You know what would increase subs?

[Ath192]

Giving FFXI the Dawntrail treatment in terms of graphics and UI update and merge the subscription fees.

With the Vanadiel raids in Dawntrail and the game formerly in a high note it was the play to keep player retention and subbed for years as tons of people would go check out the remastered XI and stay on for the whole 2/3 years.

But nah, They just keep letting opportunities go to waste.

[BrideInMyDreams]

The only thing holding me back from getting into FFXI is the lack of customization options for the player character's appearance. I can't get invested if I don't like how I look.

[Shinku_Tachi]

Also bringing back the console version. There is no reason FFXI shouldn't be on PS5 and Xbox Series S|X, as well as PC.

[PaulusHamsteru]

FF XI needs a remake. I'd definitely give it a shot if they'd remake it.

[Tint]

But nah, They just keep letting opportunities go to waste.

The biggest opportunity would be a Genshin like gacha game where you draw all sorts of Final Fantasy characters. Call it World of Final Fantasy II or whatever.

[ryouma17]

You know what would increase subs?.

making the game fun again would be a start

[Ath192]

making the game fun again would be a start

You know I don't think that's enough anymore. A lot of people gave up and are probably not coming back because the game improved a bit. Now, this MMO is in trouble and it needs a big punch to give it life again. Short of pulling another calamity I really do think this is what's needed to immediately pull crowds back in. It would've retained crowds if it had been done in tandem with 8.0, avoiding this mess, which is why it was a missed opportunity.

But yeah, they also need to do that of course.

[Supersnow845]

I think fusing the subs together is a really good idea but it would probably overwhelmingly benefit 11 (not that that’s a bad thing, 11 deserves so much more attention than it ever got from its relatively niche active lifespan)

I know alot of people who are currently disillusioned with 14 who’s pick up 11 if they shared a sub and 11 was a little less esoteric

[Atma]

I think fusing the subs together is a really good idea but it would probably overwhelmingly benefit 11 (not that that’s a bad thing, 11 deserves so much more attention than it ever got from its relatively niche active lifespan)

I know alot of people who are currently disillusioned with 14 who’s pick up 11 if they shared a sub and 11 was a little less esoteric

They would spend tens of millions of dollars reworking the graphics engine and then updating all the models and all the textures for pretty much the entire game. You can't just 'update a graphics engine' for a 23 year old game without updating models and textures and expect miracles to happen.

And then people would play it for 2 weeks and quit.

Look, I loved FFXI when it came out, I poured multiple thousands of hours into that game. There was a point where my average played hours per day exceeded my average sleep hours of the day. But even I can come to grips with the fact that FFXI's gameplay style is not conducive to a modern MMO audience. It was a niche game then and it'd be even more of a niche game now.

[Ath192]

They would spend tens of millions of dollars reworking the graphics engine and then updating all the models and all the textures for pretty much the entire game. You can't just 'update a graphics engine' for a 23 year old game without updating models and textures and expect miracles to happen.

And then people would play it for 2 weeks and quit.

Look, I loved FFXI when it came out, I poured multiple thousands of hours into that game. There was a point where my average played hours per day exceeded my average sleep hours of the day. But even I can come to grips with the fact that FFXI's gameplay style is not conducive to a modern MMO audience. It was a niche game then and it'd be even more of a niche game now.

But you don't know that. Everyone says that like its fact. XI would be the perfect counterweight to WOW classic, as its SE's own unique offering that was well beloved. And WOW classic proved there is an audience for more old school experiences. I also don't understand taking the standpoint of guarding a companies money.

There is a good chance they get all their tens of millions back with enough time and support for a game with a proven track record than launching the new crap that has been bombing left and right from their studios. You benefit nothing by telling them hey don't do it, just pocket the change, and stand a lot to gain from bringing back a good game to modern standards. Maybe you don't have time anymore, but a lot of young people do, just like we had time back then. Heck most people that left this game did so because there isn't anything to do in it if you're caught up. The bad story was just the excuse they needed to finish breaking the cycle.

Does anyone here think FFXI remastered would be a worse investment than Babylon's fall?

"Square Enix did not publicly disclose the specific financial losses from Babylon's Fall. However, it's clear the game was a commercial failure and contributed to a significant drop in Square Enix's stock value. The game's poor performance led to the company restructuring its development approach and taking an "extraordinary loss" of 22.1 billion yen (approximately $140 million USD). This loss likely includes costs associated with the game's development and subsequent abandonment. "

I don't. The probabilities of FFXI having been the better bet than that are overwhelmingly clear. Even in its ancient decrepit state FFXI still pulls a profit.