Quote Originally Posted by Antipika View Post
Off course if you take it this way, they could, just like Blizzard could close WoW tomorrow if they wanted to. That's not the point here, off course we all know that any company can shut down any product when they want. The fact that XIV is a part of the main FF series kinda forced SE to fight in order to try and improve the game. They aren't doing it just for the small XIV fanbase to be happy, but for their overall image, and for all non XIV players but fans of the FF franchise. SE just couldn't let a "numbered title" in the series just vanish like that. It would be a shame for SE and to the whole FF franchise. (we all heard Wada already)

If XIV was made by a smaller company, wasn't a "14th" but a #1, I hardly doubt it would still be living as of now. The company wouldn't care. When you start a brand new project that's not a part of the series, if your whole concept fail, you just give up and move on to something else.
The difference, though, is nobody would ever think to demand Blizzard shut down WoW. It is far too profitable. If SE's majority shareholders get tired of the company hemorrhaging money trying to keep XIV up, they could very well demand the company pull the plug on this project. Not saying it is going to happen. Just that it is a realistic possibility, numbered title or not.