characters created on the same server can share two(2) Retainers.

I don't know if the Retainer part is doable but thought I would throw it out there.

I'll have to ask you to clarify just a bit, if you don't mind.

Your proposal is up until 2.0 or throughout?

On the other hand, paying 6$ for a game would certainly make it stand out against all others.

[neostormm]

i was ready to give all my money to SE..and willing to pay full price..only because I really like what they are doing now and I am enjoying myself...I've never stopped playing since Sept 2010 launch...I have seen it all..good, bad, really bad, worse, better..

[OMEGA_HACK]

Math time:

Assuming there are 50,000 players playing the game as of now (Im not using the units sold number because lets face it, its not an accurate number anymore) if only 1/4th of the population would be willing to play the game under a full price subscription that is $12.99 x 12,500 = $162,375.00 a month from December 2011 until October (last billing date before 2month trial begins) 2012 for a grand total of $1,786,125.00 (assuming no one quits or rejoins the game in that time period).

Okay so 1.8mil give or take for full subscriptions assuming only 1/4th of the current population will continue to actually play. Now for the other side, say we only pay half of the bill for those 11 months, it seems that there are more people willing to pay this half amount of $6.49 so would it not be safe to assume that optimistically 3/4 of the population will continue to play and pessimistically 1/2 of the population will continue to play (either way there would logically be an increase in the number of subscriptions) Now for the math, let's do the 1/2 first.

So with 25,000 players paying $6.49: 25,000 x $6.49 = $162,250.00 (ut-oh you might already see a problem with this but let's continue) times that by the 11 months of paid service you get a grand total of: $1,784,750.00 compared to the numbers above Square-Enix (a business) loses out on ~$2,000.00 give or take a few hundred, while that may seem like nothing at this point we will continue with more math on why it really matters later.

For the optimistic viewer: we now have 37,500 players that are paying $6.49 for 11 months for a total of: $2,677,125.00 (Whoa! look at that number!) Compared to the full price you have made just about 1 million dollars more! (that is if that many people are REALLY willing to pay this price, honestly SE should do a mandatory poll on the issue, log into FFXIV > poll appears asking: What you would you pay to play this game in December until ver2.0? A) 12.99 B) 6.49 C) nothing, I'd quit > submit then play XIV, its that simple, but I digress...

back to the more "realistic" numbers I suppose of 50% and 25% populations let's look at the number of employees working on this project, recently it was revealed to be 250 people, the average game designer makes ~40,000 a year or 3,333.33 a month this billing cycle a single employee will make 36,666.66 on average, assuming there are the directors and lead designers we could realistically say that out of the 250 employees, 230 will get that pay listed meaning their collective pay is 8,433,333.33 I won't do the last 20 employees because we've already broke our budge, but I will say they make anywhere from ~50,000-90,000 a year...So basically the final numbers we have are:

Total payroll number for 250 game designers: $8,400,000.00
Total amount for 1/4 pop. @12.99: $1,786,125.00
Total amount for 2/4 pop. @6.49: $1,784,750.00
Total amount for 3/4 pop. @6.49: $2,677,125.00
Total amount for 4/4 pop. @6.49: $3,569,500.00

So there is the math right in front of everyone (give or take some but the principle is the same), SE should release the poll when you log into XIV, and from that gauge whether or not to charge full or half price, because if less than half of the population says they will quit if they get charged anything then it is going to be best for them to just make the resolute pay full.

Also to note, they aren't charging us because they think we are suckers, they are literally charging us to keep everything afloat, because just look at those numbers and remember they already have paid these people a year's worth of work for free basically. They are hemorrhaging money on this project, so honestly I will pay, because I want to see ver2.0 and I would love to witness the events that lead up to it.

My 2 math skills. (sorry for the long post)