FFXIV is not a failure, never was.

[Rhianu]

Personally, I think the game is already unique compared to other MMOs. Specifically in it's open ended sandbox feel.

FFXIV is not a sandbox game. A sandbox game is something like Minecraft or SimCity, where there's not a whole lot of actual content, but the systems of the game allow you to have fun by manipulating things to create a seemingly endless variety of fun gameplay scenarios.

FFXIV shares the aspect of not having any content, but that in and of itself does not make it a sandbox game. To be a sandbox game, the gameplay mechanics have to allow for an incredibly high degree of malleability.

In other words, even though FFXIV may be severely lacking in content, it's still not a sandbox game because its gameplay systems are not malleable.

Having said that though, I have to say that the topic creator is completely and totally wrong. FFXIV is absolutely a failure. I'm sorry, I know that sounds harsh, but it's the truth.

A successful game does not get universally panned by every single professional critic on three continents, bleed players like a hemorrhaging artery, get its entire development team reorganized, replace key staff members, extend the free trial period indefinitely, or delay its release on a second platform. FFXIV has done all these things, and therefore cannot possibly be considered a success in its current state by any stretch of the imagination.

If SE plays their cards right, they might possibly be able to turn FFXIV around and mold it into something that can eventually become successful in the future. So there's still hope for the game down the line, but at the moment it's a failure, at least for the time being.