Why I started playing FF14

[Enkidoh]

"Has been". those are key words. We are also talking about a company who has posted a loss in subscription based income for the past 3 quarters. They wont come out and say it, for business reasons, but I have a feeling that declining playerbase issues are starting to impact the bottom line, and cash shop is how they intend to save it.

I'm not going to enter into the whole cash-shop debate, but I'm curious to know where you have gotten this information - every indication I've seen has been the game is still increasing in player numbers not declining (I'm seeing new players on Balmung all the time, and until the 2.4 patch they had a "x million players!" banner on the Lodestone that increased steadily - it was last at 3.5 million).

I'm not discounting the possibility, but some actual proof is what is needed, not assumptions based purely on emotional (and arrogant) responses made by whining players who post "I'm leaving the game!" threads purely for the attention.

We do have to face that FFXIV isn't a new game anymore, and despite updates, we are losing players faster than we are getting new ones. it happens to all games, and hopefully ffxiv can survive where so many do not.

That is true, but that's a fact of all MMOs, not just FFXIV - you said so yourself. After the initial rush, the 'me too' players/players with short attention spans will inevitably leave and go onto the 'next big thing'. But FFXIV has for over a year and half still not only maintained it's subscription rates, it's increased steadily. Servers like Balmung are still getting lock outs due to being full most times of the day. But I disagree the game "is losing players faster than we are getting new ones."

We've been hearing that same old tired statement since the very beginning, and will continue to hear it even when all indications are to the contrary. We were told endllessly that <insert overhyped MMO here> was going to slaughter FFXIV. But where are those games now? Apart from Destiny I've heard virtually nothing about these so called "FFXIV killers' other than a few ramblings from disgruntled players saying how boring and dull they are.

Of course, FFXIV isn't perfect. No game is. There are definitely things that can be improved or built on. But to say the game is losing players over minor QoL things or such trivial matters as optional paid items, is just hearsay. Don't listen to Chicken Little! The game is fine sub wise.