I believe FFXI has been SE's biggest money maker in the whole Final Fantasy series. What with the monthly subscriptions.

They are trying to recreate that with FFXIV for the next generation to get a reliable monthly income with FFXIV subs.

I personally hope FFXIV stays pay-to-play so I can enjoy everything the game has to offer on just a basic monthly sub, without having to pay extra to access this and that.

If the game is good enough, and I believe it will be, loyal players will be happy to pay the subs to stay in the FFXIV world.

And in return I believe we will be repaid in frequent quality updates and content to keep us happy for many a year.