FFXIV to impose gameplay time limit

Square Enix has revealed that it will be implementing new measures in upcoming MMO Square Enix that are designed to narrow the gap between hardcore players of the genre and more casual players.

Kotaku reports that the game will allow players eight hours of unrestricted play. Once that barrier is passed, however, there will be an incremental decline in the amount of experience points players can earn over the next seven hours.

Once that time’s up, the chance to gain experience is removed. This is then reset after one week. The restriction only applies to one class, however, so players will be free to switch to another character class and level that up instead.

The game’s director Nobuaki Komoto says that the model is deigned to prevent those with less time to dedicate to the game from suffering such a notable disadvantage when compared to gamers with plenty of time to plough into the game.

It’s a curious decision from Square Enix, and one that Komoto admits could be tweaked prior to release.

The MMO genre is synonymous with ‘grinding’ – that is, long play sessions involving repetition of tasks with the sole intention of levelling up. The genre’s dedicated fan base revels in it. Is it wise to implement measures specifically designed to block such usage, particularly when users will be paying monthly to play the game?