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

[AamesxDavid]

they ought to consider customer retention if they want to charge a fee from now on.

You're under the mistaken belief that SE is a stupid company. They're very aware that they'll lose people no matter what they charge. And you can go ahead and speculate that "most" people will leave if they charge full price, but you don't have any real evidence for it. If you think that they should charge half price give your reason and stop speaking for everyone else.

If you're arguing that charging half price will make SE more money, then you're saying that over double the number of people will sub to a half price fee for the entire year. With no one coming back after a patch or two, and no new people joining. Oh, and "70% of our users that voted in the poll were very against being charged a fee" doesn't mean they won't pay it, and no number is given for that "most" they claim were fine with a half-price fee. But even if the speculation on those results was accurate, it's just one fan site, and far from representative of the whole community.

Bottom line, if you think the game is worth $5 and not $12, then say why - speaking on behalf of other people with no real numbers just isn't going to cut it. And I'm very interested to know how the game isn't worth a $12 fee, but is somehow worth a 55-page debate. Not to mention all the time you've spent playing the game. You must not value your time at all.

[Zanfire]

I still stand by my statement that >90% of the current player base will be back for V2.0.

yes they likely will be, that much is obvious. SE themselves even said they will go through with getting to 2.0 regardless of the players left. So that just begs the question ,if they clearly dont care about the amount of money they are making from pre-2.0(they said even if only 1 or 1,000 players are playing they will keep going), why even charge? Why full price? If they cared so much about how much money they got up until 2.0 they would make it obvious that the game cant continue without payment, but they say just the opposite.

[XxOstiaxX]

You're under the mistaken belief that SE is a stupid company.

How are they Not ?

[Physic]

yes they likely will be, that much is obvious. SE themselves even said they will go through with getting to 2.0 regardless of the players left. So that just begs the question ,if they clearly dont care about the amount of money they are making from pre-2.0(they said even if only 1 or 1,000 players are playing they will keep going), why even charge? Why full price? If they cared so much about how much money they got up until 2.0 they would make it obvious that the game cant continue without payment, but they say just the opposite.

2.0 development costs are covered as an investment, but the current server, and new content that cannot work within 2.0 are probably not really withing their cost structure.
Also a lot of things are going to be introduced before 2.0, that if they canceled the current service would make 2.0 pop more,

say if 2.0 is jobs, 4 primal fights, company rank and quests up to rank 3 garlean battles, hamlet defense, job quest progression and gear.

A lot of this content is coming before 2.0, 2.0 is mostly server fix, new graphics engine, and map redesign. Many core gameplay mechanics are pre 2.0 so, you are getting something for your money, they are actively developing content that you will see in the current game. The fact that they are commited to making the product doesnt mean they want to incur losses if they can avoid it, as well as player cash acting as income, to mitigate the ivestment.

Another big reason is that they need to establish the game as a p2p game. better to do it now, than 2.0, because if they wait for 2.0, well many people will have had over a year to experience stuff, 2.0 wont offer much, and yet there will be a big cost. This argument will only get stronger and more vocal the longer the game is free.

Now while i would love a price discount, unless people suggest things that will make more money in the long term, then its really a moot point. If the game doesnt make what they project, it wont last that long. or the service offered will dwindle, leaving the game with a skeleton crew and virtually no updates. So forget player retention, because retaining players who dont want to pay for the game has no value, unless they change their business model. If they had advertisements, or low cost well running cash shops, maybe they could be f2p, but nothing about the game is currently built to take a strong advantage of having a large amount of non paying players so as to be profitable.

Its just unreasonable to ask that the game make no money, why develop it?

[Finneli]

Right now I will stat that if things do pan out the way SE has shown us in the PDF files and if outside life commitments allow, I will get the ps3 version at launch. Hope there will be a collector’s edition of it.

[Starlord]

If I don't feel like it is worth the money, I will quit until it is. That is besides the point. What we are observing here seems to have been going on since these boards started. That is that if you aren't a blatant fanboy of Yoshi or SE, you aren't allowed to have an opinion.

If anyone decides not to continue playing because of the subscription fees, aren't you essentially saying that they should shut up and not have an opinion? Only positive words for SE are allowed? Well I'm sorry, but SE will never return to their glory days if people never complain or voice their feelings. The only reason FFXIV is getting better is because people did do that.

As for the concept of a 'complete' game, I know this will continually be taken out of context by people who want to be 'positive'. There isn't much point in having a proper discussion because of it.

"Feedback on the game" "Not Feedback on the payment" Let SE sink or swim in that department.I was fine with all the feedback you gave to SE and I thank you for all of that. But saying SE should Charge this or that.. Leave that to SE

[JackDaniels]

"Feedback on the game" "Not Feedback on the payment" Let SE sink or swim in that department.I was fine with all the feedback you gave to SE and I thank you for all of that. But saying SE should Charge this or that.. Leave that to SE

This, and after all the debating and raging in this thread and many others accross the different language boards.. SE clearly doesn't care.

SE:

[Alerith]

How are they Not ?

Because they are very much still in business and still making money. One poor launch of a single title from a company whom produces many successful titles hardly constitutes being "stupid".

[CoDeWa]

Another thing players should ask is, should a company have to run a beta for free for roughly two years. Would players rather have the option to pay the full monthly subscription or would they rather the game go offline until it reaches 2.0. I'm not siding with any one decision on the matter, but I believe that this should be taken into consideration.

[Wynn]

Another thing players should ask is, should a company have to run a beta for free for roughly two years. Would players rather have the option to pay the full monthly subscription or would they rather the game go offline until it reaches 2.0. I'm not siding with any one decision on the matter, but I believe that this should be taken into consideration.

They definitely could have taken the game offline and just started from scratch or scrapped the project all together like so many MMOs do when launch doesn't go well. The fact that they didn't shows how much SE wanted to support the community that was still supporting them in regard to XIV. It's really sad that after all they have done to make amends to us, people turn around and smack SE across the proverbial face as soon as they learn SE is turning back on payment. Talk about looking a gift horse in the mouth.