We still can't get free expansions for WoW subscribers? I can't think of any other service where you have to buy the software and pay to use it. Either you buy it and own at least that version outright or you pay a recurring fee for access to the latest version.
ESO doesn't require you to buy the latest expansions to play them, they only require you to have an active subscription. Buying the expansions gives you the option to play them without the subscription.
FFXIV took after WoW, so no surprise there, but they also haven't thrown away their earlier expansions either - in fact, to properly enjoy it, you should play through them in order, otherwise you are just rushing to an endgame of fashionwars for no reason.
The real reason this model persists is because MMO devs realize that they can milk a lot more from MMO addictions than from normal games, not because it needs to be.
This used to be pretty common. And to be fair, I prefer this model compared to excessive cash shops. (WoW also has one which I don't like, but at least there is no item shop. Though I'm sure they would if it not caused too much of a backlash)
Guild Wars 2 has no monthly fee and has a cash shop but the items are either QoL improvements or cosmetic. There's nothing there that gives the player an edge over non-paying players.
I really like the Guild Wars 2 model. The base game is free to play now too.
Yes, I played gw2 for a long time. Unfortunately, I didn't like how WvW played essentially as big blobs stuck together. Pvp was interesting, but missed some objectives there. I'm currently trying WoW, it also has its many flaws, but is a new flavor for me.
Oh I know. I was a huge fan of GW1. Wife and I bought GW2 opening day. And while it was an interesting game, it wasn't for me. I loved the skill system in GW1. I spent too many hours designing skill builds while at work (shhh).
But that was gone for the sequel. I understand why they did it, but I still think it was a travesty to lose something so unique and well thought out.
Gw doesn't really have anything that gives someone an advantage though. It's designed completely different from WoW and to compare them in this way is kons of disingenuous.
The idea is everyone can reach the same statistics in terms of weapons, armour and build. It's skill that makes a player better than others. That's why I avoid PvP and WvW :D