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FFXIV Opens Up Free Weekend For Former Subscribers

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Comments

  • LugorsLugors Member UncommonPosts: 184

    For me, it is highlighting one many issues I had with the game; namely ridiculous overly complicated registration, login and installation procedures.  I bought the game, played the included month of time, never subscribed and removed the game from the hard drive.  Now I was going to reinstall for the weekend, but to do so, you need to have an active account to download the game.  Wouldn’t you think they would think of this, and allow people to download the game in advance?

  • amber-ramber-r Member Posts: 323
    Originally posted by Hyanmen
    Originally posted by amber-r

    This is a public statement that FFXIV ARR has amazingly bad player retention issues, they must of lost massive numbers to offer a free to play weekned for all the players they have lost at the 4 month mark.

    No matter how you want to play it, no MMO in history has offered f2p to "old" players this soon after release.

    This isn't even trying to get new customers, it's trying to get back all the players they lost since launch.

    They have gone from having substantially better play retention compared to all other MMO's (official number-backed statement) to having amazingly bad player retention issues in a span of few months (amber-r)?

     

    This is still huge though. We all know for a fact that a healthy MMORPG does not lose any subs and even if it did those subs are never worth putting any effort into retaking.

    Ask square, they are the company taking the embarassing position of having free to play weekends to "old" subscribers to come back to the game when no MMO I can think of has ever done it anywhere near this soon.  I mean it makes sense in WoW and Gw2 because they are bother now older titles, this game has been out months, it doesn't even have old subscribers.

     

    Keep in mind that just because they say they had "better than the rest" retention issues, doesn't mean it was true, this proves that infact.  This says "we have lost so many players we have to try to beg them to come back for free to try the new content".  Not a good public statement so early in the games life.

  • HyanmenHyanmen Member UncommonPosts: 5,357
    Originally posted by amber-r
    Originally posted by Hyanmen
    Originally posted by amber-r

    This is a public statement that FFXIV ARR has amazingly bad player retention issues, they must of lost massive numbers to offer a free to play weekned for all the players they have lost at the 4 month mark.

    No matter how you want to play it, no MMO in history has offered f2p to "old" players this soon after release.

    This isn't even trying to get new customers, it's trying to get back all the players they lost since launch.

    They have gone from having substantially better play retention compared to all other MMO's (official number-backed statement) to having amazingly bad player retention issues in a span of few months (amber-r)?

     

    This is still huge though. We all know for a fact that a healthy MMORPG does not lose any subs and even if it did those subs are never worth putting any effort into retaking.

    Ask square, they are the company taking the embarassing position of having free to play weekends to "old" subscribers to come back to the game when no MMO I can think of has ever done it anywhere near this soon.  I mean it makes sense in WoW and Gw2 because they are bother now older titles, this game has been out months, it doesn't even have old subscribers.

    Keep in mind that just because they say they had "better than the rest" retention issues, doesn't mean it was true, this proves that infact.  This says "we have lost so many players we have to try to beg them to come back for free to try the new content".  Not a good public statement so early in the games life.

    This says "we are doing a free weekend for everyone who isn't playing". The rest is the biased interpretation of amber-r, and anyone who looks at your post history regarding this game should know how much weight said interpretation has.

    At least SE and Naoki Yoshida have a higher chance of getting in trouble with the playerbase and media if they're speaking lies as an official statement backed by the Corporation. However if amber-r says they are lying based on her scientifically accurate decomposition of a news article, then that should prove them to be liars not to mention that the Atlantis existed.

    Using LOL is like saying "my argument sucks but I still want to disagree".
  • Pratt2112Pratt2112 Member UncommonPosts: 1,636
    Originally posted by ElRenmazuo
    Originally posted by Cymdai

    Did anyone really not see this coming?

    I mean really... who has a campaign within 6 months of release to try and draw back in subscribers they couldn't retain? 

    It's a matter of time until there's an announcement about implementing some F2P options, mark my words! This game didn't, doesn't, and likely won't ever have the staying power necessary to demand a subscription fee.

    the game has over a million active subs and servers are usually packed.  And they announced they are adding more servers for steam and PS4 release.  They are doing great.  LOL this aint no where near a F2P

    False.

    People really need to stop spreading this lie. It's clearly intended to misinform and is not only doing the game's playerbase a disservice, but also the game. If you have to lie and misrepresent figures to make your game seem more successful than it is, it raises suspicion of why you would want to do so... especially when actual numbers are easily found by anyone who cares to find them.

