Having been an avid gamer ever since the first time I got my hands on a Commodore 64, let me weigh in. The subscription model does have its flaws, yes, but it

Having been an avid gamer ever since the first time I got my hands on a Commodore 64, let me weigh in. The subscription model does have its flaws, yes, but it is far from broken. One reason that gives rise to it is the sheer quality of 'free' MMOs. The games themselves always end up with very little depth, very poor art and style and come across as a game you once played. Five years ago. Now I am not saying that high-budget MMOs (World of Warcraft, Age of Conan, City of Heroes/Villains, etcetera) are the best. But they can and DO use this money to build incredible depth into things. Another thing that always causes strife in free MMOs, is the payoff. Advertising always tends to cause your players to run off, as seeing an ad for "Degree Men! The latest in protection!" or whatever in your medieval hack'n'slash really ruins the atmosphere. So you end up with 'Freemium', in which you give players bonuses for having paid. Which means that you end up having a small group of paying customers, a large group of free ones and a game that is barely worth playing. Now, I'm not saying this model does't work. Far from it. But until the quality of these games gets to where people can't pick huge holes in the weft of their fabric, the traditional models will still win.