Since I'm currently a bit antsy about Cynical Market Forces and Global Capitalism and whatnot, I've decide I'm not going to pay for my next Online Escapist Fantasy. That'll show The Man! No, I'm not about to dip into the murky world of 'war3z'. I'm going on the Free Trial Circuit!
The more I brooded, the better this sounded. On the one hand, my own jaded attention span has been shrinking, game after game - where once I stuck out two years of day-in, day-out, unapologetic Grind in the name of entertainment, now I am lucky if I can bear two months, even of a good Online game. Clearly something in me has somehow worn out, or broken somewhere along the line.
On the other hand, MMORPG Game Design itself is continually evolving into some more streamlined form, tending toward a kind of template of optimum saleability. We complain about 'treadmills' and 'the grind', and these are made less of a hardship, and faster, in turn meaning that less time overall is needed to 'win' or cap the levels. Flakes like me have no chance then, usually bombing out less than a quarter of the way along the Yellow Brick Road of Achievement.
The upshot of all this pontificating is, that if I'm not already at the point where I only need the usual first free month, I'm not far off. So surely, if the first month is free, why do I need to pay at all? And they always say you should leave wanting more.
So, coming soon, a detailed look at current opportunities to play MMORPGs for free!