18.5% drop in players in only 8 weeks

[Stormpeaks]

So players log in, play through the patch content they're interested in, then go play other games like TotK, D4 and FFXVI that just came out so they have had the last 10 years to be playing them.

Okay. I don't see a problem with that.

I've watched that same cycle occur many times over the years in various MMORPGs, notably WoW. There are websites out there that track player activity and it's a rare online game producing regular content updates that doesn't have a lot of peaks and valleys in its graph.

When new games were getting released, players would be taking breaks to go play the new games. Sometimes they'd even skip coming back for the new patch content because they were excited about the new game and knew the patch content would be waiting for them on their return. Other times the content patches just didn't appeal to them but they'd come back either when another did or for the next expansion.

Such cycles rarely say anything about the state of a game. Those cycles say a lot more about the state of competition in the game industry. When there's no competition drawing a player's attention away from their main game, there's no reason to let their sub lapse and most will stick with the game out of habit if nothing else. When there is competition, there is reason to stop playing so they can also enjoy those other games. A drop in active players will be seen.

Personally I think it's a good thing to see people taking extended breaks to play other games. It helps prevent burnout. It can potentially expose players to new ideas that can then be shared and possibly used to improve their main game.

You guys waste an awful lot of time and effort on doomsaying when you could spend that time and effort doing things you enjoy. That may mean not playing FFXIV for a while. A decade is an awful long time to be playing the same game with almost no break.

That's fine. Enjoy other games for a change. Maybe you decide to come back to FFXIV, maybe you get so invested in one of those other games that you leave FFXIV behind. I'd be surprised if I don't end up reaching that point myself sometimes in the future though for now I'm still having fun here. Nothing lasts forever.

And that's okay. My life doesn't revolve around whether or not I'm playing a game, let alone this game in particular.

Do what is best for you. I don't think banging your head against a wall trying to convince other people who are happy with the game to embrace your doomsaying is in your best interests.

[Jojoya]

Sorry you're bored but then I wasn't replying to you.

Did you need some personalized attention?

[AwesomeJr44]

Me when I read a 13 page essay that has so little substance that it could be condensed into a few sentences: ^