We anticipate that even with this update, third parties will continue

[Carin-Eri]

I don't think this change will stick, personally. The decision-makers behind this change have failed to realise the impact that this will have on their 'bottom line'. Once the impact of this sinks in we may see them change course.

[Dustytome]

Re: Just check lodestone info for one time items...

They would still need to check multiple sources as it's possible someone hasn't activated the item yet. It could be in the character's mail, possibly not even sent yet, inventory, retainer or chocobo saddlebag. On top of that anything account wide they would have to backtrack to the account to see if it's unlocked. Now, they SHOULD still be able to check all that, but we don't know what's preventing it from happening (lack of time to finish code before this all had to be implemented, access issues, etc). It's still annoying, but they can't just check the lodestone.

[Vrankyl]

Re: Just check lodestone info for one time items...

They would still need to check multiple sources as it's possible someone hasn't activated the item yet. It could be in the character's mail, possibly not even sent yet, inventory, retainer or chocobo saddlebag. On top of that anything account wide they would have to backtrack to the account to see if it's unlocked. Now, they SHOULD still be able to check all that, but we don't know what's preventing it from happening (lack of time to finish code before this all had to be implemented, access issues, etc). It's still annoying, but they can't just check the lodestone.

If this was really the case then this would be applied to the Job skips, story skips, and retainer boosts as well as these are all one time use items. The fact that these still can be gifted while mounts, minions, bardings, etc can't under the guise of 'want to avoid gifting things people already have' is just odd at a minimum.

[Stormpeaks]

Square Enix is a small indie company guys please understand, dont forget to keep buying items off the mog shop so you can fund the anti-RMT system that will never happen because its impossible to stop RMT, and please stay tuned for the next "fixes to RMT" that will only bother the players and not the RMT'ers.

[DPZ2]

Square Enix is a small indie company guys please understand

This isn't true. It was never true. It isn't even a clever meme. Square Enix itself has never asserted this. People who are extremely pro-SE have never used this. Just. Stop.

[Stormpeaks]

This isn't true. It was never true. It isn't even a clever meme. Square Enix itself has never asserted this. People who are extremely pro-SE have never used this. Just. Stop.

Thank you white knight #457852. Also the meme is very applicable for SE.

[SenseiMaria]

Corporations DO make major mistakes.
Square Enix made a few recently, that cost them money.

Is this one though?

The money they were losing from the chargebacks was magnitudes higher than the amount they would lose by implementing this solution in the short term. And if the multiple sources about Visa looking into them are true, they didn't have much time to work on a proper solution and effectively needed to get one out the door ASAP, thus had to go with the solution that would be quickest to implement without having to meticulously go over every single potential loophole. From a pure business standpoint, they can afford to temporarily annoy people in their fanbase for a short bit in order to crush the RMT vendors outright while they work on the actual solution.

Regardless of how players feel about it, the current solution is literally the furthest thing from a mistake to Square.

Especially since you fail to realize.that consumers, by far and large, are extremely forgiving and in the moment. 'Oops, we messed up! tee-hee' from Square in a few days/weeks time when they have the proper solution built and tested will instantly restore favor to 99% of annoyed people. Even in your new coke scenario, the moment coca-cola brought back the old recipe, their sales skyrocketed. and everyone forgave them as though nothing happened. New coke wasn't even a mistake for the company, it was literally one of the best marketing campaigns in history, completely by accident. If you wanted to cite a corporate mistake that had actual negative effects, I would have personally gone with Subway's 'not actually footlong' or 'their bread is classified as a desert in Ireland due to the amount of sugar in the recipe'.

If nothing else, just take a look at Blizzard's track record and how the vast majority of their consumers keep coming back to the new shiny thing, when every single game they've released lately has just been riddled with controversy.

"Diablo Immoral was ultra bad in its monetization, but Blizzard has totally learned their lesson and will make Overwatch 2 totally fair, right guys? I'm gonna buy day 1!"



*Que sad trombone*

[SassyAssassin]

Thank you white knight #457852. Also the meme is very applicable for SE.

Memes are supposed to be funny, yet you’re not.

[Stormpeaks]

Memes are supposed to be funny, yet you’re not.

It's okay, you can cry me a river, I'm sure you'll feel better after that.

[DPZ2]

Thank you white knight #457852. Also the meme is very applicable for SE.

You're welcome, World of Warcraft shill-of-the-week.