Anyone who thinks that playing games online is crappy is wrong. PSO was a very, very cool game. I didn\'t buy it (I was thinking of getting a DC just for that). Why? Cheaters. Closed online realms cost a lot more than open ones. They try and control cheating in PSO, but they have failed. There are plenty of sites that explain subtle ways to cheat. Games like EQ and AC require a lot more maintenance, and that\'s hat why they have a monthly cost, because of the extra money you spend, though, any problems are fixed quickly, and cheaters can be harshly punished.
Don\'t compare server numbers either. Just cause the "both have 200 servers", doesn\'t mean that Squares won\'t be far more expensive to purchase and maintain. I personally love online games, and rarely have paid a monthly fee for one (just cause that sucks, especially if you play more than one), but in the last year and a half, I\'ve always had one subscription to an online world or another. First EQ, then AC, right now, nothing (I\'m playing Diablo II, it\'s free - but ask about the cheating on "closed" realms, and the horrible latency. Good luck in Hardcore, I\'ve lost 20 characters to date over lvl 30).
Online games I think will work, especially when they lower the cost of the game, so that you can play it for 5-6 months at the same overall cost of games now. People who are not hardcore gamers will buy it, play it for a few months, and stop (just like most people do with games anyways), people like me will buy it, and play constantly untill the next thing comes out.
I\'m happy to pay for an online world where:
1) I can interact with thousands of other people.
2) The world can be larger to start with than most game worlds, and can grow, change, and get new quests.
3) The world is policed by a dedicated crew of people to stop cheating and hacking.
4) I can choose to stop playing online and not pay for the game anymore.
