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Wada is looking to next Spring as being the rebirth of FFXIV.
eyeswideopen
Member Posts: 2,414
http://ffxiv.zam.com/story.html?story=24007
Wada Responds to FFXIV Criticism4 hours 28 minutes ago by Elmer
Something is rotten in the state of Eorzea. At the Square Enix earnings conference this week, CEO Yoichi Wada tried to articulate what exactly that something was, and how they will attempt to fix it.
First, the hard numbers. Compared with the previous year, sales at Square Enix were down 25%, operating profits were down 56%, ordinary profits were down 71%, and net income was down 36%. Sales of Final Fantasy XIV were actually the biggest positive contributer, with 630,000 copies sold (190,000 in Japan, 260,000 in North America, and 250,000 in Europe). However, FFXIV may now also prove to be the company's biggest problem.
Wada was reported to have been deluged with questions regarding the status of FFXIV and the maelstrom of negativity surrounding the game. On stage, Wada did admit that, "the customers are not satisfied with the state [of FFXIV]." Current plans include big updates in November and December, and of course, the PlayStation 3 release coming next March. While other details were not to be divulged at the time, Wada stated, "We must put our full effort into regaining the user's trust."
However, the CEO was not let off easily. Attendees continued to bring down tough questions and harsh criticisms. When asked about user numbers, Wada dodged by saying he could not predict how things will change once FFXIV ends the free trial period and institutes the monthly fee. Another attendee asked, "Do you test your games to make sure they're complete?" to which Wada admitted, "There may be some areas of testing that were lacking or too rigid," before quickly bringing it back to, "In the short term, we're working hard on restoring user trust."
In the end, Wada admits that there were many things the company missed, including not only bugs, but difficult controls and other issues. While FFXIV will not prove an immediate success (both in terms of customer satisfaction and profit), Wada is looking to next Spring as being the rebirth of the beleaguered title. The plan is to focus on the quality of the gaming experience and the happiness of the players and have a solid title ready for the PS3 launch.
Discuss this in the ZAM Forums!
In my opinion, Wada just told ya all to enjoy being
paying beta testers for the PS3.
-Letting Derek Smart work on your game is like letting Osama bin Laden work in the White House. Something will burn.-
-And on the 8th day, man created God.-
Comments
the CEO just doesnt GET it. FFXIV is innovative and revolutionary. /sarc
Seriously how can anyone defend FFXIV when even the Devs and CEO of the company clearly sees how disappointing the game is?
Im glad I dodged the bullet that is FFXIV.
I read that on ZAM, but I must have missed the part where Wada said the people playing it were paying to beta test for them. Is this something you just made up for your thread title to get more interest? Also, to my knowledge nobody is actually paying a monthly fee as of yet, and they haven't stated they are going to start charging yet either.
Anyway though, its good to see they know FFXIV has problems and they are planning on fixing them. Just dont see why your trying to put words in thier mouth. Looks to me like he found some people in his company that were lazy on the job and he is dealing with them. Good job on his part if you ask me. My take on this whole thing is he placed a little too much trust in his underlings, and found out after launch that he probably shouldn't have huh. So now he is taking the control back and fixing it Japanese style. Regain the honor in his company, regain the trust in his customers, give what he intended the way he intended it to be the first time around. And do a little house cleaning in the process I'd guess.
If you think they're not going to start charging after this second 30 days, you got a surprise comin'.
And saying that he's focused on the "rebirth" in March because of the PS3 launch and fixing the game before then tells you exactly what I said: you are going to be paying to beta test.
Far as regaining honor, I'll accept seppuku as payment in full.
-Letting Derek Smart work on your game is like letting Osama bin Laden work in the White House. Something will burn.-
-And on the 8th day, man created God.-
Firstly, HAHAHAHAHAA so true.
Secondly, spin doctoring isn't actually working. Even with people turning every piece of data into rainbows and roses most people see right through it and the numbers are backing that up. You can call reality a potato but it's still reality.
