Sqaure Enix’s Final Fantasy XIV can be described as one of the few success stories to come out of the struggling Japanese giant in recent memory, especially under the once prestigious Final Fantasy brand. Which beggars belief as to why the company recently announced the sneaky addition of a premium cash shop into the game with the upcoming 2.4 content update.
Launched in 2010 to a critical revolt, Final Fantasy XIV was unplayable until its reboot last year as ‘A Realm Reborn’, a complete overhaul of the entire game. Sqaure Enix’s battered reputation has seen a small recovery since then, keeping in close contact with fans and making sure the game is fair and balanced just like the glory days of MMO’s before free to play took its hold on the genre.
Those days seem to at an end unfortunately, as one nugget on information that let slip during the recent FFXIV fan-fest in Las Vegas revealed that certain ‘vanity’ gear, starting with last year’s Halloween themed outfits, will now be locked behind a $5 paywall. Future exclusive content will also be locked up in the new shop, such as the long awaited Sleipnir mount, the faithful steed of the wandering world boss Odin.
This has understandably angered the majority of fans that have been faithful to the MMO, who find it unfair that Sqaure Enix have decided to turn back on recent claims that F2P elements in a subscription doesn’t work, and double dip on the few customers the company has left. The ongoing controversy has spawned a thread with over 140 pages worth on complaints on the game’s official forums.
What do you think? Do you think it’s within Sqaure Enix’s right to charge extra for certain ingame items, or do you think that the cash shop has no place in a subscription based MMO? Sound off in the comments below.