We are actually getting a Mobile FF14 ? WHAT!?

[Loggos]

I can't put into words how much I don't like this.

The trailer feels exactly like what I excepted from its mobile game iteration: flashy, sparkly, casual fun without much substance. Nothing of the things that define FF14 and ARR. Not even a mention of that weighty, epic story, no scenes with a serious or darker tone. Just a firework of fun colours and happy partytime.

(Also, I know we didn't have au ra, viera and hroth NPCs in ARR but I don't think it's a smart move to not include them as playable races from the start. (At least I didn't see any in the trailer?) They are such fan favourites after all, esp. viera and au ra. Not being able to play as either of them and potentially having to wait till heavensward/shadowbringers, which is years from now, makes me even less interested.)

Also, since mobile gaming is a lot more widespread in Japan and China iirc (though please correct me if I'm wrong) and gacha makes so much money, in conjunction with their restrictive and outdated spaghetti code for PC/consoles, I'm worried that they might prepare to slowly move away from PC/consoles alltogether and aim to turn FF14 into a purely mobile title in the long run. Not next year or the 2-3 years afterwards but perhaps across the next 10 years with the full switch coming when this post-EW arc with its 2-3 expansions comes to a close.

I guess like this they can start over with fresh code while also turning it into an even more "profitable" (but not necessarily more player-friendly) game.

Though I guess with new code/a new engine they could also pull a Genshin and try to develop a true cross-platform game that works on mobile and stationary devices. (Though this might make cross-platform team-fights hard/impossible because of the stark differences in gameplay limitations between platforms. Genshin is already held back by that a lot and it shows.)

[Ephremjlm]

Though I guess with new code/a new engine they could also pull a Genshin and try to develop a true cross-platform game that works on mobile and stationary devices.

I think the next "MMO" SE releases will be a cross platform mobile first experience. Think Toram Online/Genshin Impact. This makes sense financially, as SE has long sought the profitability of free-to-play games. The significant rise in FFXIV store prices shows players are buying, similar to mobile game spending. The crossover audience is there, and SE seems to have started the transition.

Arguments defending SE's use of funds often cite event rewards, but these events typically last 20 minutes, involve minimal effort (like talking to NPCs), and the items quickly land in the store. Those who didn't do the event no longer have access to those items unless they purchase them. Then, those items have variants made that are non tradeable/sellable in game. Forcing players who want these items to use the store, is what is known in the marketing world as "activation" to which they are likely to do this action again and with less resistance. Mobile games literally have tutorials for this. Even trying on store items in-game is a mobile-inspired feature, though not inherently bad.

This raises a key question: wasn’t this game meant to avoid FOMO? Players are encouraged to take breaks, yet the slower content drip-feed and growing store inventory say otherwise. Like ask yourself for one second, why don't we have craftable christmas trees in the game, or why aren't those items a constant seasonal rewards? Its because they want you to buy it. The last time one was put in game was 2015. FFXI had like 4 or 5 that you could constantly get. The ONLY way you can get them now is if by chance someone has one that they haven't used and its up on the Market Board for like 20 mil, or if you buy one form the store to which there are like 4 or 5.

SE's push to mobile seems clear, reflected in the shift to simplified combat, hub-city AFK content, and non-tradable items.

On a hopeful note—and with plenty of copium—I still think FF7R and R2 were excellent games that prove SE has dignity left. Even in FF14 DT, battle encounters have shown improvement. If Yoshi-P delivers more varied jobs in the next expansion, SE might transform FFXIV into a true MMO "loss leader" (like WoW) while keeping mobile games as their cash cow. However, if job design stagnates, I’ll take it as a sign of the inevitable mobile-focused future, at which point I’d rather invest elsewhere or support private servers.

[Loggos]

I think the next "MMO" SE releases will be a cross platform mobile first experience. Think Toram Online/Genshin Impact.

Yep I agree and that's exactly what I fear.
I play Genshin and I like it. It has definitely pushed the boundaries of mobile gaming and is fun to play as a casual/not very difficult combat game on console/PC.
But the limitations placed on the game design due to it having to be playable on mobile are clearly noticeable. Not just in terms of specs but also in terms of the type of gameplay/complexity they can implement.
When I think about what Genshin could be if it was just for console/PC I get a bit sad because it has all the potential. You could get so much more elaborate and even cooler gameplay out of it.

The reversal of good game design towards simplicity to make things compatible with mobile gaming because it's more profitable makes sense from a business perspective of course. But from the perspective of a gaming enthusiast it's just disheartening to see that this is gonna be the major game design model (for life service games at least) going forwards, coming at the cost of more complex gaming experiences we could have had otherwise.