FFXIV Mobile is doing poorly, global release likely shelved

[PercibelTheren]

I'm not surprised it's not doing well. MMORPGs don't really map all that well onto mobile devices. I also feel like mobile gamers and MMO gamers are two mostly separate crowds. I know I had zero interest in it, anyhow.

[Aidorouge]

I'm not surprised it's not doing well. MMORPGs don't really map all that well onto mobile devices. I also feel like mobile gamers and MMO gamers are two mostly separate crowds. I know I had zero interest in it, anyhow.

Supposedly mobile MMOs are actually quite popular over there, but then that's another part of the uphill fight FF14 Mobile is having; Bigger and more established competition in an oversaturated market.

That said, I find it wild that the game is failing in part because its NOT GREEDY ENOUGH and is considered too free-to-play friendly, while over here in the West you had people criticizing every little thing the mobile version tries to charge you for, including gacha boxes for certain cosmetics.

So even if we got a global version, it would probably still be struggling because people still wouldn't be buying much or anything at all.

[RedLolly]

If Square was talking about a Switch 2 release, wouldn't that mean, by necessity, it was the version Square still develops?

Okay, let me elaborate. The info drop was from the New's Years Q&A with Yoshi-P just hanging with players in the Japanese servers And it wasn't much at all, thus me saying "half-confirmed." A player asked about FFXIV coming to Switch 2, and his response was, "Please look forward to it!" We don't actually have an official SE announcement but, at the *very* least, Yoshi-P wants that port and is working on making it happen.

Essentially from that, the idea spawned that it would be smarter to make the Mobile remake Lightspeed was developing the version we can play on the Switch 2, because the idea of limiting the game with a weaker console sounds like a terrible plan. Mind, the Switch 2 is a touch better than the Xbox Series S, which runs the game flawlessly, and SE has made zero announcement about killing PS4 support, yet.


Apparently, Aion 2 is eating FFXIV's lunch as a new mobile MMO. And yes, more monetization.

[MsMisato]

Yeah that does sound pretty strange. From what I saw of it I think a lot of the cosmetics and glamour stuff has microtransactions too? I wonder if it’s a maybe a case of ‘the microtransactions don’t feel worth paying real money [since they’re largely cosmetic based]’.

Which I mean, yeah I’d prefer that personally over something aggressively monetised, IE having a tiny stamina bar for every activity but you have to pay to recharge it lol. Which I’ve seen in almost every game mobile game to some extent.

Although that makes me wonder; if the mobile game was released globally / in the west but designed the exact same, would it still be struggling as much? It could be as much a cultural thing as a problem with the game itself, in terms of how people approach that sort of thing. Like maybe western players are more likely to value cosmetics over things that affect gameplay?

eastern games are more focused on gacha mechanics p2w if anything with comes to f2p. anything to boost your character to do better. thats why like the level up and story skip stuff does well and it won't go away. But gatcha games its upgrading your character cards and what not and very little cosmetics involved and they do well because of gambling aspect which is addictive and jsut f'ed up honestly in that aspect because its addictive behaviour buts that a topic for a different on that.

cosmetic base games usually don't do well in the long run on free2play aspects unless it gives some sort of advantage over the other players.

[ReynTime]

But this actually tosses a wrench in the half-confirmed Switch 2 version. If Mobile is on life support already, then it's RETAIL that's getting ported?

God, April can't come fast enough.

It was always going to be retail. If you actually owned a Switch 2 you'd know it's nowhere near as "underpowered" as PC elitists might lead you to believe. It even runs multi-platform games the PS4 can't...
The game only moved out of PS3 because of RAM limitations. Get your head out of the gutter.

[RedLolly]

It was always going to be retail. If you actually owned a Switch 2 you'd know it's nowhere near as "underpowered" as PC elitists might lead you to believe. It even runs multi-platform games the PS4 can't...
The game only moved out of PS3 because of RAM limitations. Get your head out of the gutter.

Where did you get the idea I thought the Switch 2 wasn't able to run retail? I would MUCH prefer that, and would swap tomorrow if they announced it today. (God, I miss playing on my Steamdeck.)

It was just the discussion that cropped up regarding the Switch 2 version since, yeah, those PC elitists were elite'ing again and just put it out there that the audience would prefer that be Mobile, and I, personally would've preferred to play Mobile on a console than a phone or tablet so I was in support regarding that. Most players outside of China are using emulators to run Mobile on PC, anyway.

The Switch 2 is more powerful than the two lowest powered consoles (PS4 and Series S, the latter of which I currently play on) and I ran Dawntrail on a micro PC potato for a few months that had way less meat than even the PS4. There is zero question if the Switch 2 has the power. It absolutely does.

[Astronis]

Okay, let me elaborate.

Ah. Rumor-mongering. That makes more sense why all of this sounds like nonsense.

[Absurdity]

Yeah that does sound pretty strange. From what I saw of it I think a lot of the cosmetics and glamour stuff has microtransactions too? I wonder if it’s a maybe a case of ‘the microtransactions don’t feel worth paying real money [since they’re largely cosmetic based]’.

That's pretty much the reason. Well, it's that you can't whale for increased power over the "poors".
Chinese mobile players love pay2win for some reason.

Where did you get the idea I thought the Switch 2 wasn't able to run retail? I would MUCH prefer that, and would swap tomorrow if they announced it today. (God, I miss playing on my Steamdeck.)

The Switch 2 is more powerful than the two lowest powered consoles (PS4 and Series S, the latter of which I currently play on) and I ran Dawntrail on a micro PC potato for a few months that had way less meat than even the PS4. There is zero question if the Switch 2 has the power. It absolutely does.

It's less about the Switch 2 being able to run the game as it is right now and more about what restrictions that brings for the future.
Because while the PS4 and Series S might be easy to drop at this point if required, those consoles are 13 and 6 years old respectively.

And as you've said, those are the consoles with the weakest hardware. If they develop it for the Switch 2 they will have to support it for several years and who knows how long it's hardware is going to be "enough".
Granted old potato PCs would be in the exact same boat. And with current hardware prices nobody can affort any upgrades right now.

[Arrius]

One thing that's nuts to me is the main theory behind it bleeding money is because it's too F2P friendly, so the average Chinese gamer doesn't feel beholden to keep playing and spending money.

The exact opposite mentality most Western gamers have towards F2P games. Wild.

If you fail with a mobile F2P release in China, of all places, then you might as well pack up.

[CCheshire]

I mean, the only positive part is that the mobile let us port their new hairs and glams back into the original PC game

Oh well, nothing of value was lost since all gacha is cancer even for cosmetics.