"I'm not cheap I'm incredibly subconsciously financially optimized"
"The worst part of censorship is ------------------"
Agreed. Good to see all problems are planning to be fixed as for sure. Honor is a good thing. There is huge positive to this post, game will be fixed in the long run, so this game is worth your money
more people will buy it on ps3 launch an in the updates this an next month probably. Kill that "we ARE paying to beta test" noise don't get it twisted people lol.
The only twisted people I see so far is Wada and those who try to help him spin.
You don't find it the least bit bothersome that they're going to focus on making the PS3 launch perfect, after they didn't focus on the same for the PC release before it?
-Letting Derek Smart work on your game is like letting Osama bin Laden work in the White House. Something will burn.-
-And on the 8th day, man created God.-
I think you're giving too much credit to Wada. He's a CEO he's not going to be doing anything with operations so the "underlings" probably won't be dealt with. Why would you toss staff when you need everyone to work at 150% to fix the "many problems and issues" with the game as he says.
And I think being too "Japanese" is what got them in trouble in the first place. There's no honor in game making only profitability. Honour won't put food in the developers mouths will it?
I believe if the PS3 launch goes smoothly FFXIV will be fine...if they muck that up though, sweet jesus...
What is it that you don't understand about the fact that the game is in a beta state? The subs are going to start for the PC before the "fixes" and these fixes are just air right now. Not to mention the box payments that have already been paid to pay for the supposed development of said fixes. The whole thing is shady as hell. PC gamers have been raped for their money already and are looking forward to paying subs to get the PS3 version made without the same bugs. Pretty clear to me.
You don't have to leap very far to say these "fixes" if they actually will exist, are going to be part of the PS3 release (if it does actually release).
Noone is making "noise" about facts that are easily verified with the CEO's own words. *facepalm
*roses and rainbows till the end LoL
"I'm not cheap I'm incredibly subconsciously financially optimized"
"The worst part of censorship is ------------------"
No facts says that we aren't paying to beta test because he never said that out of his mouth...this game will prob smash every game that will come out next year..why? because its a mmorpg on PS3 and the PC. It will bring even more sales to the PC more marketing etc. double launch effect for people who say they don't wanna play on their pc. play on the Ps3 then. I have a nice crew coming to my linkshell ps3 version. We are making a awesome launch for ps3 if thats the case... round 2 fight!
See... I'm overly paranoid. Here's how I see things playing out: The week before the first subs are charged, they will release the November patch. (what's that roughly? Like the 23rd-28th?) RIGHT before the second set of subs in December, they will release the December patch. You see how I see that playing out? It's like leading E.T. with Reeses Pieces. If they string it together enough, March will come on and BAM! Of course, if it fails miserably then, yea....
I really do hope they fix this stupid game. I'm twigging for some MMO relief from the grind. And I think on the PS3 it could be interesting. But I think that ultimately, the game is gunna go plop. There's just too much that won't be fixable by patching.
? No matter what your stance is, it should be obvious that any fixes up till the month before the PS3 release will be either part of the PS3 game or in a patch right at release. Nothing that strange, any company so also SE would do it.
Regarding beta state, I think it's safe that a lot of MMORPG's were in an unfinished "beta" state at their launch, EQ, SWG, AoC, WAR, in fact releasing in an unfinished and unpolished state was pretty much the norm before WoW.
And even happening to a number of MMORPG's after WoW. Desirable? No. Happening? Yes. Does that make a game release a beta state? No, it merely means that the expectation of the MMORPG gamers have changed, them not having the tolerance nor patience anymore that a lot of other (unfinished, rough) MMORPG releases enjoyed in the past.
I don't know if it'll go plop, but I agree that some things in FFXIV isn't so much a lack of polish but that there are some clear design decisions, choices they thought players would like and enjoy - and a number of them do, but clearly not as many as they'd expected. To fix those, the design choices they made, it'll take a lot more to make them acceptable and enjoyable than just a quickfix.
