Cash Shop Overpriced?

[Jynx]

you can be terminated at any point in time if SE feels like it.

Why would Square Enix terminate his account because he dissagrees with the cash shop?

He has a point, we pay a subscription not to just "Get into the game" that fee is to go towards the cost of the servers and the continued development of content for the game. Square doesn't just make content out of the love in their heart, they do it with profits in mind for continued subscriptions.

People have a good point to look at the cash shop with some reservations, the developers have allready cut content out of the game to put it into the cash shop for exorbitant prices. I mean seriously you can play the game for 2 months for what it costs for a Vanity mount? Maybe I come from a different generation but that just doesn't click for me, that's why I just shake my head when I see it and wish I had a switch to turn all cash shop purchases invisible so I could see the acheivments people earned and didn't just drop their wallet on.

[Tupsi]

Why would Square Enix terminate his account because he dissagrees with the cash shop?

In the terms you agreed to it says they can terminate your account at will - Almost every company has this clause, very few enforces it. Has nothing to do with disagreeing with the cash shop. This is why people need to actually read that wall of text lol, it would save a lot of headaches when SE decides to do something that's actually standard in this industry.

Every social and MMO game has a cash shop of some kind, arguing against it is honestly like arguing against offline titles receiving DLC.

He has a point, we pay a subscription not to just "Get into the game"

You're paying for your right to even access the game above all - the money they make goes towards whatever SE sees fit actually, kind of like how FFXI funded most of their projects.

[Fayto]

He has a point, we pay a subscription not to just "Get into the game" that fee is to go towards the cost of the servers and the continued development of content for the game.

Sorry, but no. That sub fee is just to get into the game. The EULA that we agree to states, in every video game we buy, that we only buy a license to play the game. MMOs are unique that we have to keep renewing this license every month with a sub fee.

[Mysteran]

Sorry, but no. That sub fee is just to get into the game. The EULA that we agree to states, in every video game we buy, that we only buy a license to play the game. MMOs are unique that we have to keep renewing this license every month with a sub fee.

So I guess everyone that keeps bringing this up is okay with that being as much as they get from their subscription?

"to access SQUARE ENIX's servers to play the Game"

That's a pretty broad statement. But if that's all you believe you should get from the game then there shouldn't be any problem with them charging extra for any of the following on top of the subscription:
Each race
Each class
Each zone
Each quest
Each item
DX11 client
"Enhanced Graphics Pack" (They could just bump down the basic client to extreme minimal graphics. After all, you don't need good graphics to play the game)

Pretty much anything inside or outside of the game can be sold a la carte with that attitude. They only need to provide the absolute minimum to do some sort of semblance of playing the game to fulfill that agreement.

They won't do that though. Not and remain a subscription based game. You know why? Because it's a really stupid move. They would go well beyond what most people would consider value vs cost. But they could. And they'd be within their right to do so per the User Agreement. A lot of the people against the cash shop believe that the value of the subscription is lowered by introduction of a means to obtain in-game items (vanity is still an item and a lot of people make goals around them) with just a quick RMT.

And sure, SE is in no way obligated to put any money provided via subscription back into the game. But again, they'd be stupid not to. If they want people to continue to subscribe they need to provide value for that subscription. So they will put at least some of that back into the game to maintain their income.

In short, saying "They can do it because the EULA says you only pay for access to the servers to play the game" is a very hollow argument in my opinion.

[Tupsi]

So I guess everyone that keeps bringing this up is okay with that being as much as they get from their subscription?

As said - Do not hit "I Agree" if you don't agree. Money a company makes on any of their products and services goes to things relevant to the company in general, but you paying a sub is specifically to access the game - you don't even own your characters.

They already charge extra:

Each race
Each class
Each zone
Each quest
Each item

It's called an expansion pack.

DX11 client

Based on production costs this could actually raise the base price if they seen fit.

In short, saying "They can do it because the EULA says you only pay for access to the servers to play the game" is a very hollow argument in my opinion.

You agreed to it in order to play the game.

[Jynx]

As said - Do not hit "I Agree" if you don't agree.

