FF14 player count reached the lowest point in 4 years. We lost 75% of the playerbase.

[Wasselin]

People love to complain about player numbers when it suits them to bolster their own argument but really what difference does it make if there are 1 million or 2 million or 500,000 people playing the game? Does that make the game more fun for your personally to know that there are 1.9mil other people player over only 499,999 thousand?

The number matters for the people at square tasked with making money, but doesn't really matter to players unless it drops to the threshold where the game isn't profitable at all.

[yesnt]

People love to complain about player numbers when it suits them to bolster their own argument but really what difference does it make if there are 1 million or 2 million or 500,000 people playing the game? Does that make the game more fun for your personally to know that there are 1.9mil other people player over only 499,999 thousand?

Because:

I tried playing some PF content in primal late last night. Lmao, there was absolutely noone playing.

Less players = less chances to meet people who are up for the same content

[Wasselin]

Hi, person from Dynamis here, and I assure you that low player count does in fact make a huge difference when you're trying to, you know, actually play content that demands other people to do it with. You wanna know just how dead Maduin is in particular?

-snip-

I'm well aware, and do feel sorry for Dynamis players, but that has nothing to do with overall player count and more to do with the introduction of the servers + the datacenter travel feature setting those servers up to fail. They never got a good start even when there were more players and then players stopped even trying to queue there and just datacenter travel instead. It doesn't require millions of players for low queue times, because even back in ARR and Heavensward you could find people to play with.

[Larirawiel]

https://x.com/aitaikimochi/status/1954023035385905249
https://xcancel.com/aitaikimochi/sta...23035385905249

"MMO gross sales decreased by ¥2.9 billion yen (-23%) and operational profits are down ¥3 billion (-45%)"

This is not good. But it is deserved, IMHO.


Cheers

[xbahax92]

I'm well aware, and do feel sorry for Dynamis players, but that has nothing to do with overall player count and more to do with the introduction of the servers + the datacenter travel feature setting those servers up to fail. They never got a good start even when there were more players and then players stopped even trying to queue there and just datacenter travel instead. It doesn't require millions of players for low queue times, because even back in ARR and Heavensward you could find people to play with.

It clearly shows that you lack knowledge. Have you been on Chaos DC? The PF has barely raid content. People swapping to Light, so they can farm chaotic runs. It's not fun, if Im forced to swap to other servers. Im restricted from so many functions while traveling, heck I can't even gather timed nodes on other servers.

[Auro_Seldaris]

... but really what difference does it make if there are 1 million or 2 million or 500,000 people playing the game? Does that make the game more fun for your personally...

No, but generally, the more fun a game is, the more people want to come and play it. Which was part of the reason behind the "WoW exodus" to FFXIV in the first place.

Why some people still think that a sample size of about 95k on Steam (all-time peak, there are more owners of the game which are to account for) cannot represent the general health of the game and player sentiment is still kind of beyond me.

Yes, most players don't use Steam, but there is no reason to believe that those who are not on Steam feel any different about XIV than those who are.

I am just as baffled. Clearly these people haven't taken many statistics classes. A sample size of roughly 1000 random people is enough to be considered a reasonable sample size in most situations. I'm not sure why they believe 95,000 doesn't.

[Wasselin]

No, but generally, the more fun a game is, the more people want to come and play it. Which was part of the reason behind the "WoW exodus" to FFXIV in the first place.

Well then I guess we should all quit FFXIV and go play Fortnite since it must be more fun since it has more players?

There is obviously a lot more that makes a game popular than "fun." Advertising, burnout, competition... etc... that doesn't mean people, like myself, aren't having fun playing FFXIV regardless of if there is an "exodus". Was the game less fun in ARR or Heavensward and that's why there were less players then? Why do I remember that time fondly then?

[Catwho]

No, but generally, the more fun a game is, the more people want to come and play it. Which was part of the reason behind the "WoW exodus" to FFXIV in the first place.




I am just as baffled. Clearly these people haven't taken many statistics classes. A sample size of roughly 1000 random people is enough to be considered a reasonable sample size in most situations. I'm not sure why they believe 95,000 doesn't.

Because that sample size is from a single population - steam players. That means all that information is telling you is about steam players. For all we know, the population of PS5 players could have had an even more drastic drop.