Full translation of Yoshi interview, including his openness to F2P

[Noahlimits]

Blue garter translated the entire interview, which can be found here:

http://www.bluegartr.com/threads/120...=1#post6061123



Highlights that haven't been mentioned in other threads:


Yoshida: If there's an impression that I'm determined to stick to a subscription service, that's a mistake.

Do you have a response to the example users you gave in the US who are interested in buying items?

Yoshida: We hope to offer some items for sale, but nothing that will affect game balance.


Regarding 3rd party equipment on ps4:

Yoshida: Yeah, it's a completely different look. We've been developing the PS4 version with the idea of console gameplay in mind, but the UI can also be reduced if you choose to.

Is that because you're expecting a lot of players to transition from the PS3 version?

Yoshida: No, not particularly. We're expecting a lot of new customers to start playing.

I know the PS4 version can be played like the PC version, but do you also plan to support gaming device key assignment like Logitech G13 and G600?

Yoshida: It'll depend on the manufacturer. Some products which require special drivers may not work correctly because of the PS4 specifications. If the peripherals manufacturer is making peripherals which are supported by SCE, they will work.

On the software side for A Realm Reborn, you may lack support for particular gaming devices.

Yoshida: If a button press is recognized, you'll be able to set a macro or other function to that button by using the key bindings in the game. There could be problems if drivers change though, since there isn't full support for that yet. The PS4 just launched, though, so there could be support for in the future.

[Faedden]

So where did people get that impression from?

[TheUltimate3]

So where did people get that impression from?

I thought it was common knowledge. /shrug

[Noahlimits]

So where did people get that impression from?

People often quoted a out of context quote from him that made it seem like that was his mentality. That he'd rather "have it die before becoming f2p".

If they ever do make it F2P though, I'll simply quit. /shrug

[Arkghyom]

I wonder if someone remembers when he said "If this game ever goes F2P, I will shut it down before that happens."

[Noahlimits]

I wonder if someone remembers when he said "If this game ever goes F2P, I will shut it down before that happens."

If you read the article, I'm pretty sure he ment under the context that he wouldn't turn it F2P as a way to turn the game around if it was failing. But apparently he is open to it if the majority of the player base wants it. So as long as the majority doesn't want F2P, it won't happen.

[Zell]

Ok... here's what I am concerned about the whole F2P argument. YoshiP has tried to streamline the content so that you don't have to spend 5 hours a day, four days a week just to progress. Hence why coil has no trash mobs and why turns 1-5 can be completed in 1.5 hours. Same with primarls, 10 minute encounters that can be repeated without any headache. Same with CT, practically no trash mobs. You have 45 minutes a night, no prob, you can finish CT.

Here's where F2P comes in, he may offer a F2P person that allows people to play but limits how many times they can run CT, or Coil, or primals. I sincerely hope this does not happen. The best thing about this game is the P2P steady content model every 3 months.

What's the point of offering F2P if you currently do not have a cash shop to make money off of the f2P model. F2P and cash shop are inseparable. The moment any part of FFXIV goes free to play, even if extremely limited, it would need to have a Cash shop component or else it MAKES ZERO MONETARY SENSE to allow people to play the game for free and get no financial gain out of it.

I really don't see how you can balance the F2P, P2P and CASH SHOP interaction without fundamentally changing the current version of FFXIV. I sincerely hope he was speaking rhetorically and hypothetically and that there is no indication the game is going F2P anytime soon... and by anytime.. i mean at least 3-5 years.

I am guessing, this interview will be giving YoshiP a lot of headache because he just opened up pandoras box. We went from "Never F2P because FFXIV is doing great..." to something like "YoshiP is contemplating F2P depending on the circumstances." YoshiP did nothing but cause turmoil in a playerbase that was doing FINE in the current model where FFXIV is currently thriving. He just created his own little mess.

[KalSki]

Yoshida: If there's an impression that I'm determined to stick to a subscription service, that's a mistake.


2 days ago my subscription was charged - if i see this before... 35 Euros innecesary spended - i lost my confidence in this person and SE at all... maybe time to finish with on-line games? /sigh

[Cons]

Finally some consumables that I can pay for without QQ of people shouting P2W

[Starlord]

"Yoshida: We hope to offer some items for sale, but nothing that will affect game balance."

To me this sounds like, we have will only sell items if it doesn't direct affect the game. ( Fantasia/storage space/server transfers).

Personally, I feel there is nothing to worry about.

Edit: Converting P2P to F2P is no easy feat I can tell you that right off that bat. It takes a lot of coding changes/balance changes/creating a cash shop and have that balanced around the game. They would be spending more money just by attempting the change.

It's a risky move to do this when you have P2P already functioning very well 7 months after release of FFXIV 2.0.