Monthly Subscription for Final Fantasy XIV Confirmed

[Fuzz]

---News--- September 3rd, 2009

As many of us have already expected, Square Enix will be charging for their 2nd and upcoming online Final Fantasy (XIV). Hiromichi Tanaka, lead producer, has confirmed that the title will use the standard (30-day) MMORPG subscription model.

I think 95% of us were probably expecting a monthly fee, so no real surprise there. Problem is, once you charge a fee, there comes expectations. Square Enix has already delivered online success with FFXI generating over 500,000 active paying users currently. If they can raise the bar in game quality, server performance, and other user-centered perks... I think they can definitely build a larger user base with Final Fantasy XIV.


Source: Escapist Magazine

[Che]

By them making FFXIV look so nostalgically like FFXI, I think we can expect most FFXI players will at least try it out, if not fall in love with it. Not to mention it's their second MMO, so they have to get more things right. I have faith in that, since it is Square-Enix. The MMO scene is also bigger and more mainstream than it used to be, so I fully expect new people to try it out as well. Let's just hope they make an atmosphere as fun and adventurous as FFXI was for us to play in.

[Hinj]

There made a new FFIV where was i when this announcement. And where would you be able to buy it?

[LocoColt04]

No no, not IV, XIV. 14 is the new MMO; it comes out next year. It was the "Rapture" project they've been working on for so long... no one really knew it would be the spiritual successor to FFXI until they unveiled it a couple months ago.

(Though, they did release the JP-only sequel to FFIV on the Wii's Virtual Console a while ago.)

[Soloros]

The monthly fee bit doesn't surprise me. I play XI as it is and though I love the world (and being a freakin' Dragoon!), it's been dropping off as of late. When XIV hits I'll probably transfer my name over and start that up. From the videos I've seen and information I've read; I think Square is gonna do even better this time around.

Here's to hoping, right?

[Lacrimas]

Any idea on just how much this monthly fee will be, if you ask me i say they should do what aion has done and introduce a one of fee of say £30 and $50 that way it will increase the amount of people who play casually like say once or twice a week by allowing them to pay once not every month

[Rocky]

The monthly fee? No surprise there. I think the big question is how SE is going to go about making the new sequel. One thing I was fond of was that FF11 was actually a challenging-yet-rewarding type of game, one that took a decent amount of knowledge and skill in regards to leveling up, etc. Will the game make a downturn in difficulty to get a larger fanbase, or will it continue to be a difficult game in regards of possibly turning off newcomers to the mmo scene?

[Electric]

I'd consider doing XIV, if they made it more like the series.

The problem with XI is the only things it had in common with the FF Series were moogles and chocobos and random 13 year old boys named Sephiro666

[PSPrequiem]

eh... I don't have a ps3 or a pc anymore but looks great. if i'm lucky i might get a ps3 slim this year. the thing i hate are monthly online subscriptions like for the previous FFOnline, XI...

[kevin1gamer]

I kind of suspected they might do this. Hopefully they give us FFXI players a discount though (like only $6 dollars a month instead of $12 or something, since we are playing both of their MMOs).

[Starfire]

Hmmm, I must say i expected this, However, FFXI subscription fee was a fair price. Lets just keep our fingers crossed it won't break the bank!

[PSPrequiem]

To StarFire: WOW, lol. the ps2 version of XI was outragous. It wasn't THAT good and you have to pay about $95.00-$170.00 for the game and harddrive which is required. that's more than the ps2 slim! As for the pc version, i don't want to pay to play when there are games that may entertain you more for free however, if i get a pc, i'll think things through.

[Andromeda]

In the US the HDD was priced at $100. I don't recall it ever being as high as $170. It could be today due to its rarity, but when you wanted them they were not that expensive. You also have to keep in mind that when you were getting the HDD you were doing so to play FFXI which came with it pre-installed. But the game by itself was $50 meaning that you're paying $50 for the HDD. All in all for a 40 gig HDD $50 isn't too bad of a price 6 years ago.