The MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV (PC, PS4) has more paying players than ever before. This is also due to the clever Free2Play trial, believes the director. But subscription MMORPGs are a rarity in 2017 and actually contradict the current zeitgeist. Will Final Fantasy XIV eventually go Free2Play?
The expansion Stormblood has led Final Fantasy XIV to a new milestone: 10 million people have played the MMORPG at least once. The 10 million includes those who played it before but no longer do – and it also includes Free2Play players who have never spent money on Final Fantasy XIV.
But the number is not just empty marketing: There have been more paying subscribers in Final Fantasy XIV than ever after the release of Stormblood. This is partly due to the free trial play. Because it takes a lot to convince players today to commit to a subscription for an MMORPG.
Clever Free2Play trial attracts many players – could rise to level 50
This free trial is cleverly constructed. The director Naoki Yoshida explains this in an interview with Gamesindustry.
While competitors like World of Warcraft only show a beginning with the trial play, Final Fantasy XIV continues on. In FF14, the free trial lasts up to level 35 and that is also the plan:
- At Level 20, there is a major boss fight in Final Fantasy XIV and players become the “Warrior of Light” – NPCs recognize this and react accordingly to the hero.
- From Level 30, the class structure of the MMORPG changes – now the jobs begin, a typical element of the “Final Fantasy XIV” franchise.
- With Level 35, the free trial ends. At this point, the player is just discovering the vast world of Eorzea, with new progression and much more. Players want to see more now. And that’s how the trial is designed.
Yoshida hints that with the next expansion, the cap of the trial version might be raised to 50. That would put Final Fantasy XIV on the same level as Guild Wars 2 – the main game would be free, only for the expansions would there be a charge.
An astonishing turn. The trial has only been permanently free to play since March 2017. Square Enix seems to have embraced the Free2Play model.
Here in the article we explain how to start the free download for Final Fantasy XIV.
Subscription costs present a major hurdle for an MMORPG in 2017
At Final Fantasy XIV, it is recognized that the monthly subscription costs are a significant hurdle for players. Everyone has so much to do today and no one knows how much time they will have next month. Asking people to pay 30 days in advance – this is a major hurdle, as Yoshida explains.
Players are convinced to pay the subscription with the high quality of the game and the reliability of the servers. Additionally, the story of Final Fantasy XIV is continuously told – like in a TV series. They use cliffhangers and connect elements of the story, so it continues on, and players want to follow it.
Interview about the story: Final Fantasy XIV offers no guarantee of a happy ending
Will Final Fantasy XIV go Free2Play again?
Yoshida would only consider a shift to a Free2Play model for Final Fantasy XIV if 80% or 90% of the player base really want it. But then Final Fantasy XIV would have to be changed greatly to fit the new model.
This shows a changed attitude compared to earlier. Two years ago, Yoshida said: We will only go Free2Play if WoW starts doing it.
Read more about Stormblood, the expansion that brought FF14 to such heights, here:
Laborious masterpiece – Final Fantasy XIV Stormblood in review
