Subscription

[Packetdancer]

I wonder if the lack of this has to do with how the regions are separated. I don't mean our data centres. I mean that there is the FFXIV we play, the version that China plays and the version that Korea plays. I wouldn't be surprised if the pricing and even the payment methods are different in China or Korea. It certainly would be easy for SE to give them different prices and ways to pay because their game servers are separate to ours.

The game is run/managed by entirely different non-SquareEnix companies in those regions. In China, FFXIV is run by Shengqu Games, and in Korea it's run by Actoz Games. That's why they have entirely different account systems; as I understand it—and someone please correct me if I'm wrong—those accounts actually have gametime that works like prepaid phone cards; you buy X hours of game time, and as you play that ticks down. If you play a ton all at once you might need to buy more, but if you have to take a break for a month or whatever, the unused game time would presumably stick around.

If I had to take a guess at why the Brazilian pricing changed, I'd assume it's because handling billing differently for different regional currencies was causing extra complexity for SquareEnix whereas, with steam, Valve handles all that added complexity. It's not a great choice to just say "only Steam users get a subscription fee adjusted for their regional currency", but I suppose in some ways I can see why it might be a choice that gets made.

Really, SquareEnix just needs to allow folks to move things between Steam and non-Steam accounts, like others have said. I'm certain there are a lot of issues to do so behind the scenes—billing probably being handled through entirely separate systems, for instance—but that seems like a problem that's probably worth solving. Or, if nothing else, having an option still to transfer a non-Steam account into Steam, even if there's no option to do the reverse.

[yukiiyuki]

Just buy a steam version and play, I don't see any problem. Steam always had a special prices for games, cheaper than a console ones and with some regional managing. If you want to complain, go to steam support and tell them that their business is not fair. You're not restricted in options and choices, do the math yourself.

[Kaoru_Nagisa]

Just buy a steam version and play, I don't see any problem. Steam always had a special prices for games, cheaper than a console ones and with some regional managing. If you want to complain, go to steam support and tell them that their business is not fair. You're not restricted in options and choices, do the math yourself.

They would have to start over from zero in order to play the Steam version if they're not already on the Steam version.

[SamRF]

By the way, isn't it possible to buy gametime cards elsewhere? I know there used to be sites where you could buy ffxiv sub card, I wonder if those prices may be better adjusted to your region?

[Eli85]

Just keep your bad vibes for yourself and leave this thread already.

As for what OP said, i empathize but unfortunately i don't think you'll realistically get SE to listen to you. As long as players like you somehow keep paying for their subscription, they will not understand your struggle. The best you can do is report this to their Customer Service, saying that you will stop playing the game because the price in your area is not adapted to the average income.
If a lot of brazilian players stop playing for the same reason, they will be forced to change their pricing. But until then, nothing is forcing them to do so ...

Hmm, nope, you don't get to tell me what to do. Who do you think you are, anyway?

Look, the OPs request is ridiculous because, amongst all his sugar coating, he wants to pay less than everyone else, on account of the crumby currency for the country he has chosen to live in. As a Canadian, my dollar has always been below USD. So I've always paid more in my local currency (here, new release games are $80 instead of the USD $60). Never once whined about it and never will, because I understand if I want to enjoy products and services, I have to pay more until the CAD comes out of the dumpster.

So, no, the OP and others can pay the same as anyone else. That's life.

Special snowflake syndrome is getting worse.

[SamRF]

Hmm, nope, you don't get to tell me what to do. Who do you think you are, anyway?

Look, the OPs request is ridiculous because, amongst all his sugar coating, he wants to pay less than everyone else, on account of the crumby currency for the country he has chosen to live in. As a Canadian, my dollar has always been below USD. So I've always paid more in my local currency (here, new release games are $80 instead of the USD $60). Never once whined about it and never will, because I understand if I want to enjoy products and services, I have to pay more until the CAD comes out of the dumpster.

So, no, the OP and others can pay the same as anyone else. That's life.

Special snowflake syndrome is getting worse.

From a business perspective it's not a bad idea for SE to adjust their prices to a region (that has big enough market) so they have better sales there in accordance with demand. Other games/companies do it all the time. May seem unfair to you, but that's life.

[Saccharin]

People have been asking for years to be able to transfer their licenses on and off of Steam and they've ignored literally everyone. I sincerely doubt your plea will be granted. Sorry. Perhaps if it's too expensive you should consider playing something else? It's probably the only thing they WILL listen too.

I understand that lots of people have asked for this several times and they haven't done much (?) about it. But, as I said, FF is probably the only online game I still have pleasure playing and I wouldn't like it to end like this. Even if I canceled my subscription as some sort of rebellion, SA community is just so small that it wouldn't hurt SE at all.
All we can hope is they feel a little humble, specially in times like this (Covid 19), and offer us, at least, the same Steam link account thing.

People always forget about 'Steam versions' that Valve get a cut.

Do you think Valve would allow you to transfer your Steam version and miss put on their cut.

You can say the opposite and should SE surrender their all their sub to Valve.

It's time to wake up and blame greedy Valve and not publishers.

Stop insisting on a Steam version of everything.

[yTony]

I'm from Argentina, with the new tax from the government I paid my basic sub 16.99USD instead 12.99USD.
I'd love to have the option to link my acc with my steam acc. Could you paid the sub cheaper if you use Steam? Like, can I pay the sub in ARS?

The people who bought their games on Steam have an option to link their accounts and pay using Steams price table. So yes, you'd be able to pay with ARS and probably a much cheaper subscription.

[yTony]

Just buy a steam version and play, I don't see any problem. Steam always had a special prices for games, cheaper than a console ones and with some regional managing. If you want to complain, go to steam support and tell them that their business is not fair. You're not restricted in options and choices, do the math yourself.

Start a new character and lose all your progress with an ARR character doesn't seem that fair though.

[Lumivyory]

Hmm, nope, you don't get to tell me what to do. Who do you think you are, anyway?

Look, the OPs request is ridiculous because, amongst all his sugar coating, he wants to pay less than everyone else, on account of the crumby currency for the country he has chosen to live in. As a Canadian, my dollar has always been below USD. So I've always paid more in my local currency (here, new release games are $80 instead of the USD $60). Never once whined about it and never will, because I understand if I want to enjoy products and services, I have to pay more until the CAD comes out of the dumpster.

So, no, the OP and others can pay the same as anyone else. That's life.

Special snowflake syndrome is getting worse.

Where did he state that he wants to pay less than everyone else? There are already people that pay less due to using Steam. And region price adjustments would help everyone in said region to pay the sub, not just one person.

Since when does one choose which country they are born in? Not everyone is rich enough to just go and live where they want.
Just because you are okay with paying half of your salary to play a game doesn't mean everyone is. For a time the subscribtion to FFXIV costed me my entire salary forcing me to abandon one of my favorite games.

Now imagine all these unhappy people leaving the game because they can't afford it. SE will lose players and they will lose money. It's in their best interest to adjust prices in certain regions.