only 500k subscribers?

[Roris]

Updated: These MMO figures actually come from an original financial report that was filed on March 31st, 2014. Square Enix tells MCV that the actual number of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn paying subscribers sits at 500,000, with over 2.5m registered users.

Sounds about right, it was never ever going to break 1 million subs at all, certainly not by being another generic and watered down WoW clone/themepark MMO. It's also no wonder the cash shop is being pushed hard since they need to make back that money those other inactive 2 million accounts aren't making.

The question now is if SE will stick to P2P with a cash shop and still try to pull a WoW, since they seem content enough with both XI and DQX having less than 500k subscribers, the first one because it's more than 10 years old and the second one because it's stuck in Japan and could reach over 500k if it was brought over here. The other option is to do what every other single WoW clone, like ARR is, has done and drop its obligatory subscription, then either go B2P with paid content updates and an optional sub, or F2P with a full cash shop and also an optional sub. It all depends on their investors really, despite previous claims of how they don't have to answer to them, because by now their claims really aren't that reliable.

[Thayos]

I'm actually very curious to see whether the shape of endgame content is vastly different in the upcoming expansion. The current endgame being based on small parties and heavy lockouts has always seemed like a head-scratcher for a subscription model that would benefit from keeping more people engaged.

[StrejdaTom]

Are we starting the "this game is dying" thread? Please lets not start "this game is dying" thread.

[sharazisspecial]

Teso has like 50% or more more subs, like 700-900k but still considered failure. I recall SWTOR went f2p even with above 1mil subs.

500k is pretty bad for a multi platform big name game but ff14 subs are lucky SE is not going to pull the plug because they want to save face. So as long as the cost is maintainable they will continue with the content. But it may just have a lot of corners cut or recycled like the current content has been.

[Starlord]

Teso has like 50% or more more subs, like 700-900k but still considered failure. I recall ESO went f2p even with above 1mil subs.

500k is pretty bad for a multi platform big name game but ff14 subs are lucky SE is not going to pull the plug because they want to save face. So as long as the cost is maintainable they will continue with the content. But it may just have a lot of corners cut or recycled like the current content has been.

The difference between Teso and FFXIV, is FFXIV doesn't own any shareholders anything, they pay everything from there own pocket. Teso from my knowledge has shareholders to pay off. Thats why 700k for Teso is bad. 500k Subs and keeping all the money, that is awesome.

[sharazisspecial]

The difference between Teso and FFXIV, is FFXIV doesn't own any shareholders anything, they pay everything from there own pocket. Teso from my knowledge has shareholders to pay off. Thats why 700k for Teso is bad. 500k Subs and keeping all the money, that is awesome.

LOL thats twice FFXI subs (more then a decade old outdated game). Im sure FF14 cost alot more then ff11 to develop
Awesome is not the word i'd use .Especially since we are getting lackluster/recycled content to make up for it.

Maybe with the boom from the expansion they can make the game more appealing to more subs and maintain them.

[Starlord]

LOL thats twice FFXI subs. Im sure FF14 cost alot more then ff11 to develop
Awesome is not the word i'd use .Especially since we are getting lackluster/recycled content to make up for it.

Maybe with the boom from the expansion they can make the game more appealing to more subs and maintain them.

Well the term " lackluster" is all based on each person opinion. I am having fun with all the new content.

[sharazisspecial]

Well the term " lackluster" is all based on each person opinion. I am having fun with all the new content.

Yeah hunts are so fun and grinding for my relic is also fun.

[SgtPepperUK]

Teso has like 50% or more more subs, like 700-900k but still considered failure. I recall SWTOR went f2p even with above 1mil subs.

ESO's sub figures were never confirmed officially and I suspect at the time that guess was made ESO was probably closer to 400k.

I believe SWTOR was at 700k sub when it made the change.

As for FFXIV, 500k subs in a market that has become hostile to that payment model is pretty damned good.

[Xystic]

500k is pretty bad for a multi platform big name game

No it isn't.

Depending on how the game is designed your subscription numbers/players do not need to skyrocketing high. MMOs almost 20 years ago with just a few thousand were considered successful and easy to enjoy.

People who are new to the MMO scene within the last 10 years have this idea that big subscription numbers are required for every MMO these days which they aren't depending on how the MMO is designed.

It took about a 2 million player/subscription base to keep just around a dozen or more 40 mans consistent on WoW, during Vanilla. We only require 8 consistent individuals here. 20% of a 2 million player pool is 400k subscriptions.

Keep in mind, WoW was considered successful way before it hit the 10 million mark.