The ACTUAL size of MMORPG worlds: a comparison list between MMO's
The ease with which predictions are made on these forums:
Fratman: "I'm saying Spring 2012 at the earliest [for TOR release]. Anyone still clinging to 2011 is deluding themself at this point."
So you've never learned hw to read between the lines of marketing BS? That explains alot.
Smash every game next year? LOL
Okay, I'm not taking you serious any more, you blew your cover.
-Letting Derek Smart work on your game is like letting Osama bin Laden work in the White House. Something will burn.-
-And on the 8th day, man created God.-
You said "this game will prob smash every game that will come out next year..why? because its a mmorpg on PS3 and the PC"
What the HECK are you thinking? Why does a console release have anything to do with this? FFXI showed up on the 360. It was neither good nor bad but I can tell you I left the 360 so I could USE my PC (with a PS style controller). Just stop it. Your stuggling (kicking and screaming) goes against the facts.
The game was the same on the day of release as it was in the previous day of beta.
The game is the same TWO MONTHS after release as it was the day before release in beta.
Oh, wait. I'm sorry. They added more market wards and gave them pretty names. Yep, that's two months worth of accomplishment right there.
They are using the PC players as guinea pigs for the next patches and whatnot do the PS3 can have all the benefits of a "successful" launch.
The game IS in beta and will continue to BE IN beta until the PS3 release. And apparently, some people are fine with paying to be beta testers for another platforms future customers.
-Letting Derek Smart work on your game is like letting Osama bin Laden work in the White House. Something will burn.-
-And on the 8th day, man created God.-
Nowhere did Wada say we are playing a beta test for the PS3 version. Thread title is missleading and wrong stating false facts.
Time to close another duplicate thread.
IIRC for FFXI it was the Japanese Playstation gamers that were the guinea pigs for the western PC releases, just as the Korean Aion gamers were the guinea pigs for the western Aion launch. Call all those first launches "beta" all you like, fact is that any patching and fixes done between the several launches will be included in each follow up launch, making the game better and improved all the time.
And yes, the title is purposely misleading.
The ACTUAL size of MMORPG worlds: a comparison list between MMO's
The ease with which predictions are made on these forums:
Fratman: "I'm saying Spring 2012 at the earliest [for TOR release]. Anyone still clinging to 2011 is deluding themself at this point."
yes every mmorpg why not? It has no mmoprg competition for ps3. This means a lot in a big picture stand point thats real marketing. It's flying right past pc there are rants but so what? people wanna see what ps3 has to offer reguardless, PC also but PS3 shows compatibility all over the place as well. millions of players have a ps3.
Yea but lets be fair in that most people have the "let other people test it, when I pay MONEY for it, it had better be working" attitude. And while he doesn't specifically say "You guys pay for Crysta so you can beta test this game LOL FOOLS!", I have to think it's implied pretty well. Not misleading but it is TECHNICALLY what they are doing to the players.
And to be fair, I think that most of the pushback against this game is that people believe if they make enough noise, not only will they save other people the pain they experienced but also REITERATE to the gaming companies that this is UNACCEPTABLE. Period.
Now lets move on to happier subjects as you're making me interrupt Conan (the person, not the game) to respond to you guys.
Nope, the title really is misleading, maybe even be a deceptive falsifying of the truth.
There's no doubt in my mind at all that they'll be using the PC launch to have a better, improved launch of the PS3 version as much as possible and that that one will have a lot of their attention, the PC launch being sort of a learning trajectory.
If he'd just stated that "you are paying to beta test" as his opinion or that Wada's comments suggest the PC launch was a beta test, then it would be better. Instead he states it as if Wada has made it known that the PC launch was a beta test, which is a lie and distortion of the truth since Wada never says this, not even indirectly. People might be of the opinion that's what they do, or that their words seem to hint to it, but flat out saying "that's what they have said" is lying and tabloid sensationalism.