    Per this article (among others), the most recent figures released, from October 2013, indicates they have over 1 million registered player accounts. Registered Accounts is not the same as active subscriptions. It also can't be dismissed that many of those accounts are carried over from 1.0.

    A relevant bit to put it in context:

    "As reported last weekFinal Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn has over 1.5 million registered players worldwide, but naturally this doesn’t mean that all 1.5 million players are actively playing the game..."

    Further, the latest info on subscription numbers (that I could find) are from November, 2013 and indicate their subs had "exceeded 600,000". It doesn't say by how many. It's a healthy number to be sure, but is a far cry from "over a million". 

    So, the best we know, with the most recent info, is that the most XIV has - as of a few months ago - is "over 600,000". The number may have increased. It may have decreased. It may have stayed about the same. We don't know.

    Unless, or until SE reveal official subscription numbers exceeding 1 million, it is flat out dishonest to claim they do.

    If you're going to state numbers, it's best  to check your facts and make sure what you're saying is supported. Because accuracy matters, and lying only raises suspicion - not confidence.

    ~600,000 is a very healthy population on its own. So, I'm not even sure why you would want to exaggerate it to begin with.

  • Pratt2112Pratt2112 Member UncommonPosts: 1,636
    Originally posted by drivendawn
    Originally posted by Cymdai

    Elrenmazuo, As was pointed out to you in the previous topic, 1.5 million registered users =/= 1.5 million subscribers.

    I'm glad you appreciate ctrl + c and ctrl + v, but you're still wrong. The game was at 600k in November... so you know it's less than that now.

    As for being a hater, that's a fair label I suppose. But the game lost over half of it's registered users by November. They certainly aren't going back up, and games don't do these kinds of events because their populations are flourishing. Just saying. The evidence is there that this game is not meeting expectations, and we're only on month 4.

    A very fair label your post history is nothing but bashing this game. Over 600k and Yoshi said 400k would do. With all the sale that happened the last couple of weeks I bet its higher than you think and with the PS4 version coming out they will certainly need those extra servers.

    Let's not start moving the goal-post.

    "Over 600k" still =/= "over 1 million". 

    Again, accuracy matters.

  • delta9delta9 Member UncommonPosts: 358
    if it was free forever then maybe i would play again, but for a weekend, nah ill pass, the game simply is not worth a sub (to me)
  • squalleonahasqualleonaha Member Posts: 211

    no need to fight here. this game will be just like STOR. its will survive for sometime base on a big fans-boy base.

    after that its depend on the developer to keep the game alive. however  it'll be super hard for a "not too awesome" game with $15 monthly to be success in these day. even WOW is losing sub.

  • simsalabim77simsalabim77 Member RarePosts: 1,607
    Originally posted by ElRenmazuo
    Originally posted by Skymourne

    actually around november it was around 1.5 million active subs.  And if they were losing subs square wouldnt have announced they are adding more servers for the PS4 and steam launch on the 2.1 notes.

    http://ffxivrealm.com/threads/fascinating-ffxiv-population-census.8611/

    You can keep repeating the highlighted text over and over as you have been for the last however long this has been going on, but you'll still be wrong every single time you say it.  Please stop.  It's misinformation and you know it.

     

    I could say the same for everyone whos crying doom and F2P about the game in its current status based on a free trial offer.  I dont see you saying anything about them.

     

    No, you really can't say the same lol. Their opinion is that the game will go F2P. You can explain why you don't think it will go F2P, but you can't tell them they're wrong. You saying there are 1.5 million active subs isn't an opinion. You are stating it as a fact when it is almost certainly not true. 

  • MuruganMurugan Member Posts: 1,494
    Originally posted by simsalabim77
    Originally posted by ElRenmazuo
    Originally posted by Skymourne

    actually around november it was around 1.5 million active subs.  And if they were losing subs square wouldnt have announced they are adding more servers for the PS4 and steam launch on the 2.1 notes.

    http://ffxivrealm.com/threads/fascinating-ffxiv-population-census.8611/

    You can keep repeating the highlighted text over and over as you have been for the last however long this has been going on, but you'll still be wrong every single time you say it.  Please stop.  It's misinformation and you know it.

     

    I could say the same for everyone whos crying doom and F2P about the game in its current status based on a free trial offer.  I dont see you saying anything about them.

     

    No, you really can't say the same lol. Their opinion is that the game will go F2P. You can explain why you don't think it will go F2P, but you can't tell them they're wrong. You saying there are 1.5 million active subs isn't an opinion. You are stating it as a fact when it is almost certainly not true. 

