Why the cash shop hate?

[Shougun]

there is no pay to win going on.

Buying an exclusive item that has value in the game - real money turned to gil.

That is p2w. (Gil is not a useless currency).

[Nalien]

Its not about Yes i have the money, or no I dont have the money. Players are being little spoiled brats by complaining that they cant access what is on the cash shop b/c they want it handed to them b/c they feel ENTITLED.

Working towards something in a game you are paying a monthly subscription for =/= having something handed to you for free.

I would much rather, for example, see all of the Scion minions put behind a Delivery Moogle quest relating to each of the Scions themselves. I would much rather see Sleipnir obtained from actually fighting Odin (be it a rare drop from the upcoming Trial, similar to the other Primals ponies, or grinding out a ridiculous amount of Mantels). That makes far more sense to me. Just going "Here, have it for $X" just seems lazy, and in a subscription based MMO it just leaves a bad taste. Am I entitled to what I'd rather see? No. Not at all. I am, however, entitled to voice my opinion of what I'd rather see.

I get that World of Warcraft set the bar low when it comes to cash shops, but other MMOs have since done a much better job, and XIV was even respectable with Veteran Rewards as an alternative to a cash shop (which it was originally pegged as).

Honestly, if anything the minions and mounts in the cash shop are handed to you. Which is harder to obtain? Sleipnir or any of the Primal ponies? Wind-up Yda or Fledgling Apkallu? Damn, the amount of meaningless time sink they pumped the Sightseeing Log full of probably means you'd spend more money in continued subscription fees going after that Apkallu than you would on Wind-up Yda...

[Brannigan]

Working towards something in a game you are paying a monthly subscription for =/= having something handed to you for free.

I would much rather, for example, see all of the Scion minions put behind a Delivery Moogle quest relating to each of the Scions themselves. I would much rather see Sleipnir obtained from actually fighting Odin (be it a rare drop from the upcoming Trial, similar to the other Primals ponies, or grinding out a ridiculous amount of Mantels). That makes far more sense to me. Just going "Here, have it for $X" just seems lazy, and in a subscription based MMO it just leaves a bad taste.

I get that World of Warcraft set the bar low when it comes to cash shops, but other MMOs have since done a much better job, and XIV was even respectable with Veteran Rewards as an alternative to a cash shop (which it was originally pegged as).

I agree with this. When they added the tank mounts to the game, the reasoning they gave was that it might inspire people to ask "Wow, how do I get that?" and then try their hand at tanking. The response to "Wow, how do I get that?" being "lol get out your credit card" is lame.

[Adrian74]

He......hehehe...

None are pay to win....

Let's do this. Buy golden plans of eternal bond, sell them, obtain gil, use that gil for acquiring the latest crafted stuff I need for my relic, or buy i110 HQ crafted gear....

BUT IT'S OPTIONAL!

[Lemuria]

I think there wouldn't be nearly as much hate about the cash shop if there was actual value for money. My biggest issue with it is that it seems intentionally made to screw over the consumer, which is unfortunate.

We're talking about a virtual product. There's no need for many of these items to be so darned expensive, and even the cheaper items, while not abhorrently costly, don't give adequate value for money. The dyes are a perfect example of a cash shop item gone wrong. $1 per SINGLE one-use dye. That's horrendous. That's stooping lower than a limbo dancer.

I daren't remind anyone that people already PAY to play the game. Exclusivity and additional purchases should never be used in the same sentence EVER. And when they are, they had better damn well be worth the cost.

[Buff_Archer]

So basically the message is- L2P (Learn to Pay)? I could buy whatever I want from the cash shop but I won't be based on principle. I already bought the game, and am paying the subscription every month to support new development and features beyond simply the ongoing server operability and maintenance. No point in me typing two or three more paragraphs to say what so many have already said on that subject; I'll vote with my wallet, and one way or another others will do the same with theirs.

[Katsaria]

Content or even bonus content for that matter should never be about how much of a fat wallet you have to spend on it.

It's optional which is true, but they're clearly neutering features to put "bonuses" in the shop.

[kiotsukete]

Because a cash shop in a subscription game comes off as a greedy money grab. Also, a cash shop destroys the formerly egalitarian society that used to exist in favor of a 1st class vs coach society. That is, for the same subscription fee, we all - doctors, lawyers, business people, fast food workers, stay at home moms, college students, etc - used to have an equal chance to achieve anything and everything in the game. But not anymore.

Before if someone had better/cooler stuff, it's because they worked for it in game. Now, it's because they have more real money. Which is something to be expected in a F2P game, but not a P2P game like FFXIV.

Yes, in the real world richer people have better stuff. But we have enough of that IRL, why bring that social dynamic into a fantasy game we all play for enjoyment?

[Xephenon]

Cash shops - outside of account services such as Race changes, server transfers etc. - should not exist in a P2P MMO. Players are paying a monthly subscription for content, NOT a monthly subscription to have to buy, for example, 80% of the content and have that last 20% locked behind another pay wall.

None of the items are important, none of them even matter. Sure, it's vaguely paying to win, but that's because of "almost legalized RWT" through selling Plat bracelets to other players, which baffles me. But that doesn't hide the fact that these are items we shouldn't have to pay more for, because that is what the subscription is for - to allow us access to all the content.

Continued below.

[Xephenon]

Continued from above.

It's a slippery slope. Who's to say that CT3 in 2.5 won't be locked behind a pay wall now? Or all the Golden Saucer require funds to partake in too? It starts off as "just a few things" then transits to most updates being about cash shop.

Development time, that we already pay for, is being wasted on stuff that they expect us to pay more for. I don't understand how people can not see the problem.

There's also this reason the poster above gave

Yes, in the real world richer people have better stuff. But we have enough of that IRL, why bring that social dynamic into a fantasy game we all play for enjoyment?

Gaming is to escape from the harshness or stress of reality. So using "it's like real life" excuse for this is a pathetic way of condoning such acts, as it no longer is a game but an alternate life.

Sadly, because this is a FF game, there are so many fans who believe SE can do no wrong and can get away with murder.