... and hf with Conan
The ACTUAL size of MMORPG worlds: a comparison list between MMO's
The ease with which predictions are made on these forums:
Fratman: "I'm saying Spring 2012 at the earliest [for TOR release]. Anyone still clinging to 2011 is deluding themself at this point."
Do you HONESTLY THINK any person who is involved in a company would SPECIFICALLY say this to a major game news outlet?!?!?
Meh, people post too quick. Let me repost what I wrote earlier:
There's no doubt in my mind at all that they'll be using the PC launch to have a better, improved launch of the PS3 version as much as possible and that that one will have a lot of their attention, the PC launch being sort of a learning trajectory.
If he (the OP) had just stated that "you are paying to beta test" as his opinion or that Wada's comments suggest the PC launch was a beta test, then it would be better. Instead he states it as if Wada has made it known that the PC launch was a beta test, which is a lie and distortion of the truth since Wada never says this, not even indirectly. People might be of the opinion that's what they do, or that their words seem to hint to it, but flat out saying "that's what they have said" is lying and tabloid sensationalism.
... and hf with Conan
The ACTUAL size of MMORPG worlds: a comparison list between MMO's
The ease with which predictions are made on these forums:
Fratman: "I'm saying Spring 2012 at the earliest [for TOR release]. Anyone still clinging to 2011 is deluding themself at this point."
As usual, baseless speculation. I'm not surprised at all, it seems to be rampant here and some people make a hobby of it.
A sad hobby, true, but a hobby still.
Cool action, bro. Respect for that, sincerely. Not many people would change or edit things especially if they disagree with the other persons
The ACTUAL size of MMORPG worlds: a comparison list between MMO's
The ease with which predictions are made on these forums:
Fratman: "I'm saying Spring 2012 at the earliest [for TOR release]. Anyone still clinging to 2011 is deluding themself at this point."
Meh, I'll also apologize for lumping you in with Taus. I respect your opinions on these boards, even when I don't agree with 'em. That dude just makes me boil over, though.
-Letting Derek Smart work on your game is like letting Osama bin Laden work in the White House. Something will burn.-
-And on the 8th day, man created God.-
I know I'm being trolled, but....just for the sake off adding some constructive criticism to the thread.
FFXIV IS innovative in a lot of ways, and they're trying some things that other companies simply are too afraid to (doubly so now given FFXIV's reception). The problem is that they're overshadowed by a plethora of bad design decisions and implementations.
Everyone here has probably read about FFXIV's class system. It's a nice change of pace from the class-centric design that's been thrown at us repeatedly. Best of all, it offers you the chance to build your own custom class. Sure, there are going to be min-maxers who make the Optimal Build for everything. But we can still enjoy our own quirky creations.
Problem: Grindy gameplay steals its thunder.
FFXIV's battle system is a step in the right direction. No auto-attacks, just ability-based rounds that are reminiscent of actual Final Fantasy games. In many ways it's the inverse of DDO's system. Although it's slower paced, it's very much an action oriented combat system.
Problem: Clunky controls steals its thunder.
I honestly believe that guildleves are a very viable system. No more playing spot the quest giver whenever you go to a new town. No more trying to sync quests with your guildies. Just form a party with your friends, go to town and have everyone pick up a batch of leves, and start knocking them down. It has the potential to be a really accessible system that promotes grouping.
Problem: There's a criminally small amount of leves, and they have zero variation within types.
The crafting system is one of my favorite parts of the game. Though I'm still figuring it out, it reminds me in many ways of EQ2's crafting system, which is my favorite. It has quite a bit of depth, unlike many games which just tack it on as an afterthought. Also, I
being able to set up my own store.
Problem: Excessively long animations and menu lag make crafting a chore.
I don't think anyone will deny that the game has a massive amount of problems, but I wish people would admit that at least they're trying something different instead of giving us EQ/WOW clone #283281102398.