    There is a difference between a prediction and an opinion.

     

    Someone can say they would prefer a F2P game. which is their opinion.  But when they make the case that the game will inevitably go F2P that is not just an opinion, that is also a prediction, wsupposedly based on "logic" and "evidence".  So it is absolutely debatable.

     

    Like people who predicted the world would end in 2012 or Y2K.  Some people actually try to reason with those people, others just shake their heads and ignore them.

  • Pratt2112Pratt2112 Member UncommonPosts: 1,636
    Originally posted by drivendawn
    Originally posted by TangentPoint
    Originally posted by drivendawn
    Originally posted by Cymdai

    Elrenmazuo, As was pointed out to you in the previous topic, 1.5 million registered users =/= 1.5 million subscribers.

    I'm glad you appreciate ctrl + c and ctrl + v, but you're still wrong. The game was at 600k in November... so you know it's less than that now.

    As for being a hater, that's a fair label I suppose. But the game lost over half of it's registered users by November. They certainly aren't going back up, and games don't do these kinds of events because their populations are flourishing. Just saying. The evidence is there that this game is not meeting expectations, and we're only on month 4.

    A very fair label your post history is nothing but bashing this game. Over 600k and Yoshi said 400k would do. With all the sale that happened the last couple of weeks I bet its higher than you think and with the PS4 version coming out they will certainly need those extra servers.

    Let's not start moving the goal-post.

    "Over 600k" still =/= "over 1 million". 

    Again, accuracy matters.

    No goal post moving here, Cymdai was saying there was no where for their sub numbers to go but down. I'm just saying they could go up as well.

    You absolutely are. You're changing the criteria of the situation after the fact.

    The dispute is over Elrenmazuo's repeated claim of 'over 1 million subs' in order to exaggerate ARR's success. It has been called out as being  false, or at best unsupported by any information released officially.

    That should be the end of it.

    However, instead, you come out and move the goal post by changing the criteria from "over 1 million subs"  - which is in dispute, to "well, it's 600k which is more than what Yoshi says would do", which isn't in dispute. The intent clearly being to preserve the impression Elrenmazuo was attempting to create for anyone who didn't know better. Again, I won't argue that 600k is a very healthy population... but again, that wasn't the point, and it's still far shy of "over 1 million". 

    The point is another forum poster (Elrenmazuo) being called out for spreading false information in order to make XIV seem more successful than it is.

     

  • simsalabim77simsalabim77 Member RarePosts: 1,607
    Originally posted by Murugan
    Originally posted by simsalabim77
    Originally posted by ElRenmazuo
    Originally posted by Skymourne

    actually around november it was around 1.5 million active subs.  And if they were losing subs square wouldnt have announced they are adding more servers for the PS4 and steam launch on the 2.1 notes.

    http://ffxivrealm.com/threads/fascinating-ffxiv-population-census.8611/

    You can keep repeating the highlighted text over and over as you have been for the last however long this has been going on, but you'll still be wrong every single time you say it.  Please stop.  It's misinformation and you know it.

     

    I could say the same for everyone whos crying doom and F2P about the game in its current status based on a free trial offer.  I dont see you saying anything about them.

     

    No, you really can't say the same lol. Their opinion is that the game will go F2P. You can explain why you don't think it will go F2P, but you can't tell them they're wrong. You saying there are 1.5 million active subs isn't an opinion. You are stating it as a fact when it is almost certainly not true. 

    There is a difference between a prediction and an opinion.

     

    Someone can say they would prefer a F2P game. which is their opinion.  But when they make the case that the game will inevitably go F2P that is not just an opinion, that is also a prediction, wsupposedly based on "logic" and "evidence".  So it is absolutely debatable.

     

    Like people who predicted the world would end in 2012 or Y2K.  Some people actually try to reason with those people, others just shake their heads and ignore them.

     

    I guess that's true, but it really doesn't change the fact that he's posting false information. 

  • ZizouXZizouX Member Posts: 670

    The game is doing fine.  For everyone predicting F2P... please give us a specific date for when this will occur, because all of you just love to move the goal post everytime you're wrong.

     

    I predict that this game will not go free to play for at least 4-5 years.  I predict that this promotion will be offered everytime there is a new content patch becaause it's a smart marketing and business decision.   

     

    From my personal experience, my server Hyperion is packed.  Never had to wait longer than 30 minutes for a dungeon as of yesterday... as a dps class.

