[Realian]

Micro transactions does not equal F2P.

I hope you guys realize that.

WoW has micro transactions. WoW is not F2P.

[Jennestia]

Not to mention when it's time to pay the people who don't want to spend money but keep playing will fall into the shadows lol.

So it won't be eternally free since they NEED to break even at the least vs the production cost because this was no cheap MMO, some F2P MMOs are setting between the $5000 - $75,000 mark if they had to spend any money at all, and that's generally just server equipment cost.

[Mecha09]

Realian, on 09 November 2010 - 10:34 AM, said:

Micro transactions does not equal F2P.

I hope you guys realize that.

WoW has micro transactions. WoW is not F2P.

I agree but as it stands, Blizzard are the only ones to truly test the subs with micro-transactions for minor vanity items, but yes it's of course viable (as proven) to have both.

Jennestia, on 09 November 2010 - 10:35 AM, said:

Not to mention when it's time to pay the people who don't want to spend money but keep playing will fall into the shadows lol.

So it won't be eternally free since they NEED to break even at the least vs the production cost because this was no cheap MMO, some F2P MMOs are setting between the $5000 - $75,000 mark if they had to spend any money at all, and that's generally just server equipment cost.

This is where the catch-22 comes in and it'll leave SE with huge issues, especially if come bill time they really don't meet the quota they wanted to upon first payment. I'd say that they shouldn't look to recoup their money and just aim to build a game that has a sustainable life.

I'd say that if the game is given the proper due attention, they'll break even at some point down the line.

[Realian]

Mecha09, on 09 November 2010 - 10:41 AM, said:

I agree but as it stands, Blizzard are the only ones to truly test the subs with micro-transactions for minor vanity items, but yes it's of course viable (as proven) to have both.

No, AoC, Aion, are 2 other examples of subs with micro transactions.

[Mecha09]

Realian, on 09 November 2010 - 10:43 AM, said:

No, AoC, Aion, are 2 other examples of subs with micro transactions.

I hadn't heard that those two games had micro transactions now, then again I stopped playing both long ago. That's interesting then, maybe SE should come up with a way of doing the same sort of thing as people really love their vanity stuff.

[LeePatekar]

Mecha09, on 09 November 2010 - 10:41 AM, said:

I'd say that if the game is given the proper due attention, they'll break even at some point down the line.

This is true. F2P, more free months or subscription model, it doesn't matter that much. What makes a game work are the gameplay elements. They have a lot of issues to fix to make this game have mass appeal (that doesn't mean making it into a wow clone, so don't go there). Making it F2P will help retain a player base as they make changes and work out the issues.

Once the game is nice and polished, they can sell an expansion that has a subscription fee while keeping the earlier content F2P. Of course, they probably won't do that from fear of RMT (which seems to be a very strong theme in the design of XIV).

This post has been edited by LeePatekar: 09 November 2010 - 10:48 AM

[Orichalcon]

Realian, on 09 November 2010 - 10:43 AM, said:

No, AoC, Aion, are 2 other examples of subs with micro transactions.

Regardless, this is pure speculation at this point relating this to FFXIV, however...

If there is any truth to these articles then I'm unsure that the addition of micro-transactions to a game that is already in dire need of updates and fixes is a sensible option. The transition to such an option would be more viable on a F2P environment considering the current status.

This post has been edited by Orichalcon: 09 November 2010 - 10:49 AM

[Realian]

Mecha09, on 09 November 2010 - 10:45 AM, said:

I hadn't heard that those two games had micro transactions now, then again I stopped playing both long ago. That's interesting then, maybe SE should come up with a way of doing the same sort of thing as people really love their vanity stuff.

When SE mentioned micro transactions, they never directly said it was meant for FFXIV. I cannot find a single source that would even infer this. However, we already do know that there is micro transaction in FFXIV, in the form of extra retainers and extra characters. That's it. If in the future they decide to do all that race change, gender change stuff blah blah. Good for them.

But it's purely negative nancies and SANKAKU making **** up again somehow associating nothing to FFXIV going F2P. Good job guys. Tanaka is probably not going to rage on twitter this time but hire the yakuza to take care of those idiots at sankaku, and even if I saw it, I would turn a blind eye to it. That's how much those people annoy me right now.

[Mecha09]

Realian, on 09 November 2010 - 10:50 AM, said:

When SE mentioned micro transactions, they never directly said it was meant for FFXIV. I cannot find a single source that would even infer this. However, we already do know that there is micro transaction in FFXIV, in the form of extra retainers and extra characters. That's it. If in the future they decide to do all that race change, gender change stuff blah blah. Good for them.

But it's purely negative nancies and SANKAKU making **** up again somehow associating nothing to FFXIV going F2P. Good job guys. Tanaka is probably not going to rage on twitter this time but hire the yakuza to take care of those idiots at sankaku, and even if I saw it, I would turn a blind eye to it. That's how much those people annoy me right now.

Yeah, I've not found anything either. I'm talking in hypothetical's really and I should state that on posting but if there were a possibility of them making such changes (of course no one is saying they are) then indeed it could work out along the lines of what we've had posted here and in the previous topic.

I'd certainly not take any of it on-board until SE tells me otherwise. :)

[Realian]

Mecha09, on 09 November 2010 - 10:54 AM, said:

Yeah, I've not found anything either. I'm talking in hypothetical's really and I should state that on posting but if there were a possibility of them making such changes (of course no one is saying they are) then indeed it could work out along the lines of what we've had posted here and in the previous topic.

I'd certainly not take any of it on-board until SE tells me otherwise. :)

Except people are sheep and is easily misled. They believe things on the internet without doing proper research. Do I need to go on explaining why this is bad?

