LuckyBancho data shows that FF14 is in decline

[CNitsah]

I would point out that the numbers obscure an extremely important statistic: paying subscribers who contribute to SE's actual bottom line.

Fiscal Year 2020/2021 about 80 billion yen in net sales (ShadowBringers)
Fiscal Year 2021/2022 about 115 billion yen in net sales (Endwalker)

Year 2021 net sales of 39 billion yen (year 2 ShB)
Year 2023 net sales of 53 billion yen (year 2 EW)

There is no possible interpretation of the 14 billion yen difference in revenue over the second year of each expansion that would lead to "the game is less healthy, financially, in EW".

There is "noise" in these values, as the MMORPG group has Final Fantasy XI and Dragon Quest X included in those numbers.

I have a question about your 2023 numbers? aren't they 2022. I don't get how we could already have the 2023 numbers while still being in 2023. Or are they the fiscal year that ended in 2023, so from april 2022 to march 2023. In any case make those number pass for the second year of endwalker is kinda sketchy. Until 6.2, most of the players still believed it was just a down time after the finale. 6.2 is the introduction of relics and people still believed relics would be something more than tomes weapons. There is no sale numbers for the period that would have a fall, the moment of break being the 6.3, and it only started very slow.

Once that is said, it would make sense that the number we have are still very high. It even makes sense with the stats presented here. Q2 to Q3 2022 were periods with more players than 2021 (once again, which 2021? the year? the fiscal year that ended in 2021? The fiscal year that ended in 2022) if it's the 2 first the luckybancho numbers make sense, if it's the last option, it's more questionnable. And there is the last

Then there is the other hints I meantionned earlier. The opinion that something is wrong that grew far past the forums, the whole steam numbers fall, that, if they don't have to be taken as a reflection of the whole player base is still a hint, and the fact over the past few weeks, the availability of houses exploded when it was so big in the past.

No, if there is a fall in the playerbase, it's for the last few month. And we have Zero SE official numbers for that period (the last 6 month).

[edit]
Also, I found there are numbers for april 1 to june 30th 2023. 22% drop for the mmo division. https://www.mmorpg.com/news/square-e...les-2000128641. Really, I'm curious to see july to september, because that's what will tell if it's a real fall or a "return to pre-covid" scenario (which to me is kinda dumb to assume for a mmo, the price of the game being ridiculous compared to the other cost and covid full lockdown have ended nearly 2 years ago - went back partial time to the office in september 2021). Also the people complaining and the one who joined during covid are 2 different crowd, so we'll see.