LuckyBancho data shows that FF14 is in decline

[DPZ2]

Games don't need to financially fail to suck. ... I barely play the game anymore but I pay my sub because a. I want the game to get better and b. I have a house plot I worked really hard to get.

So, the game sucks, but not enough for the player to think to themselves "Is it really worth a monthly subscription to maintain a house in a video game?" The apparent answer is "Yes. Yes it is."

"Implying all revenue is driven by new player subscriptions" is inaccurate, even if you spread it across three games." is a misunderstanding of the numbers, as net sales incorporate all funds from subscriptions, not just "new players".

The poster chooses to ignore a rational view based on the number of actual subscribers of this game. It destroys the narrative that the game is in decline because ... reasons.

MMORPGs generate more revenue by releasing expansions. These attract both old and new players. It will be interesting to see the revenue generated during FY2025. Those numbers will speak more accurately about whether the game is in a true decline.

[Turtledeluxe]

So, the game sucks, but not enough for the player to think to themselves "Is it really worth a monthly subscription to maintain a house in a video game?"

The dev team has garnered a lot of good will over time. You're saying because some people feel like the game has been going in a boring direction for a few patches that the only acceptable response is to cancel subscriptions and injure the game revenue? That sounds reductive and nonsensical. My patience is limited obviously but I don't think the solution is to immediately cancel my sub.

"Implying all revenue is driven by new player subscriptions" is inaccurate, even if you spread it across three games." is a misunderstanding of the numbers, as net sales incorporate all funds from subscriptions, not just "new players".

Net revenue for a game isn't just from subscriptions. It also comes from events, merchandise, mogstation (as someone else pointed out) etc. If revenue isn't itemized you can't just say "there's a revenue increase so subs must be healthy", whether you're taking about new or old subs. My point was that people often talk about this or that metric, and it can seem applicable, when it's not even fully informative or even relevant to begin with. To expound.....

MMORPGs generate more revenue by releasing expansions. These attract both old and new players. It will be interesting to see the revenue generated during FY2025. Those numbers will speak more accurately about whether the game is in a true decline.

That isn't the only way they generate revenue. And again, their bottom line and even active subscriber number don't speak to a "healthy" game. Yes, the thread is claiming there is a decline based on achievements and could be false. However *my post* is responding to multiple players who keep implying that the game making money means it's ok and that the game is "healthy" or "good". That may be *your* definition and players arguing with you may have 50 bad arguments to the contrary (i.e. there's no content wahh, achievements, whatever) but what I am saying is that the problems with the game are more innocuous and haven't quite hit the point of "mass unsubbing" if that ever happens at all. To the point about revenue, if the game continues to make money regardless of the content standards and regardless of the type of player that doesn't mean the game is getting inherently better over time.