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The Lord of the Rings Online has had its share of fans in the three years since its release, but it’s never had the popularity of other MMOs like Guild Wars or Runescape. However, since its switch to a subscription-free model (with a micro-transaction model providing the lost revenue) the game has seen a 400% increase in active users, and has actually become more profitable in the weeks following the “free to play” announcement. Because LotRO is the second game to go free after a paid subscription model failed to bring in sufficient subscription money (the first was Dungeons and Dragons Online), many are wondering if this couldn’t herald a shift in the MMO genre with more games (especially less-established franchises) using a subscription-free model to attract players.  |