     

    Our FC is active with two coil static group at the same time.  I have yet to see any posts on here, reddit or official forums where people are asking for server mergers because they can't get into queue or don't have enough players to be able to form parties.

     

    So... all you prognostic-haters please give us some definite dates on when we should see F2P and also give us your estimates on how many current subscribers FFXIV has.

     

     

  • ElirionLothElirionLoth Member UncommonPosts: 308
    Lol at this thread.  This game is doing great and is in no danger of going F2P.  I'm not going to waste my time debating because you are going to believe what you want to believe.  If you really are interested in knowing the truth then log in and see how active the world is.  My monthly visit to these forums uncovered no changes.  Back to actually playing MMOs.  CYA.
  • amber-ramber-r Member Posts: 323

    If the game was doing fine they wouldn't have to offer free to play time to beg old players that have already quit in huge numbers to come back, they would proudly state the new update and brace the servers for all the lost players to come back right?

     

    What they are doing is saying we know you all quit, we know you have lost interest completely so play for free.  Please, please come back...for free to see if you like it now.

     

    This game is 4 months old and they have already lost so many players that they have to offer f2p time to try and coax all the players that have quit to come back and try the game they stopped playing.  After 4 months...

     

    Idk about anyone else but other games that had a big patch simply sent me an email stating the patchy, not giving me f2p time with it lol

  • squalleonahasqualleonaha Member Posts: 211

    its funny whenever i saw a topic about FF14 pop up in real-time activity , it'll be come a debating topic between fans and haters lol.

    here is my opinion.

    this game will never go F2P , its based on SE high and mighty .  the fact that they had to spend double money to make and remake the game so they will need their money and honor back. also base on FF11, SE will keep the sub even if there is like 1000 player on the server. so forget about F2P.

    as for people who want to try it when it F2P. forget it. moving on. by the time this game go F2P, it'll be 5-10 years and there will be tons of awsome game you should try rather than playing this game. 

    FF14 is for SE fans only.

  • amber-ramber-r Member Posts: 323
    Originally posted by squalleonaha

    FF14 is for SE fans only.

     

    This is why it will go f2p.

     

    This is why every mmo made within the last 5 years has gone free to play.

     

    Fans of almost every p2p mmo said it would never go free to play, they did.

  • HanthosHanthos Member UncommonPosts: 242
    Originally posted by fistorm

    As a player who is taking a break from FFXI, and is the target audience of this campaign,  I would like to make a point and a few reasons why I think 2.1 is a reason a lot of people left, and not a reason many would come back.

     

    The first reason being farming in game, it now takes a large amount of grind time now in order to save up for a FC house.  Namely items like fleece and aldgoat leather, and almost every item that was farmable pre 2.1 has had their drop rates increased to such a degree that fleece is 45 gil each and sells slow now.

     

    The crafting is almost nonexistent after 2.1 now that Tomestone Materials which used to be the main source of income for end game crafters is no longer needed.   There for running dungeons to obtain and sell massive amounts of these mats becomes almost pointless.  Almost everyone I played with has stoped running dungeons already  and only do Coil in 1.5 hours and 1 hour of Crystal Tower to get the extra piece of gear now each week.

     

    Last the housing is still so high priced it takes almost 72 hours of FC members farming mats per a day at the new rate of farming.  Forcing everyone to have to spiritbind to make gil now, which is a grind also, and risky because you could make a lot of gil, or sometimes lose a lot of gil leaving hours of wasted farming.   Which has become a end game grind.

     

    I think SE will fix these things by the next patch, but until then I think this Free Log in Campaign will not get the results they desire. 

     

     

    This. +1

  • MaquiameMaquiame Member UncommonPosts: 1,073
    Originally posted by amber-r
    Originally posted by squalleonaha

    FF14 is for SE fans only.

     

    This is why it will go f2p.

     

    This is why every mmo made within the last 5 years has gone free to play.

     

    Fans of almost every p2p mmo said it would never go free to play, they did.

    You mean go f2p just like XI did?

     

    Oh wait XI is still sub only..........

    image

    Any mmo worth its salt should be like a good prostitute when it comes to its game world- One hell of a faker, and a damn good shaker!

  • strangepowersstrangepowers Member UncommonPosts: 630


    Originally posted by ReaperJoda
    Gameplay just fell off at max levels.

    That's being very generous.

  • ZizouXZizouX Member Posts: 670
    Originally posted by strangepowers

     


    Originally posted by ReaperJoda
    Gameplay just fell off at max levels.

