guess you could call what EAMythic does with UO microtransactions, but I do not see them that way.

to me micros in UO would be like : 5k, 10k, 20k, 60k of whatever resources (wood/ingots/hides/cloth/regs) you want for x amount.

or selling individual arties/rares through their site.

For many months/ years I have subscribed to games only to see them..diminish.

Not only have I paid $€£ for this but also many hours of my life only to see companies cut staff/ go out of business etc.

Lol- no more. I'll play..pay when/if I want but I no longer support a greedy games company only to see my time/money go down the drain

I've checked NCSoft's free MMO called Dungeon Runners. Rather than micro transactions, DR is ad-based and will have paid expansions.

It's actually kind of fun.

Every game declines,

it just the way things go. Game companies make games to make money, if they do not generate income in anyway at all (microtransactions, flat fee, some other way we have not talked about) there is no game at all.

You want a perfect example of totally free game that do not last long? Just look at UO free shards. Yes there are a few (very few) that have lasted sometime. But overall most last for relatively short times, until the creator(s) get bored, move to another game, get angry with other people on the creative team, can not longer afford the servers. Take your pick almost everyone has folded up at one time or another. It is why I stay with EAMythic, at least the servers will be there, at least until subs fall below the profit line and from the way subs have fallen, I think UO is good for around 5 more years. And 15 years of entertainment? For around 2000 dollars excluding expansions is really cheap.

You really do need a company that can remain objective, and focus the direction of a game. I am not saying EAMythic has done this, but you do need someone to run the asylum.

look again they have a membership package which is a flat monthly fee that eliminates the ads.

and it gives you a ton of bonuses over players that do not pay.

I have been looking at this game for a few months, getting ready to replace my current computer (from 2003), I might try it out once I get it ordered and set up

Ya DR has the pay options, but for free the ads are very reasonable. I the months I've had it installed I've seen a Pepsi ad (or some soft drink), ads for NCSoft's other titles (CoH/CoV, GW, TR, etc.), and a few other big brand ads (maybe Pizza Hut once I think). They weren't that obtrusive.

The game play could be described as Diablo with a WoW look.

played Rappelz with the added buy what u want features and found it to be quite playable without purchasing any of the little doodads! Yes temptation was there but it wasnt necessary!

Actually free to play games with micro transactions seem to be the winning system.
If you do not take wow into account, the majority of gamers try the 'free' game where they can spend some extra where they want.
Even SOE develops a game with that concept, so it must be a profitable system.