Is our sub fee not enought

[Zojha]

XIV's profits have only being growing [...]

XIV's profits or the profits from supporting merchandise (Cash shop, plushies etc)?

I mean, I lack official numbers as much as the next guy, but judging from the unofficial censi, we don't have a substantial growth in subscribers and consequently no growth in subscription revenue. If then profits are growing regardless, chances are they are coming from supporting merchandise and from a business perspective, SE would likely rather invest in that, while keeping the game itself on a maintenance budget solely intended to keep the people buying the extra stuff interested in the game, so they keep buying extra stuff. That's not an uncommon milking strategy. And this is the moment where every conspiracy theorist can let their confirmation bias run free, because now we can speculate whether SE actually has done that of late or not.

I'll leave that to others. To me, SE's strategy regarding FFXIV seems very cashcow-y right now, but hey, we can keep our fingers crossed I'm wrong!

[bswpayton]

XIV's profits or the profits from supporting merchandise (Cash shop, plushies etc)?
!

what is wrong with that tho, as long as t hey are providing a good game, let those whom wana buy the extra stuff do it , seriously we get so much stuff I dont even have time to play other games cause its so much stuff to do in this game and Ive been playing for months. Someone showed me the numbers the other day dont think the are official but they make a few hundred million well wow makes more and thats who we compete wit so lets let the devs make more money so what its a business thats what businesses do. A sub isnt gona make them put everything in the game when they can make side money to , if people get mad over this I wana know what game they think does it better because all of them have similar practices.

[Stormrider]

what is wrong with that tho, as long as they are providing a good game, let those whom wana buy the extra stuff do it

With this type of game what people consider good is relative. Some people may be disgusted by lack of housing. Some may dislike the fact that crafting gear is the easiest to use in leveling due to rng drops. Emotes or certain visual components might be more important to others. I don't ever glamour leveling gear. But I know some people every new item has to match the set.

[bswpayton]

With this type of game what people consider good is

but to be fair tho I cant think of another game that gives new content even if its a little bit every three months and it seems that alot of players over look this , thats so many updates when other games will give you the base game and then an expansion and your left to fiddle your thumbs until something else comes. This game seems to have a very spoiled player base at least on the forums, its things Id love in the game but Im not gona expect everything just cause I pay 15 well really for me 20 bucks a month. Especially coming here from swtor, that before I left milked you for one chapter a month on their expansion, Im just grateful for what they do give even if I dont use everything in the game.

[Kuroneko_Jutah]

This game seems to have a very spoiled player base at least on the forums, its things Id love in the game but Im not gona expect everything just cause I pay 15 well really for me 20 bucks a month.

As a 10+ year MMO veteran, this is nothing. Almost all MMO official forums have a vocal minority complaining about anything and everything from "this player did that thing and I don't like it" to "stop making items for your cash shop and spend that money on things I want." Few here, if anyone, actually understands how FFXIV's development team is structured, how decisions are made (or even by whom they are made), how their budget works, how much oversight Square-Enix corporate has over the game's operation itself, etc.

Everyone on the forums has a Bachelor's in Business and/or Computer Science and knows how easy it is to make the things they want in the game. /s

[Skivvy]

As a 10+ year MMO veteran, this is nothing. Almost all MMO official forums have a vocal minority complaining about anything and everything from "this player did that thing and I don't like it" to "stop making items for your cash shop and spend that money on things I want." Few here, if anyone, actually understands how FFXIV's development team is structured, how decisions are made (or even by whom they are made), how their budget works, how much oversight Square-Enix corporate has over the game's operation itself, etc.

Everyone on the forums has a Bachelor's in Business and/or Computer Science and knows how easy it is to make the things they want in the game. /s

I am also a 10+ year MMO veteran, and this discussion definitely has a place to exist. Don't simply try and write it off as "the vocal minority" complaining again.

For what it is worth, I am 100% OK with cash shops being in F2P and B2P games as all companies need to have a source of income from somewhere. I've spent my more than fair share in these other games, and I have no regrets.

For XIV, you first have to purchase the game itself (which is fine), then pay a subscription (also OK), and then if you want to collect all items (including exclusives), you can pay even more money at their cash shop (this is where the issue begins).

In my opinion, a cash shop on a subscription game should NEVER contain exclusive items. Give the players a chance to obtain all items in game, at least once, then maybe move those items into the cash shop. There will always be players who started late, or missed an event.