     

    That's being very generous.

    No idea what the heck this means.

     

    This game has the most fun pve encounters I've faced since early WoW days.   Combat system and game mechanics are intertwined.   This game is a crap ton of fun at end game.  I understand teh concerns of a "gear grind" but there are different ways to get gear (Primals, Coil, crystal tower, mythology tomes).

    I have never seen so many people that hate on mmo's than on this site.   I think most of you are just jaded with mmo's period.  You're looking for that one lost love and I think you've never going to find it.  Face it, you're mmo nomads, hopping from the newest mmo to the other in an endless and perpetual cycle.

     

    I've found my home in FFXIV, hopefully you guys find it as well, but I highly doubt it.

  • amber-ramber-r Member Posts: 323

    What do you find so great in FFXIV that isn't in other titles or done better in other titles?

     

    The only thing of value that I see in FFXIV is the crafting and the developers have decided to make it worthless, so I'm curious what you find so good at endgame levels that most others don't seem to see.

  • simsalabim77simsalabim77 Member RarePosts: 1,607
    Originally posted by amber-r

    What do you find so great in FFXIV that isn't in other titles or done better in other titles?

     

    The only thing of value that I see in FFXIV is the crafting and the developers have decided to make it worthless, so I'm curious what you find so good at endgame levels that most others don't seem to see.

     

    Anyone who can think rationally will tell you that XIV does very little better than it's competitors besides crafting. Also, it's pretty.

    The stuff the game could be better at is totally squandered by contradictory design decisions. Crafting and gathering are awesome; let's make it useless and extremely easy to level. Instead of incorporating it into endgame by having raids drop crafting materials for skilled/dedicated crafters to craft into armor, let's just make it like every other themepark. Also, let's break the economy in the process.

    Materia has huge potential for unique build choices; let's make it boring main-stat bonuses. Let's make an armory system where players could create unique characters and then only allow them to choose very restricted skills that we decided they could have. Let's make character wide lock-outs on content, but give players the illusion that they can play every job on one character. Let's make an absolutely breathtaking world with zero elements of exploration or danger. 

    Honestly, it's just another themepark MMO prettied up with Final Fantasy makeup, but it's for that reason that I can't stop playing it. 

  • TerminalDeityTerminalDeity Member UncommonPosts: 133
    Originally posted by simsalabim77
    Originally posted by amber-r

    What do you find so great in FFXIV that isn't in other titles or done better in other titles?

     

    The only thing of value that I see in FFXIV is the crafting and the developers have decided to make it worthless, so I'm curious what you find so good at endgame levels that most others don't seem to see.

     

    Anyone who can think rationally will tell you that XIV does very little better than it's competitors besides crafting. Also, it's pretty.

    The stuff the game could be better at is totally squandered by contradictory design decisions. Crafting and gathering are awesome; let's make it useless and extremely easy to level. Instead of incorporating it into endgame by having raids drop crafting materials for skilled/dedicated crafters to craft into armor, let's just make it like every other themepark. Also, let's break the economy in the process.

    Materia has huge potential for unique build choices; let's make it boring main-stat bonuses. Let's make an armory system where players could create unique characters and then only allow them to choose very restricted skills that we decided they could have. Let's make character wide lock-outs on content, but give players the illusion that they can play every job on one character. Let's make an absolutely breathtaking world with zero elements of exploration or danger. 

    Honestly, it's just another themepark MMO prettied up with Final Fantasy makeup, but it's for that reason that I can't stop playing it. 

    You could not be more correct. It's a shame how this game turned out. I had such high hopes.

  • Quazal.AQuazal.A Member UncommonPosts: 859

    Think it sort of sums up the game, what could have been to what is, offering free weekends already to x-subs, so soon after release they have to clamour for more people to return

    Sad really, because this game could of been so much more, but with soo many restrictions it failed to live up :(  :sad bunny

    This post is all my opinion, but I welcome debate on anything i have put, however, personal slander / name calling belongs in game where of course you're welcome to call me names im often found lounging about in EvE online.
    Use this code for 21days trial in eve online https://secure.eveonline.com/trial/?invc=d385aff2-794a-44a4-96f1-3967ccf6d720&action=buddy

  • TerminalDeityTerminalDeity Member UncommonPosts: 133
    The game deviates too far from the Final Fantasy template. I hate to harp on it, but they really needed to stick closer to the FFXI example. Making the game more "accessible" (read: EASY) might sound like a good idea, but with no challenge, there is no longevity. 
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