Quote Originally Posted by Alexandre_Noireau View Post
Those things are actually predatory on neurodivergent people, there is no reasonable or ethical excuse to defend a cash shop, much less in a subscription based access game.
It's not about defending a cash shop per se but acknowledging that game development have skyrocketed over the last decade and publishers aren't going to simply make less to compensate. The consumer will be eating some of those costs, be it through micro transaction or an increase in the base price of the game and/or subscription fee. The reason I'll mostly shrug off a non-intrusive cash shop is it's an entirely optional. Yes, I'll miss out on some outfits or mounts I may have wanted unless I flash my credit card but I'll also avoid paying more elsewhere. I'd much prefer a $14.99 sub fee and $59.99 for an expansion compared to say, $24.99 and $99.99. They are going to make their money somehow. It just comes down to how.

Alternatively, everything on the cash shop will just cease to exist as it's being made exclusively for a profit. So if you'd rather all those Korean glamours or mounts like Shadow Keeper or Cruise Chaser simply never be made. That's what will happen.

Now don't confuse this with me defending SE. I can say all the above while also saying the cash shop has gotten quite excessive this expansion. Likewise, I think it's a little scummy event items are tossed on the Mog Station when they were free at some point. I just opt not to buy what I don't want and indulge on what I do.