#starwars DC Universe Online's done it. Team Fortress 2's done it. World of Warcraft's done it (sort of). 2011's seen some of the biggest most ambitious massively multiplayer online game abandon the subscription-based business model and go free-to-play. Valve's shift to an F2P model takes advantage of a game already chock full of microtransaction content. And, in the case of DCUO, Sony Online Entertainment's been rewarded with an exponential increase in their player base. There's apparently plenty of upside in very big games going to F2P. So why is the freshly-launched Star Wars: The Old Republic charging a monthly free to engage in its online adventures? More »