So they have decided to do something straight out the realms of these "FREE FOREVER" MMO's you've seen all over the Internet to further scam their way into FFXIV!!
They now admit that they are effectively RMTing some of the better items.
From Elmer the Pointy through Ringthree:
“The basic model hasn't changed,” he said. “It's a monthly flat rate service with additional charges for items that users want to buy.
“For FFXI we didn't initially set up the item transaction model that well – although the demand for it was high. We thought that it would be a benefit for users, but that we wouldn't be able to charge.
“We soon learnt that there are a lot of people who want that kind of model, so we would like to introduce more pay-as-you-use items into the game. But there were too few items in FFXI – however we don't want to take it to the other extreme entirely for FFXIV."
“For FFXI we didn't initially set up the item transaction model that well – although the demand for it was high. We thought that it would be a benefit for users, but that we wouldn't be able to charge.
“We soon learnt that there are a lot of people who want that kind of model, so we would like to introduce more pay-as-you-use items into the game. But there were too few items in FFXI – however we don't want to take it to the other extreme entirely for FFXIV."
What in the FUCKING HELL do you think you are trying to pull, Square-Enix??
OK, Ringthree, you can call it sarcasm, but understand that it is the same model that a lot of these "free" MMO's have been scamming the shit out of people with for a long time.
The fact is that they see that the pseudo-RMT model is what people apparently like, and the problem is that what draws them to that model is the (false!) premise that the game is (and playable-as-)free.
Because usually how a company even considers to make money off that model is that the only way you can feasibly play the game is to pay for the items which are effectively necessary (often, expansions in inventory, the better weapons and armor, etc. and so forth...) to succeed in the game.
The thing is that Square-Enix DOES have the right to RMT it's own stuff. The problem being that a lot of people are going to take that as justification of the RMT model outright, as many of these "free" MMO's have been having for years.
The problem is: How are you then going to justify (especially without taking the illegal RMT'ers to court, jailing them, and shutting them the fuck down) that the model of RMT (even if that is only part-way what you are doing) is not preferrable???
Explain that while I continue to kiss off XIV...
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2 comments:
"The thing is that Square-Enix DOES have the right to RMT it's own stuff. The problem being that a lot of people are going to take that as justification of the RMT model outright, as many of these "free" MMO's have been having for years."
It's a legitimate business model if you actually own what you are 'selling'.
XI's RMTs don't own what they are selling.
However, it is a tricky business model for a pay-to-play game to do right, because you need to convince people who will pay to play but don't want to buy items, that they are still playing on a more-or-less even field with those paying to buy items as well, or you lose business... while at the same time you have to ensure that the buyable items are actually worth spending real money for. If SE goes with this model for XIV and manages to pull it off, I will be impressed. Less impressed if they do it by copying WoW's system, where buyable items are cosmetic only, but still.
For a free-to-play game it is much easier to justify selling useful items that make characters stronger, as it's your income source. It is not a coincidence that I avoid most F2P games.
The biggest danger is making those items necessary (like in F2P) to actually progress.
If you make them cosmetic-only, that's another issue.
About as far as I want them to go is the likes of the Mog Satchel, which, though necessary in the game, was also given with an item Square-Enix felt mandatory to buy (the Security Token).
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