Final Fantasy XI “To End in 2010″

[Vlorsutes]

It'd be extremely foolish for them to shut down XI before they actually see how XIV fares, since it may end up tanking and they're out two MMOs rather than just one.

[Charismatic]

^mules, rmt accts, etc. but i'll just say your right, i really don't care all that much either way lol.

edit: was meant for eanae's post. damn you furion!

It doesn't even matter what the accounts are, if SE is making more money on them that's what matters. (trial accounts aren't included in that number just in case you were wondering)

[Yugl]

off topic, I still find it funny the massive upwards and downwards spike were leading up to, and after the release of, CoP.

Yet, people treat CoP like it's the greatest thing in FFXI.

Edit: "B-B-B-But the storyline was good Yugl!" Ya, sure.

[Guitarman]

It doesn't even matter what the accounts are, if SE is making more money on them that's what matters. (trial accounts aren't included in that number just in case you were wondering)

good to know, i didn't know that. Like i said this isn't really worth bitching about until we get some more concrete evidence, it's more random conjecture from my end. Personally i would prefer they devote 100% of their available workforce to XIV since XI has run it's course, but alot of you still play, so.

[Furionstormrage]

It'd be extremely foolish for them to shut down XI before they actually see how XIV fares, since it may end up tanking and they're out two MMOs rather than just one.

This is an extremely good point.

[Eanae]

In case people were interested, here's the other charts for comparison:

Spoiler: show

http://users.telenet.be/mmodata/Charts/1m-12m.png
http://users.telenet.be/mmodata/Charts/40k-150k.png
http://users.telenet.be/mmodata/Charts/0-40k.png

[Skjie]

do we really know they still profit, though? You've seen it too; the servers are getting smaller all the time. We don't know how much it costs them to upkeep the servers and pay GMs etc to keep everything running. I'm not looking to start a shitstorm, but until you've seen their ledgers you can't really say for sure they're making money on ffxi.

The reason MMOs are so popular these days is because they're basically the best cash cow for video game companies. Also, we know Square is making money on FFXI hand over fist based on their financial statements (http://www.square-enix.com/10q3earnings.pdf) page 12 shows $88 million USD net income from online games in 2008. That is net income, so after direct costs are accounted for.

[Anomander]

I seem to remember reading a thread not that long ago that had a fiscal report or something on SE. If I remember correctly, they were losing a lot of money on other games they were producing (I think it was non Final Fantasy related money) but XI was making them a lot. Far too lazy to look for it, but I'm sure someone else here remembers what I'm talking about.

Also, EQ and EQ2 existing side by side, etc. If anything, I would take this to mean their online focus will be shifting from XI to XIV.

Edit: Person above me posted the thread I was referencing before I finished posting lol

[richardd]

FFXI will die the moment ksandra starts to hate it when i sing show tunes on vent.

dont worry guys, i got your backs

i know about 10 sec of lyrics from every grease song

[Ksandra]

This is the best idea ever.

"HEY GUYS WE'RE GIVING AWAY FREE RELICS, BUT YOU CAN ONLY USE THEM FOR 2 MONTHS BEFORE WE SHUT DOWN EVERYTHING BWHAHAHA"


But seriously as someone stated, they probably meant no more expansions.

[Ksandra]

FFXI will die the moment ksandra starts to hate it when i sing show tunes on vent.

dont worry guys, i got your backs

i know about 10 sec of lyrics from every grease song

still makes me wet on the inside.

[Narol]

Yet, people treat CoP like it's the greatest thing in FFXI.

Its release was completely sucktastic and everyone who goes "B-B-B-BUT IT'S HARD THEREFORE IT'S GOOD" is retarded and can't see why it'd lose SE so many customers.

Yes, yes, it's hard. Yes, SE "nerfed"/"totally ruined" it by... making the battlefield items AHable and toning down, what, two BCNMs. Still doesn't change that they dropped the ball horribly with it.

[Guitarman]

This is the best idea ever.

"HEY GUYS WE'RE GIVING AWAY FREE RELICS, BUT YOU CAN ONLY USE THEM FOR 2 MONTHS BEFORE WE SHUT DOWN EVERYTHING BWHAHAHA"


But seriously as someone stated, they probably meant no more expansions.

my thought was the bonanza was trivializing one of the bigger status objects in the game, (and yes i realize maybe 1 or even none will be given away, it's the fact it's a possiblility).

[FailureMidgard]

This is the best idea ever.

"HEY GUYS WE'RE GIVING AWAY FREE RELICS, BUT YOU CAN ONLY USE THEM FOR 2 MONTHS BEFORE WE SHUT DOWN EVERYTHING BWHAHAHA"


But seriously as someone stated, they probably meant no more expansions.

Don't worry though, they will still release mini-expansions.

[Shadowhusky]

In case people were interested, here's the other charts for comparison:

Spoiler: show

http://users.telenet.be/mmodata/Charts/1m-12m.png
http://users.telenet.be/mmodata/Charts/40k-150k.png
http://users.telenet.be/mmodata/Charts/0-40k.png

Tabula Rasa made me laugh so hard. But yeah on topic, FFXI is not dying guys, come on.

[jimbobsonofgod]

No longer going to be suppling game content through expansions instead once a month for real money you can buy crappy gear you can wear in town that has no practical use anywhere else for 4.99 USD.

Game will be changed from FFXI Online to FFSimsOnline.

FFXIV will now be called
``We Still taking yer money bitches``

[Ohaigaiz]

In case people were interested, here's the other charts for comparison:

Spoiler: show

http://users.telenet.be/mmodata/Charts/1m-12m.png

hahahahahahahhAAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAA AHHHH!!!!!!!!!

[Spira]

FFXI is definitely in the profit range. Plateauing at about 500k subscriptions a month. Thats 6.5m USD in revenue a month if we calculate by USD value, assuming people don't have mules at all. Server equipment isn't that expensive to run, nor is operating costs for service and technical staff, as well as the current development costs that go into XI.

Putting a very generous estimate, perhaps they'd run into 1million a month, and you're getting a stable 5m+ profit margin, which they've obviously been channeling into other parts of the company.

FFXIV, on the other hand, won't fail. Even if it doesn't do quite as well as XI did (though quite unlikely, since XI was released before the MMO/WoW boom), SE will still have what it takes to sustain the game, and the game itself will still have ardent supporters - FF series fans, XI players who jumped over, and graphic whores.

Strong brand power and popularity is half the battle won in the MMORPG world, the other half lies with knowing how to develop a game that people want to play - I have no doubts that this is very familiar territory for SE, and even more so since they already have a lot of experience with FFXI.

I am confident XI is here to stay, and so will XIV, whether or not it tanks on release.

[Vlorsutes]

FFXIV, on the other hand, won't fail. Even if it doesn't do quite as well as XI did (though quite unlikely, since XI was released before the MMO/WoW boom), SE will still have what it takes to sustain the game, and the game itself will still have ardent supporters - FF series fans, XI players who jumped over, and graphic whores.

Though it didn't have the brand power of Final Fantasy, Square Enix's second MMO Fantasy Earth: The Ring of Dominion shows that even a later MMO entry by a company isn't necessarily going to top their initial one. Fantasy Earth was shut down quickly due to lack of demand when it was a subscription service. Granted it has found new life as a free to play MMO when it was bought out, but it just shows that Square Enix can fail when it comes to an MMO, and it would be unwise of them to close down XI before they've even beta tested XIV yet.

[grantlogan]

The article linked in OP is beyond anything as solid proof. This thread is retarded.