It seems the way of the average MMO. Launch to acclaim and player applause and over time the audience changes. The MMO market is really competitive and each game that comes out is inevitably compared to the still reigning champion, World of Warcraft. As the MMO continues through it's lifecycle most adopt a free to play model and WildStar is the latest MMO that will launch free to play in the fall.

A few details from the WildStar F2P FAQ:

"“Free-to-Play” means that anyone can download the game and play without spending any money to buy WildStar or committing to a required subscription fee.

Is the game really free?

Players can acquire the game, create an account, login and play through everything the game has to offer without spending any money, so yes, we do mean free.

That said, we will also offer completely optional in-game purchases that cover a wide range of player services, convenience options, and cosmetic offerings."

WildStar is a cool future themed MMO that got some high praise when it launched. Hopefully this move really catapults the community and makes the game better for everyone. Will you try it out when the game goes free?

http://www.wildstar-online.com/en/news/2015-05-28-wildstar-is-going-free-to-play-heres-all-you-need-to-know/