Over half of Final Fantasy 11's returning overseas players just want cheaper monthly sub

Modified Jan 06, 2025 12:23 IST

Final Fantasy 11 could attract more overseas players if the price was right (Image via Square Enix)

Over 50% of Final Fantasy 11's returning overseas players just want a cheaper monthly subscription deal. While this might seem a tad exaggerated, the data comes directly from Square Enix via a survey. This survey was conducted from November 11 to November 30, 2024. A total of 13,878 responses were received, with approximately half of those coming from active players.

Based on the data collected, it would seem that non-Japanese players who want to return to Final Fantasy 11 are hesitant because of the price of monthly subscriptions. Here is more on the topic at hand.

Lower monthly subscription fees would help Final Fantasy 11 win back overseas players

As showcased in the survey, the data indicates that many players would return to Final Fantasy 11 if the price was right. This is evident when lapsed players were asked the following question:

“Which of the following would possibly convince you to return to the game?”

Out of the 11 possible responses, which included things such as "Job balance adjustments" and "Additional battle content," a whopping 57.4% selected "Lower monthly subscription fees." In contrast, only 25.7% of the Japanese fan base selected this option. This is a clear indication that fans want to return, but the price is just not right. This is what the developers had to say in the report:

"The most popular answer overseas was "lower monthly subscription fees." Lower monthly subscription fees also ranked highly among Japanese players, and upon examining the issue further, we noticed that numerous respondents wanted to see a discount for subscribing to both FFXI and FFXIV at the same time."

Subscriptions for FFXI start at $11.95/month with an additional fee of $1/month per character. FFXIV's basic subscription is $14.99/month for 30 days on a basic account or $12.99/month for a 180-day expanded subscription for more characters.

57.4% of overseas players would return if the price was right (Image via playonline.com)

For longtime Final Fantasy 11 fans, paying this much to play every month may not be feasible. This is taking into account the demography, with the highest population who answered the survey being in their 30s to 40s overseas, and 40s to 50s in Japan. Given that funds have to be utilized elsewhere, it's clear why having lower subscription prices makes sense.

On an ending note, this is what the developers had to say:

"By disclosing this data upfront, we hope to use these results to help guide our future development efforts for the game in a way that can hopefully satisfy as many players as possible.This survey also included an open comment section, so we plan to read each and every one of them and use them as a reference for our future policy and initiatives regarding the game."

Hopefully, the data provided by players and fans will help shape the game moving forward. If nothing else, with high subscription prices being a major deterrent, the developers could find ways to perhaps lower costs. This would make it more welcoming for returning players who want to get back into Final Fantasy 11.

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Edited by Ripunjay Gaba