[Xatsh]

This is another wild fire spreading from a rumor again, very simliar to the "you can only play the game for 2hrs because of suplus rumor pre-release". There has been 0 mention in anything from SE every mentioning ffxiv going F2P. If ffxiv completly fails it might go f2p, but if that comes it will not be for another year at least. 1/2 the player base is not even in the game (ps3) with thousands on pc waiting to see what the game will be once content is added.

SE has been talking about microtransaction for along time, like 2 years ago. Blizzard is as well and has put it into play so has NCsoft with Aion. SE has always done it to an extent (server transferes). The article that started this talked was about Item Transactions and mentioned Dragon Quest in the same sentence in the shareholders meeting, ffxiv was only mentioned in the article in relationship to the shareholders asking WTF? basically, not the Item Transactions part, which was about buisness strategy changes where they stated an increase from 30% to 40% of profits from item sales.

If they did go f2p on 14 it would pretty much be the final nail in the coffin. They would probally instantly lose 30-50% of thier remaining sub based on it being a F2P model. Would be less income for them meaning less overall content development, and legalized rmt which would undermine everything they have tried to prevent in the first place.
Basically the game would collasp and make them no money.

[Endreck]

The whole thing seems a little odd to me though. SE is such a huge company, and have an extremely successful MMO already in XI as a model. Would they really turn XIV into F2P? Growing pains for sure, and some may argue severe (I haven't played, so I can't say), but so early? Remember, many of the examples cited above, LOTRO for example, were P2P for a number of years before eventually going F2P.

Overall I would agree with the hosts of the CrystalCore podcast 28 that I listened to a few days ago. They mentioned the pros and cons of SE rushing to get XIV released before WoW's Cataclysm. Getting a (granted, unfinished feeling) live version out will hopefully have enough interesting content that players will want to stick around to see what's next, and what will be improved. Where as waiting until after Cataclysm and everyone getting hooked back into WoW all over again, could have lost a number of people who aren't interested in learning a new game, now that they are back in a familiar world.

I for one am still crazy about the game, and can't wait to play it on PS3 next year. Hopefully enough people will stick around to enjoy the updates over the next couple of months, and many of the forum posts will shift to more positive.

[snooj]

I have a feeling this article isn't legit. Still, the idea of FF14 going F2P is interesting.

I'm really torn on whether I would like that or not. F2P is great if and only if the game is still playable and everything is still available. Yes, I understand buying expansions, but I shouldn't have to buy gear or abilities because they are not available otherwise. If they want to sell prettier chocobos, gil, prettier gear (but not the best stat wise, just pretty), server transfers, race/appearance changes, etc., then I'd be OK with that. Buying things then becomes a "I want" rather than "I need in order to play and enjoy the game to the fullest".

On the other hand, if I have to buy everything with real money just to enjoy the game, then that is another story. I prefer a set monthly fee than feeling pressured into buying something after I have been playing the game for a long time. It all depends on what F2P would mean for SE.

[Realian]

Orichalcon, on 09 November 2010 - 10:47 AM, said:

Regardless, this is pure speculation at this point relating this to FFXIV, however...

Except speculations like these shouldn't even be arising. Let me tell you exactly what happened.

FFXIV news quiet down for a while, so sankaku digged up a 7 month old press release to stir **** up.

That's basically what's happening here. The jp press release that was linked in the first couple of post in april, is actually also linked in that sankaku post.

[ironhelix73]

How does F2P address the issues with this game? I don't see it being free somehow magically making it fun. Watching my lawn grow is free too, but I don't do that all day.

[Realian]

ironhelix73, on 09 November 2010 - 11:33 AM, said:

How does F2P address the issues with this game? I don't see it being free somehow magically making it fun. Watching my lawn grow is free too, but I don't do that all day.

Thanks for reading the thread.

[Gigantoad]

So F2P also means the game client is free? I don't think this was the case in Guild Wars or such.

Anyway, I can only speak for me personally. But if I could play FFXIV in its current state for free, I still wouldn't do it (in fact it was free for 2 months and I quit halfway). I don't care if it costs me 0 or measly 15 bucks a month. This kind of money really isn't an issue. But I don't want to spend my free time on a game I don't enjoy. No new business model is gonna change this simple fact, and I dare say that most people would think alike.

[viionx]

Gigantoad, on 09 November 2010 - 09:59 AM, said:

So when we get to the bottom of this, what does F2P actually do? More people playing, more people buying in-game stuff and that results in more money? Somehow I can't quite wrap my head around it.

If that's the case, why aren't all MMO's F2P?

MapleStory = Free and currently the most populated mmo to-date.

ironhelix73, on 09 November 2010 - 11:33 AM, said:

How does F2P address the issues with this game? I don't see it being free somehow magically making it fun. Watching my lawn grow is free too, but I don't do that all day.

lol So true, but a lot are playing now just to get up then quit until PS3.

I think what the thread is getting at is, instead of having a monthly fee, you play free then pay for luxuries. Yes your lawn growing is free, but is cutting it and maintaining it free also? Them you choose, and that is like micro-transactions. You choose if you want more for that specific thing.

[AncientWolfDAoC]

Pseudopsia, on 09 November 2010 - 09:50 AM, said:

There is no way FFXIV will be F2P mmo because if they do everyone will pretty much quit.

You can't totally remove the possibility that they could indeed do that- that's just wishful thinking- heck everything else they tend do do seems backwards, why not this too?

[Realian]

AncientWolfDAoC, on 09 November 2010 - 01:13 PM, said:

You can't totally remove the possibility that they could indeed do that- that's just wishful thinking- heck everything else they tend do do seems backwards, why not this too?

Because like I said before, SE hasn't said anything for months that could even give the hint that this could happen. This is sankaku twisting words in a 7 month old press release, 7 months, that's before FFXIV even released.