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

[Rentahamster]

Your alternative suffers from the exact same thing. You can't guarantee the subscriptions needed to make a lower price more profitable just like nobody can guarantee that paying full price is better over a discount.

Nobody is guaranteeing anything. 100% certainty of results was never a part of the OP. I merely presented several points and came to a conclusion based upon my analysis of the available info. No one's making the argument that lowering the price is guaranteeing a larger profit. I'm making the argument that it is a plausible possibility.

As a business, SE is going to go with the option that THEY think will pull in more money between those two options.

They have every right to do whatever business decision they want to do, of course. We, as fans and (soon to be paying) customers have every right to submit our feedback and let them know what we think about it.

[AmyRae]

Your alternative suffers from the exact same thing. You can't guarantee the subscriptions needed to make a lower price more profitable just like nobody can guarantee that paying full price is better over a discount.

As a business, SE is going to go with the option that THEY think will pull in more money between those two options.

That $12.99 price was based on a successful, quality launch of FFXIV which never materialized. I think that will rematerialize with the release of 2.0. But the current version is not 2.0. It's significantly inferior to it. An inferior product, if it's to be sold, should come with a discount; consumers generally obey this principle and have for centuries.

To plow ahead without taking that into account would likely undercut the amount of revenue SE could be making if only they had considered adjusting the price. And besides, it's better to err on the side of keeping more players who will support the game in the long term than letting an even greater chunk of the player base go off to find other games to play by charging too much.

[AamesxDavid]

Having a poll about who's going to stay in this forum is like running a poll at Wrigley Field on game day and asking people if they support the Cubs.

Yet you find the BG poll so convincing. Make up your mind, do they matter or don't they? Or do they only matter when they support your position?

The principles of Price Elasticity suggest there ought to be level that would actually improve the income SE gets from subscriptions as well as improve the amount of players that stick it out.

No kidding, but you have no evidence against the possibility that maybe $12 is that level. Hell, it could be higher for all you know. Because, once again, you're not in support of SE doing real research on it, you just want them to lower the price.

Just to say, "Pay the full price, and damn the consequences, there couldn't possibly be a better way to do this," is short-sighted.

Not really - it's what's happening a year from now anyway, and even you support that. And you still have yet to address the fact that it's inconsistent to be in support of SE charging full price and abandoning your hallowed price elasticity when 2.0 comes out.

[Starlord]

IN A MONTH WE SHALL SEE WHAT HAPPENS TO THE PRICE OF THE GAME OKAY?!

[Alerith]

That $12.99 price was based on a successful, quality launch of FFXIV which never materialized. I think that will rematerialize with the release of 2.0. But the current version is not 2.0. It's significantly inferior to it. An inferior product, if it's to be sold, should come with a discount; consumers generally obey this principle and have for centuries.

To plow ahead without taking that into account would likely undercut the amount of revenue SE could be making if only they had considered adjusting the price. And besides, it's better to err on the side of keeping more players who will support the game in the long term than letting an even greater chunk of the player base go off to find other games to play by charging too much.

This is a matter of opinion because there are many who feel that the 1.20 patch is what will make it a launch worthy title, where it should have been a year ago.

Whether or not you agree is irrelevant because it is up to each individual to make that choice and decide to pay or not, just like whether anyone disagrees with you is irrelevant because you've made that choice for yourself.

[AamesxDavid]

IN A MONTH WE SHALL SEE WHAT HAPPENS TO THE PRICE OF THE GAME OKAY?!

You don't have to yell. :P

[Starlord]

You don't have to yell. :P

Just get tired of this thread being on the front page.. I was happy when it was gone from the front page.. then it got bumped lol. I yelled because this is getting ridiculous

[RathSkybreaker]

The way I see it is, if it were in beta my character would be getting wiped, which it's not so it must not be in beta Also hell the games playable so if anything let the patches continue?

[Buddhsie]

Everyone who posts here is now required to begin each sentence with "in my opinion". Unless cited material is quoted or linked, thankyou.

[AmyRae]

Yet you find the BG poll so convincing. Make up your mind, do they matter or don't they? Or do they only matter when they support your position?

BG is a hardcore FFXI site, not traditionally a FFXIV site.

In fact you'll find a lot of FFXI players who could be more supportive of FFXIV for a long time to come if only it were operating at a competitive level. These are people you want to convince to stick around, not throw up their hands and potentially walk away for good.

As modders whose mods are widely used and respected within the FFXI community, BG understands the underlying mechanics of an MMO better than most. And it's their opinion that FFXIV isn't good enough to pay full price yet. That holds significant weight and should be ringing alarm bells.

So while 300+ of the most sold-out of FFXIV players posting on the official forums might say yes to full price versus the few who give a crap enough to log into the site just to say no to something like that might make you feel good... I don't think it's indicative of the community at large.

Not really - it's what's happening a year from now anyway, and even you support that. And you still have yet to address the fact that it's inconsistent to be in support of SE charging full price and abandoning your hallowed price elasticity when 2.0 comes out.

It's not inconsistent to accept that $12.99/month is a fair price to pay for a fully operational FFXIV. That's the price anyone who bought the box a year ago was willing to pay when the game originally launched. So of course we'll accept that price when 2.0 launches.

This is a matter of opinion because there are many who feel that the 1.20 patch is what will make it a launch worthy title, where it should have been a year ago.

Whether or not you agree is irrelevant because it is up to each individual to make that choice and decide to pay or not, just like whether anyone disagrees with you is irrelevant because you've made that choice for yourself.

Of course it's up to every individual to decide. But when several individuals have the same opinion, you start to have a consensus. Polls in the FFXI community seem to indicate that a price drop would be necessary for them to continue giving FFXIV a chance. That would convince many more to stay, enough perhaps to raise more revenue, than just by blindly charging full price for a game that doesn't seem capable of being worth that until 2.0 comes out.

The mistake would be to wait until you start charging too much to realize maybe it should be lower. Once people leave FFXIV, it will be a lot harder to get them back.