Are minions (vanity pets) going to cost real money?

[ClausL]

Paid services and microtransactions are two very different things. Next thing you'll say in your endless grasping at straws is that the monthly fee is a microtransaction.

Try harder.

They actually aren't different things first of all, if you look up the definition of a microtransaction, but anyway;

besides paid server transfers, $25 in-game marriages, etc. etc. "services", FFXI also offered functional, paid bonus items

such as : $10 Mog Satchel (huge inventory expansion, which every player HAD to buy if you were serious about XI)
$40 Tidal Talisman (very useful equipment which could teleport your entire party)

these are certainly microtransactions and arguably pay to win items, this is just what I remember off the top of my head, I'm positive that SE offered more official RMT items for FFXI

and I think you can be sure they will do it for XIV on a larger scale