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

[Alerith]

All your math means nothing without knowing who will stay at full and who will stay a reduction. Not to mention you have to factor in the added cost that each player staying brings to the table for SE. This is what they have business analysts for.

Which brings up another good point. It isn't just one man that says "Aright, start charging." There is literally a team of business analysts at SE who have the sole purpose of crunching numbers and laying everything out for the higher ups.

They wouldn't be charging if those analysts didn't give favorable input to the powers that be.

The plan they seem to be using is:

Use subscriptions to slow the bleeding from XIV until 2.0 comes out. Advertise like a mofo, pull out all the stops at E3 and pull in as many subscribers as possible with 2.0. Use that momentum to pull in more players on the PS3 release and ride that momentum into the epic game many are expecting XIV to become.