Quote Originally Posted by SamRF View Post
FFXIV could have attracted more players by not expanding their Cash Shop as much as they did, potentially making more money long term.

I believe seeing the Mog Station Cash Shop and how big it is will be a big turnoff for many WoW players who may consider playing FFXIV.
I don't think it would make that big of a difference. World of Warcraft was first and it will likely be the powerhouse paid MMO for as long as it's still around. Nothing else in this specific space is going to dethrone it or compete with it financially.

FFXIV is simply the less successful option, and since it makes less money the community gets less for more. Them trying to match World of Warcrafts monetization strategy would end up hurting the game, because World of Warcraft has structured it's monetization around a much larger community.

That's not to say it's impossible for FFXIV to overextend and drive people away, but comparing this game to WoW isn't fair. I personally don't find this games cash shop to be problematic.