Mogstation taking another step to the darkside

[Payadopa]

It seems to me that you have no common sense. Every current day MMO has a cash shop. No one is "shilling for SE" when the simple fact is that EVERYTHING on the Mog Station is completely optional. None of it is predatorial. There's nothing anyone NEEDS from the Mog Station. It's all optional stuff that doesn't impact character stats, gameplay, or overall enjoyment factor. None of it. In fact, the Mog Station isn't even directly tied into the game. You can't open a menu in XIV and access the Mog Station through it. This is literally the most easy going and non-invasive cash shop I've seen in an MMO. Calm the calamity that is your mammeries

So you're part of the 'It's optional' crowd. Fair enough. In a game that has glamour as true end-game wanting to like your best is not optional. It's part of the intended experience.

It it wasn't SE would just release the same looking gear with different stats. If nobody speaks out against these practices they'll continue to tighten their grasp. It's common business sense. Look no further than EA or Nintendo's (clumsy) steps over the years. It has happened and has been documented countless times and yet... here we are. It's sad, really.

Also, what does least intrusive even mean? I'm paying for the game and a subscription. This isn't F2P. Goes to show how indoctrinated people already are. That stuff wouldn't have flown 15 years ago.

[SinisterJoints]

So you're part of the 'It's optional' crowd. Fair enough. In a game that has glamour as true end-game wanting to like your best is not optional. It's part of the intended experience.

It it wasn't SE would just release the same looking gear with different stats. If nobody speaks out against these practices they'll continue to tighten their grasp. It's common business sense. Look no further than EA or Nintendo's (clumsy) steps over the years. It has happened and has been documented countless times and yet... here we are. It's sad, really.

Also, what does least intrusive even mean? I'm paying for the game and a subscription. This isn't F2P. Goes to show how indoctrinated people already are. That stuff wouldn't have flown 15 years ago.

And yet it existed 15 years ago. Just because you pay a sub doesn't mean an MMO isn't allowed to have a cash shop. The game is not advertised as "endgame is glamour" The endgame is whatever YOU want it to be. If that happens to be glam, well then so be it. If it happens to be raids, then so be it.

Don't like the cash shop? Don't buy the items, like any other adult

[ForteNightshade]

So you're part of the 'It's optional' crowd. Fair enough. In a game that has glamour as true end-game wanting to like your best is not optional. It's part of the intended experience.

It it wasn't SE would just release the same looking gear with different stats. If nobody speaks out against these practices they'll continue to tighten their grasp. It's common business sense. Look no further than EA or Nintendo's (clumsy) steps over the years. It has happened and has been documented countless times and yet... here we are. It's sad, really.

Also, what does least intrusive even mean? I'm paying for the game and a subscription. This isn't F2P. Goes to show how indoctrinated people already are. That stuff wouldn't have flown 15 years ago.

And video games were significantly cheaper fifteen years ago. In fact, everything was. I used to be able to buy a 2l Pepsi for 99 cents. That's unheard of nowadays. What has barely changed in two decades is the retail sale of video games. With the increasing demand for better graphics, gameplay and etc, companies have to make that money somewhere. Like it or not, they're a business. You don't make money by adding extra costs to your development. Now that doesn't mean companies, SE included, haven't taken advantage of DLC and Micro-transactions. But that also doesn't mean every iteration of them is predatory. FFXIV offers the occasional glamour or collectibles alongside the slew of in-game items they release. One of the most popular tops in the game right now in the Dalmascan top. Prior to the the Urban coats were extremely popular. Both didn't require a single penny beyond your sub free.

The simple fact is without micro-transactions and DLC, the retail cost of games would increase. Capcom's CEO believes games should as much as double their current cost. Instead, the industry shifted to an optional model. It's important to criticise when said industry oversteps (Looking at you EA, or Tecmo Koei for a more recent example). But FFXIV hasn't really done so.