So 1.0 owners have to start paying the monthly fee immediately?

[SkyeWindbinder]

Nothing of the sort. I don't need any perks to be hooked. I already have the PS3 version preordered.

I'm measuring the perks to what I believe is the standpoint of people that thought FFXIV sucked, and for that reason quit the game and (at least until now) never looked back.

That's the kind of people SE needs to work to bring back, and that's most probably (and unfortunately) the vast majority of the 800,000 people that initially bought FFXIV.

All of which get a free trial AND get the retail version of the game for free. So... what's the problem?

You have very selective reading.

Not at all. Really, you're the only one making a big to-do about this. I know it may seem to you that your opinion is agreed on by some vast majority or significant minority (I wish I knew where you got this idea, lol) but whomever these people are that agree with you are nowhere near as proactive voicing it. I mean, is it really too much for you to believe that maybe this isn't that big a deal to most of the people out there?

A lot of MMORPGs out there give "pretty good deals". Those MMORPGs also don't have "sequel of one of the worst MMOs in the genre's history" on their business card.

I'm sorry, but this isn't going to fly with me either. Whatever 1.0 was in the past, this is almost an entirely different game. It's been re-imagined, revamped, and redone. AND people who've had to go through the "1.0 debacle" get the remade game for free. I mean, really, it seems like you're saying SE owes you something because you didn't like their game. Not really. Yet, you are getting something. A lot of something, to be more precise. Just because you're not getting more doesn't mean SE is not doing the right thing.

The differendce between a "pretty good deal" and a "great deal" can mean several tens of thousands of players.

Then again, it could mean nothing at all. As I said before, two weeks is more than enough time for people to try out the game and decide if they want to pay a sub fee for it.

Personally, I know three people already in my circle of friends that aren't going to come back because two weeks aren't enough to pull them back in. Like many they previously believed they were going to get a month, and they had some interest in returning and give the game another chance, but for two weeks they don't think it's worth trying.

LOL Well, tell you what: If having the game for free and having a two week free trial is not enough to pull them back in, then chances are they weren't going to stay long to begin with. I know, you're going to insist I'm wrong, but I sincerely doubt it. A game's strength to pull in new subs should not really depend on such things anyway. Yes, the game has a free trial. If the game not having as big of a free trial isn't enough for you, then chances are you're just looking for more free, not really interested in the game all too much. My bet: Your friends would have gone through the month of free trial and dropped it like a hot potato. Interestingly enough, they are not voicing their opinions on the forums as you are.

By the law of big numbers, they aren't the only ones.

Links to statistics, please. Or else, these could just be called assumptions.

Again, Square Enix put itself in a very precarious situation with 1.0. "Pretty good" is plenty for me, for you, for most people on this forum, and for a lot of people, but for many it won't cut it.

Again, SE is giving out a great deal. For those whom this is not enough for, chances are they weren't gonna stick around anyway. Anyway, how great a game is can hardly be measured by how much they're willing to freely give away.