Naoki Yoshida interview @Gamescom

[Zetsumei_Tsunarashi]

I can't think of any other MMO that I've played, where you can accurately predict almost everything that is going to be added in a content patch months or even years before the patch is even implemented. This is because of the pattern that FFXIV follows and that pattern is what people are getting tired of. Failing to understand that and failing to add new content that breaks the mold is what will cause the game to be crushed in the end.

More than anything, the pace of vertical progression is what diminishes the value of the content cycle. The feeling is basically "why should I put in so much effort to get this gear, when I'm just going to replace it in 3 months ?" and that feeling eventually will lead to "Why am I even playing this game ?" For some the answer is glamours and RP, and for others it is the competition that exists in the raid or PVP scene. This is why servers like balmung and gilgamesh are so full because that is where those communities are the most prevalent. People have gravitated towards those servers because people more and more are realizing that without a strong community, this game has very little substance.

People have been tired of the same content formula for a very long time. It is simply the game's community that is holding the game together. Frankly that has been the case since 1.0. Without the community this game would have never made it to ARR. This is a testament to the fact that people will continue to play and pay for this game no matter how bad it is. Yoshida I'm sure is keenly aware of that fact.

I don't think people should be expecting the game to change much at all from what it currently is.