Is the MMO and single player FF fanbase divided?

[Enkidoh]

I have played all of the single player FF games. I didnt play XI due to me primarily being a console gamer and the only MMO I had played during the time XI was released was Runescape and Runescape 2.

When I heard FFXIV was being released for PS3 I tried it out and fell in love with it from the FF aspect of it and the idea that I could create my own character look and appearance in a FF world, rather than the standalone titles where I just rename the main character.

The MMO and single player FF fanbase is slightly divided, but I think most of the people who play the MMO version play the stand alone titles as well and not the other way around.

Sadly there is a significant group of FF fans (not FFXIV players) who have never accepted FFXI and FFXIV as MMORPGs - to these fans they are not 'true' FF games but just paywall-blocked spin-offs. Most of that contempt though is just sour grapes at the fact they are P2P/sub based and thus they have to pay a regular fee to play, often adding to this arguement as a result "Why should I have to pay to play a game I already paid for?" (in fact, I remember seeing on one forum I go to a member actually whined and complained that "because of this I'll never be able to claim I have finished every FF game now!" I mean, seriously?).

Luckily though with ARR's resounding success even a lot of these FF fans are now re-evaluating this position, but there are still a few die-hards out there who simply refuse to play FFXIV (or FFXI too for that matter) simply out of principle - because it's a MMORPG that requires a regular subscription to play. To me though that's just cutting off the nose to spite the face, but that's fandom for you.