You are well aware that the ToS that we all "Agree" too has been thrown out in court quite a few times actually. To pretend like it's some bullet proof sheild for your arguments is a bit shaky...I'm also unsure why you even mention it in the first place at all.

Why would the ToS have anything to do with people and their issues with the cash shop? Square Enix is a big company, and we are big consumers I at least don't need you to remind me that I'm fully able to walk away at anytime. A handfull of things I don't agree with the game may not effect the whole of what I enjoy, but there are ways I feel the game could be made better for me and would lead to me lengthened subscription and therefor more money for Square Enix from me in the future.

As a company there is no reason why they don't want to hear my opinion, they are the ones who need to decide wether the customers are ok with the cash shop or not. State your support for the cash shop and why you feel it will be good for the game instead of just trying to dismiss people who don't agree with you.

Your actually doing harm to Square Enix by trying to blindly defend them.

[Tupsi]

Your actually doing harm to Square Enix by trying to blindly defend them.

No one is defending - Being against everything does more harm, actually. It's just the realism of the situation. The only time "ToS" gets thrown out in the court is when someone tries to sue a game company over something you can't sue them for, another reason companies adapted the "act of god" clause - it is still legally binding, which is why they can't just do things "quickly" when it comes to internationally supported games because each country handles agreements differently.

but there are ways I feel the game could be made better for me and would lead to me lengthened subscription and therefor more money for Square Enix from me in the future.

Sadly, trying to tell them to not do something standard in the online gaming world doesn't do much better. On the flip side, them adding a cash shop and it proven to be a success also means more money for Square Enix in the future. So if your argument against cash shop is you know what will be more enjoyable for you in the future and thus more money to SE...a cash shop also means the same because there are some people out there who enjoy buying vanity items and such from a cash shop since once again, there's a reason F2P and MOBA games are insanely popular and makes more money than P2P games ever will, even without P2W element (look at LoL, it's impossible to "P2W" unless you count hitting max level slightly faster that does nothing for you against someone who actually has skill.)

[Jynx]

So if your argument against cash shop is you know what will be more enjoyable for you in the future and thus more money to SE...

I said more money from me personally.

It's up to SE's discretion to listen to our feedback, not you to try and forum police people but continually chanting "ToS...ToS"


Your allowed to have your opinion as well as do others who don't agree with you. Us disagreeing with the system will not "Do more harm, actually" As long as people bring valid points to the table you can't dismiss them. Things like brining up the argument that our subscription has been watered down in value due to this decision it's actually a pretty serious talking point. They have allready removed Odin's mount from the allready working game files.

Square Enix has allready reacted to players by going back to look at how they are treating "Exclusive" items in the future.

There is also the precident that just because it's worked elsewhere does not mean it will always work, look at how many games attempted to emulate WoW and how many failed miserably. Blizzard can't even recreat their lightning in a bottle game as they pulled the plug on Project Titan. Final Fanasy XI remains as Square Enixs largest financial leader and XIV has a long way to go to catch up to it's older brother especially if we factor in the redevelopement costs.

The cash shop may bring them untold fortunes, but as a consumer I am not worried about their financials I am concerned with wether I enjoy their product enough to continue to support it with my money. Telling me to not do so is just silly.

I will continue to give Square Enix my support and share my thoughts until I deem it otherwise not worth my time and investment.

[Mysteran]

As said - Do not hit "I Agree" if you don't agree. Money a company makes on any of their products and services goes to things relevant to the company in general, but you paying a sub is specifically to access the game - you don't even own your characters.

They already charge extra:



It's called an expansion pack.



Based on production costs this could actually raise the base price if they seen fit.



You agreed to it in order to play the game.

I agree to play the game because I enjoy it as it currently is.

I did not agree to approve of everything they do. This is a place for feedback. We are providing feedback. Telling someone "Your feedback is wrong because the User Agreement says you are only entitled to this" doesn't help at all.

Edited to add: Oh, and my list was meant to be for each individual one. Not a "new one". Not an expansion pack of content. Everything you currently get in game now but instead of getting it for your subscription, that just covers connection to the server. That's what a la carte means... priced and ordered separately.