Here are a few thoughts which I am sure everyone knows:

Supermarkets have little tables (and other stores) which lists a big discount on items. You never considered buying them before, but it is on sale 2 for ____ so you buy it!

That commercial on TV it says X is so awesome, you laugh it off, but after a few weeks you consider buying it.

Bundles! Its to good to pass up, sure you only wanted to buy one thing, but the added value of a bundle makes you buy it anyway.

People are impulsive and they like having their fun now. They make decisions of what they will enjoy now. Very few plan ahead and focus on the now, living in the moment. I do not believe many here would not agree in two or three years this game will be exciting, filled of content, and be a lot of fun. By 1.23 I believe most enjoyed FFXIV! Still time is not something a MMO has, unless it keeps its players. Now games like WoW, FFXI, EQ2, UO, and EQ are still running, they will still have players who return every patch because all their old friends are still playing there. So people have the luxury of saying come back after patch X.X. FFXIV:ARR doesn't have that. If the people are not attached now, they will leave (save some of the legacy players). If the new people leave they are not going back in six months after all their only attachment is one month.