Are we renting our MMOs?
If you think about it, we're basically renting our MMO experience anyway. This is especially true for games that offer free software, yet charge a monthly fee. So would a rental service for MMOs really work?
In a recent article over at Twenty-Sided, Shamus explores the avenues of renting your multiplayer and single-player game experience. This is highlighted in what he says he expects to see in the future: a move towards more single-player games with simple online functionalities, like a chatroom. "Certainly an MMO denies you ownership," He explains. "But I wouldn't expect to be able to 'buy' an MMO any more than I'd expect to 'buy' cable television for a one-time fee and use it forever after." Some games have successfully achieved the opposite approach (Guild Wars) while others are doing just fine maintaining what is essentially a rental of their service. So what are your thoughts?
