FFXIV Mobile is doing poorly, global release likely shelved

[RedLolly]

Last major update was November, with 2.4's content up to final coil.

The producer of the mobile version has said it's operating at a loss and any plans for a global launch is shelved because they simply don't have the money. They may not even finish ARR.

Also, their housing system is a buggy mess that stole millions of gil from F2P players and the devs apparently can't fix it.


So, here's a prayer that SE yanks their vastly superior glam system at least.



But this actually tosses a wrench in the half-confirmed Switch 2 version. If Mobile is on life support already, then it's RETAIL that's getting ported?

God, April can't come fast enough.

[Connor]

Can’t imagine it’ll change anything at all for us considering they’ll just put the entirety of the blame on the company that developed it for them.

[RedLolly]

One thing that's nuts to me is the main theory behind it bleeding money is because it's too F2P friendly, so the average Chinese gamer doesn't feel beholden to keep playing and spending money.

The exact opposite mentality most Western gamers have towards F2P games. Wild.

[Arrius]

One thing that's nuts to me is the main theory behind it bleeding money is because it's too F2P friendly, so the average Chinese gamer doesn't feel beholden to keep playing and spending money.

The exact opposite mentality most Western gamers have towards F2P games. Wild.

If you fail with a mobile F2P release in China, of all places, then you might as well pack up.

[Connor]

One thing that's nuts to me is the main theory behind it bleeding money is because it's too F2P friendly, so the average Chinese gamer doesn't feel beholden to keep playing and spending money.

The exact opposite mentality most Western gamers have towards F2P games. Wild.

Yeah that does sound pretty strange. From what I saw of it I think a lot of the cosmetics and glamour stuff has microtransactions too? I wonder if it’s a maybe a case of ‘the microtransactions don’t feel worth paying real money [since they’re largely cosmetic based]’.

Which I mean, yeah I’d prefer that personally over something aggressively monetised, IE having a tiny stamina bar for every activity but you have to pay to recharge it lol. Which I’ve seen in almost every game mobile game to some extent.

Although that makes me wonder; if the mobile game was released globally / in the west but designed the exact same, would it still be struggling as much? It could be as much a cultural thing as a problem with the game itself, in terms of how people approach that sort of thing. Like maybe western players are more likely to value cosmetics over things that affect gameplay?

[MsMisato]

Yeah that does sound pretty strange. From what I saw of it I think a lot of the cosmetics and glamour stuff has microtransactions too? I wonder if it’s a maybe a case of ‘the microtransactions don’t feel worth paying real money [since they’re largely cosmetic based]’.

Which I mean, yeah I’d prefer that personally over something aggressively monetised, IE having a tiny stamina bar for every activity but you have to pay to recharge it lol. Which I’ve seen in almost every game mobile game to some extent.

Although that makes me wonder; if the mobile game was released globally / in the west but designed the exact same, would it still be struggling as much? It could be as much a cultural thing as a problem with the game itself, in terms of how people approach that sort of thing. Like maybe western players are more likely to value cosmetics over things that affect gameplay?

eastern games are more focused on gacha mechanics p2w if anything with comes to f2p. anything to boost your character to do better. thats why like the level up and story skip stuff does well and it won't go away. But gatcha games its upgrading your character cards and what not and very little cosmetics involved and they do well because of gambling aspect which is addictive and jsut f'ed up honestly in that aspect because its addictive behaviour buts that a topic for a different on that.

cosmetic base games usually don't do well in the long run on free2play aspects unless it gives some sort of advantage over the other players.

[Absurdity]

Yeah that does sound pretty strange. From what I saw of it I think a lot of the cosmetics and glamour stuff has microtransactions too? I wonder if it’s a maybe a case of ‘the microtransactions don’t feel worth paying real money [since they’re largely cosmetic based]’.

That's pretty much the reason. Well, it's that you can't whale for increased power over the "poors".
Chinese mobile players love pay2win for some reason.

Where did you get the idea I thought the Switch 2 wasn't able to run retail? I would MUCH prefer that, and would swap tomorrow if they announced it today. (God, I miss playing on my Steamdeck.)

The Switch 2 is more powerful than the two lowest powered consoles (PS4 and Series S, the latter of which I currently play on) and I ran Dawntrail on a micro PC potato for a few months that had way less meat than even the PS4. There is zero question if the Switch 2 has the power. It absolutely does.

It's less about the Switch 2 being able to run the game as it is right now and more about what restrictions that brings for the future.
Because while the PS4 and Series S might be easy to drop at this point if required, those consoles are 13 and 6 years old respectively.

And as you've said, those are the consoles with the weakest hardware. If they develop it for the Switch 2 they will have to support it for several years and who knows how long it's hardware is going to be "enough".
Granted old potato PCs would be in the exact same boat. And with current hardware prices nobody can affort any upgrades right now.

[ReynTime]

That's pretty much the reason. Well, it's that you can't whale for increased power over the "poors".
Chinese mobile players love pay2win for some reason.



It's less about the Switch 2 being able to run the game as it is right now and more about what restrictions that brings for the future.
Because while the PS4 and Series S might be easy to drop at this point if required, those consoles are 13 and 6 years old respectively.

And as you've said, those are the consoles with the weakest hardware. If they develop it for the Switch 2 they will have to support it for several years and who knows how long it's hardware is going to be "enough".
Granted old potato PCs would be in the exact same boat. And with current hardware prices nobody can affort any upgrades right now.

It's not the Switch 2 hardware that you have to worry about. You really think they will try to increase the system requirements of the game anytime in the next few years with the price of upgrading/building a gaming pc skyrocketing?
You realise they want more players, not less?

[Burmecia]

Like maybe western players are more likely to value cosmetics over things that affect gameplay?

don't quote me on these, these are just my observations but:
western players generally really don't seem to like p2w, whereas CN and KR especially seem to not have problem with it at all.
i'm not so sure about JP but they're probably in middle somewhere.

there is also that west likes pc as platform, asia likes mobile and consoles cliche. mobile and pc games are, uh, monetised bit different from one another, usually, typically.

[Astronis]

don't quote me on these, these are just my observations but:
western players generally really don't seem to like p2w, whereas CN and KR especially seem to not have problem with it at all.

Part of it has to do with internet access as I understand. Western players have monthly subscription access to as much internet as they desire during that month, whereas in China and Korea, it's much more common to buy internet access in small chunks. So obviously, if you buy an hour of internet access, you want to maximize what you get out of your hour. Waiting for Gaius to yap and other time-gated standard MMO whatsits is a waste of money under that kind of internet access paradigm, while it's not that big of a deal when you have a whole month of internet for one price.

It makes a lot more sense to be OK with pay to win vs time-gated to win if you have to pay to play in small increments. Keeps you from having to pay many times for the time-gate vs just the once.