It's time to reevaluate the idea of adding a PLEX/Chronoscroll-like system to FFXIV

[Tiggy]

They're content because it makes money, not because costumers are happy. If they see it'll bring more profit this way, they'll switch in a second. But keep thinking they care about your happiness if they're not getting as much money as they think they should.

Did you seriously not read the quote? Seriously? Come on man. Now you're just living in the land of denial.

[Fyce]

They're content because it makes money, not because costumers are happy. If they see it'll bring more profit this way, they'll switch in a second. But keep thinking they care about your happiness if they're not getting as much money as they think they should.

Are you implying that "our happiness" isn't related to how much the game is popular/successful and how much money they'll make out of that?
You know, when I reminded you about the failure of FFXIV at launch, and that FFXIV wasn't a shitty F2P, it wasn't for nothing.

Player satisfaction is the key to a stable an healthy MMO, especially in the long run.
If the players are happy with the current system, don't try to change it thinking it would magically make more money than the old one.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[MomomiMomi]

Are you implying that "our happiness" isn't related to how much the game is popular/successful and how much money they'll make out of that?
You know, when I reminded you about the failure of FFXIV at launch, and that FFXIV wasn't a shitty F2P, it wasn't for nothing.

Player satisfaction is the key to a stable an healthy MMO, especially in the long run.
If the players are happy with the current system, don't try to change it thinking it would magically make more money than the old one.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

While you are correct that player satisfaction is important, I wouldn't think for a second that if they could get away with making more money at the expense of our satisfaction, they would pass up the opportunity.

[Moqi]

Denial of what? I just hope FFXIV makes as much money as possible. I want KH3 to be polished.

[Tiggy]

Denial of what? I just hope FFXIV makes as much money as possible. I want KH3 to be polished.

Every little one of your "if they" lines where you seem to suppose to know what they are thinking just to somehow keep the door open on this idea. It's denial. They said 80% of the players are happy "So, we don’t believe that FFXIV needs to shift in that direction." To them it doesn't appear to be solely about making money. Honestly this game is doing nothing but selling and making headlines so I don't know why you think this is a problem to begin with ESPECIALLY since this game brought them into the black within months of launch.

Using KH3 is a serious distraction and irrelevant to the overall discussion in this thread. We all want square to succeed. This thread was never about them succeeding or not in their other endeavors. It was solely about "It's time to reevaluate the idea of adding a PLEX/Chronoscroll-like system to FFXIV." Square has clearly evaluated their model and the level of satisfaction customers get from it. So quite honestly they did reevaluate these ideas internally already. They decided not to change the model. That's all there is to it.

Just because they don't take up a plex system does not mean they won't make enough money to make a killer KH game or any other great game. It's a fallacy to assume the quality of KH3 solely rides on the success of FFXIV or that it's solely riding on the profits from FFXIV. Disney has quite a bit riding on the game too and they help fund it quite nicely. Do you really think Disney wouldn't be throwing money at the single best Disney video game series ever released?

So please. Don't drop KH3 into this thread like it somehow justifies a Plex like system. It doesn't. It's a completely different conversation.

To be fair, PLEX isn't really free 2 play like Elder Scrolls is (the comparison made in the article), somebody is paying for the subscriptions.

The point was that they've clearly done the research and evaluated systems in other games. They've determined players are happy and no change is needed. Do you really think Plex like systems weren't in that internal discussion? 80% of players are happy with the way things are now. That happiness includes the lack of a plex system. Not just that it's not a f2p game. Every poster here saying they don't want a plex model is an example of how such a system would make people unhappy and would decrease that 80% satisfaction level.

This isn't rocket science.

While you are correct that player satisfaction is important, I wouldn't think for a second that if they could get away with making more money at the expense of our satisfaction, they would pass up the opportunity.

Have you not been paying attention to Square in the last few years?
1. 1.0 bombed so they made it free.
2. They remade the entire game solely to win back disappointed fans at a great financial cost.
3. They included the ps3 version despite it's limitations just because they once promised it would come to ps3.
4. The servers at launch were woefully inadequate and their specific reason was they thought they would have to win fans back.

It's very clear that from the moment 1.0 came out that Square was doing everything in it's power to make people happy, to win fans back, and to fulfill past promises. It's clearly been their priority to make their fans happy. Your assertion that they would go money hungry at the first opportunity flies completely in the face of their behavior so far for FFXIV and in the face of that interview response. You're making assumptions because you're cynical about companies as money hungry organizations. That's a stereotype that doesn't for any reason appear to fit to Square in this context.

[Giantbane]

The point was that they've clearly done the research and evaluated systems in other games. They've determined players are happy and no change is needed. Do you really think Plex like systems weren't in that internal discussion? 80% of players are happy with the way things are now. That happiness includes the lack of a plex system. Not just that it's not a f2p game. Every poster here saying they don't want a plex model is an example of how such a system would make people unhappy and would decrease that 80% satisfaction level.

This isn't rocket science.

The answer was in response to Elder Scrolls, which is going completely free. And they said they'd consider completely free only if WoW did it. Neither of those things have anything to do with a PLEX system.

Doesn't mean they'll change it. But if you're taking that specific article to back up your argument that "SE SEZ NO PLEX EVAR", I don't think it holds a lot of water.

Especially because they said they'd only change their model "If WoW did". WoW is introducing a PLEX system. I think it's very likely SE will see how PLEX works for WoW and evaluate it based on that.

[Tiggy]

Especially because they said they'd only change their model "If WoW did". WoW is introducing a PLEX system. I think it's very likely SE will see how PLEX works for WoW and evaluate it based on that.

Did you miss the laugh after he said that? It was a joke. Like, "IF they ever go free, lol."

[KisaiTenshi]

Did you miss the laugh after he said that? It was a joke. Like, "IF they ever go free, lol."

PLEX-type of system isn't the same as "going free" either. It turns the game into a "real" job if anything. If you want to play the game, you need to spend X hours to earn Y gold to give it to the protection racket, or you lose your ability to play the game. We wouldn't want this to happen now would we? One needs to evaluate if it's better to pay 15$/mo with a "real job" that pays real money instead, PLEX costs 15$, but it costs 2 million gold, and the RMT's are selling it below cost, then you may have to spend an entire week to make that much gold. One needs to get their priorities in order.

"Freemium" games start out free and remain free, and the "PLEX" or whatever premium currency is in the system winds up being a way for players to feed gachapon/gambling addicts. Sure, I'll buy 100$ worth of PLEX stuff and sell it to the biggest gachapon hoarder in the game easily, but what happens is I end up with rapidly depreciating asset either way, I'd be better off holding on to my real cash. Maybe the gachapon hoarder will get that rare item they can then turn around and sell for more than the amount they paid in gold to buy the premium currency. If the plex system only works to buy game time, it's not quite as destructive to the game environment as straight illegal RMT is. But it creates fraud risk.

[Moqi]

t's very clear that from the moment 1.0 came out that Square was doing everything in it's power to make people happy, to win fans back, and to fulfill past promises. It's clearly been their priority to make their fans happy.

It's called PR, grats, you fell for it.

[Fyce]

It's called PR, grats, you fell for it.

"They almost had a financial crisis because of 1.0, then they rebuilt the f-ing game and delivered what they promised."
"It's called PR."

Yeah, okay, sure, what you say.

If you can't understand why a MMORPG with long term goals needs to establish a healthy and happy community before trying to expand, your case is lost. There is no point arguing with you since you'll just call BS on everything.
Ho and, don't forget your tin-foil hat, SE can read your mind and steal your thoughts. What an evil company for sure.

Anyway, keep going with your cynicism and pessimism, you are doing great.