[Skivvy]

but to be fair tho I cant think of another game that gives new content even if its a little bit every three months and it seems that alot of players over look this , thats so many updates when other games will give you the base game and then an expansion and your left to fiddle your thumbs until something else comes. This game seems to have a very spoiled player base at least on the forums, its things Id love in the game but Im not gona expect everything just cause I pay 15 well really for me 20 bucks a month. Especially coming here from swtor, that before I left milked you for one chapter a month on their expansion, Im just grateful for what they do give even if I dont use everything in the game.

To bring up everyone's favorite topic, FFXI! For those not aware, this is SE's only other MMO to date. (I can hear the groans!)

But anyway, XI included all* game items in your monthly subscription. You paid your sub, and that was that! So now here comes XIV, which is from the same company, and they've completely done away with their old business model. Now they seem quite content to double-dip their characters whenever they can, constantly raising prices to boot.

You call us spoiled, I call the company greedy. They've done a complete 180 on how they run their MMOs, and that's a shame.




*Because someone always nitpicks this - this is not including expansion packs, fan-fest items, etc.

[bswpayton]

To bring up everyone's favorite topic, FFXI! For those not aware, this is SE's only other MMO to date. (I can hear the groans!)

But anyway, XI included all* game items in your monthly subscription. You paid your sub, and that was that! So now here comes XIV, which is from the same company, and they've completely done away with their old business model.

This is a new age and a new market wow is a billion dollar company, league of legions makes so much money its crazy Id never play either of these and I know league isnt an mmo. But my point is , why do you think they put cash shop in to begin with where do you think the jump potions are gona end up, if you look at other mmos they have cash shops. Those other mmos sell gear, already sell jump potions, sell way more mounts, exp boast all kinds of stuff. And swtor even sells gamble boxes and they have subs as well and use the cash shop even more than this game , and Id prob say it profits more than this game does as well. To keep and maintain this game or to make it stay competitive with other games you cant use the same business model from years past.

Mmos are not really growing like they did in years past, you have to do things similar to your competitors and thats what SE is doing, there is hardly anything in the mog station like last time I checked a dress and some dye and now these emotes. Like compared to other places this is nothing , so why are people complaining, if you think that this game is just gona sit idle and not try to capitalize like every other game on the market then you must not no how business works. Ill say it again no subs arent enough subs are never going to be enough in any game period companies will always be looking to make extra money and that goes from burger king, to movie theaters, to here video games, there is no such thing as too much that's called capitalism and its just how things work.


Things come at a price I see your comment above its simply a choice I wanted the hw griffin mount but I wasnt willing to pay for the extra special edition price for that mount. Im not willing to preorder storm blood when I can just buy it on june 20th when its cheaper, the game isnt forcing you to do anything. Unless you buy all the special edition stuff, then some things are just out of ur reach in general. Why is this a problem, you dont have to have everything in the game , nobody said this when you signed up for your sub I know it didnt say that on mine.

[Lexia]

...

Think most the outrage is not that there is a cash shop and they putting stuff in it, it the price they are charging for the items on top of paying a monthly sub. Lot of people seem to be unhappy about a emote costing $7, now if they lowered that price to say $3 for the emote would there still be people that unhappy? Yes but I think a lot less would complain about it and be more ok with. Least that what I feel is going on, that cash shop for what it selling it ok it just priced too high for be a sub game.

[Skivvy]

Things come at a price I see your comment above its simply a choice I wanted the hw griffin mount but I wasnt willing to pay for the extra special edition price for that mount. Im not willing to preorder storm blood when I can just buy it on june 20th when its cheaper, the game isnt forcing you to do anything. Unless you buy all the special edition stuff, then some things are just out of ur reach in general. Why is this a problem, you dont have to have everything in the game , nobody said this when you signed up for your sub I know it didnt say that on mine.

I'm not concerned about CE game/expansion, plushie, OST items. These are marketing/promotional items, and that's a different beast all together. Perhaps I should have clarified further on post #274, because as I mentioned, it always gets nitpicked.

The exclusive items I have an issue with are the ones that go directly to the cash shop. The new emotes, Far Eastern Garb, the mounts, Scion outfits, etc.

Times do change, and cash shops do seem to be creeping in everywhere. I obviously don't think they belong on a sub game, but I'd personally be OK with it in XIV if they would do the following:

1) Have only account items (fantasias, server transfer, name change) and items that have been obtainable in game at least once
2) Have a system to convert gil to Crysta
3) Lower the damn prices. @.@ I play Archeage as well, which is arguably one of the largest money-grabs at the moment, and SE's prices rival that of AA.