Subscription discount for underprivileged players and underserved communities

[DayHealer]

With current events stripping away means for underprivileged and underserved communities to move upwards in society, I think we as a people need to leave no stone unturned and find solutions to help redress the grave setback of social progress. Every little bit helps right now and as a community we need to reach out to Square Enix and ask if they wish to aid this effort.

I propose that we reduce the subscription fee by $3 per month for players from an underprivileged and underserved background and community. Although $3 may seem like a small gesture, every little bit of gesture helps right now. Square Enix, please do the right thing and allow players from these backgrounds to feel heard in your game.

[SilverObi]

Just RMT like OP and you too can play this wonderful game without spending any of your own money

[TheMightyMollusk]

[Chie_M]

Look, memes aside, I am begging SE to let me pay in Australian dollars. We have our own data center, and we're still forced to pay in euros.

[TitanMenII]

What do you define as 'underprivileged ', just wondering? And how would they police people lying just to get the lower rate? Tax returns >.>?

They should submit an essay about how they overcame their adversity in life and submit it to Square Enix.

[TitanMenII]

Underprivileged people wouldnt be playing an MMO in the first place.
do you think they would waste what little money they got
on a computer/playstation4/5 + internet + energy cost?

Underprivileged folks deserve entertainment as well. In fact, many current players of FF14 ARE from underprivileged backgrounds, such as the Pacific Islander community.

[TitanMenII]

No, the prices are fine as they are. As has already been pointed out, there is a cheaper payment option available for players who might not be able to afford the standard subscription. Furthermore, FFXIV is a game; as such, it isn't a necessity.

Therefore, if a person is not able to afford either the Entry or Standard cost, they are not unduly burdened by not being able to play this MMO, and likely have better things to spend their money on.

Underprivileged people deserve entertainment as much as privileged people.

[Ranaku]

Such discounts work with tax money. Who will compensate SE for the discount? And - why? I bet there are better ways to spend tax money.

Just cause i am very curious, how does the bait taste? Shouldn't it be rancid and rotten by now?

[Kacho_Nacho]

Underprivileged people deserve entertainment as much as privileged people.

I agree and there is plenty of free entertainment available to underprivileged people already. They have radio, tv, books, and even free online games they can play.

Not being able to play FFXIV is not a burden. If a person cannot afford either the Entry nor Standard subscription to this MMO, they likely have better things to spend their money on.

[TitanMenII]

I agree and there is plenty of free entertainment available to underprivileged people already. They have radio, tv, books, and even free online games they can play.

Not being able to play FFXIV is not a burden. If a person cannot afford either the Entry nor Standard subscription to this MMO, they likely have better things to spend their money on.

It's not about affordability. It's about redressing past wrongs and promoting diversity.

Many underprivileged communities, especially the Black community, have been oppressed for decades. Gestures such as these may seem small and unnecessary, but if society came together to make many of these small gestures, we can start to right past wrongs by making sure that the underprivileged have a lower barrier to entertainment, education, work, and civil society.

A discount on the sub fee for the underprivileged will promote diversity in the game as well. Numerous studies have shown how diversity can make a corporations more efficient and open to innovative ideas, improve dialogue and research in academia, and minimize the chance of harming minorities when making policies. In online game communities, diversity allows players of all stripes to come together and share their experiences and learn from each other. Lowering the barrier for the underprivileged will only boost the diversity of the game as we learn from perspectives that are not represented well in society.