Subscription Models
MMORPGs today use a wide range of business models, from completely free of charge (no strings attached) or advertise funded to various kinds of payment plans. This list uses the following terms.
- Free-to-play means that there might be a cost to purchase the software but there is no subscription charge or added payments needed to access game content.
- Pay-to-play means that players must pay, usually by monthly subscription, in order to play the game.
- Freemium means that the majority of game content is available for free but players can pay for extra content or added perks.
| Title | Status | Graphics | Setting | Subscription Model | Initial Release Date | Server Close Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4th Coming, The | 2D (isometric) | Fantasy | Free-to-play (on most servers) | 1999 | |||
| 9Dragons | 3D | Historical fantasy (China), martial arts | Free-to-play | ||||
| Ace Online | Released | 3D | Sci-Fi | Free-to-play | 2006 | ||
| Aces High | 3D | World War II combat theater | Pay-to-play | 2000 | |||
| AdventureQuest Worlds | 2D | Medieval fantasy | Free-to-play (on most servers) | 2008 | Browser-based | ||
| Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures | 3D | Fantasy | Free-to-play | 2008 | |||
| Age of Wulin | Under Development | 3D | Martial Arts, Wuxia (fantasy) | Free-to-play | Beta due to begin in 2012 | ||
| Aion: The Tower of Eternity | 3D | Fantasy | Free-to-play | 2008 | |||
| AIKA Online | 3D | Medieval fantasy | Free-to-play | 2009 | |||
| Alganon | 3D | Fantasy | Free-to-play | 2009 | |||
| Allods Online | 3D | Fantasy | Freemium | ||||
| Anarchy Online | 3D | Science fiction | Freemium | 2001 | |||
| Angel Love Online | 2D | Fantasy | 2006 | Downloadable client (Windows only) | |||
| ArchLord | 3D | Fantasy | Free-to-play | 2005 | |||
| Asda Story | 3D | Fantasy | Freemium | 2008 | |||
| Asheron's Call | 3D | Fantasy | Pay-to-play | 1999 | |||
| Asheron's Call 2 | Defunct | 3D | Fantasy | 2002 | December 30, 2005 (2005-12-30) | ||
| Atlantica Online | 3D | Fantasy | Free-to-play | 2008 | Turn-based strategy | ||
| Battlestar Galactica Online | (beta) | Science fiction | Free-to-Play | Browser-based, Battlestar Galactica license | |||
| Black Prophecy | (beta) | 3D | Science fiction | Free-to-play | 2011 | Spaceship combat | |
| Blade & Soul | Under development | 3D | Fantasy, martial arts | ||||
| Blood Wars | text-based | Horror, fantasy | Free-to-play | 2006 | |||
| BOTS!! | Shut down | 3D | Science fiction (robots) | ||||
| Cabal Online | 3D | Fantasy | Free-to-play | 2005 | |||
| Cartoon Network Universe: FusionFall | 3D | Cartoon | Freemium(2009-2010),Free-to-play(2010-present) | 2009 | Cartoon Network license | ||
| Castle of Heroes | 2D | Fantasy | Free-to-play | 2009 | Browser-based | ||
| Champions Online | 3D | Superheroes | Freemium | 2009 | |||
| City of Heroes | 3D | Superheroes | Freemium | 2004 | Complements City of Villains | ||
| City of Villains | 3D | Superheroes | Freemium | 2005 | Complements City of Heroes | ||
| Clan Lord | 2D | Fantasy | Free to play; pay for a registered account. | 1998 | Downloadable client (Windows, Mac). Primarily for Macintoch | ||
| Club Penguin | 2D | Cartoon, kids | Freemium | 2005 | Browser-based. | ||
| Concerto Gate | Shut down | 3D | Fantasy | 2007 | |||
| Cronous | 3D | Fantasy | |||||
| Cross Gate | Shut down | 2D | Fantasy | 2001 | |||
| Crowns of Power | 3D | Fantasy | Free-to-play | 2008 | |||
| Dark Age of Camelot | 3D | Mythology (Arthurian) | Pay-to-play | 2001 | |||
| Dark Ages | 2D | Mythology (Celtic) | Pay for account; free to play. | 1999 | |||
| Dark and Light | Defunct | 3D | Fantasy | 2006 | |||
| Darkeden | 2D | Horror | 1997 | ||||
| Darkfall | 3D | Medieval fantasy | Pay-to-play | 2009 | |||
| Dark Sun Online: Crimson Sands | 2D | Fantasy | 1996 | Dungeons & Dragons license | |||
| Dawntide | Under development (open beta) | 3D | Medieval fantasy | 2011 | |||
| Dead Frontier | Active | 3D | Horror | Free-to-play | Pay for extras, Browser based game | ||
| DECO Online | 3D | Fantasy | 2005 | ||||
| DC Universe Online | 3D | Superheroes | Freemium | 2011 | DC Comics license | ||
| Diaspora | Defunct | 2D | Science fiction | Space trading game | |||
| Doctor Who: Worlds in Time | 2D (side view) | Science fiction | 2012 | Browser-based | |||
| Dofus | 2D (isometric) | Fantasy | 2004 | Downloadable client (Windows, Mac, Linux) Tactical combat |
|||
| Dragon Ball Online | 3D | Cartoon | Free-to-play | 2010 | Anime/manga graphical style | ||
| Dragon Nest | 3D | Fantasy | Free-to-play | 2010 | |||
| Dragon Oath | 3D | Mythology (Chinese) | Free-to-play | 2007 | Based on the novel Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils by Jin Yong | ||
| Dragon Quest X | 3D | Fantasy | Pay-to-play | 2012 | Multiplatform: Wii, Wii U | ||
| Dragonica | Active | 3D (side-scrolling) | Fantasy | Free-to-play | 2010 | Anime/manga-style hack-and-slash | |
| DragonRealms | Text-based (real-time) | 1996 | |||||
| Dreamlords | 3D | Fantasy | 2007 | Both browser- and client-based | |||
| Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach | 3D | Fantasy | Freemium | 2006 | D&D 3.5 Edition ruleset | ||
| Dungeon Runners | Defunct | 3D | Fantasy | freemium | 2007 | January 1, 2010 (2010-01-01) | |
| Dynasty Warriors Online | 3D | Historical fantasy (China), martial arts | Free-to-play | 2006 | |||
| Earthrise | 3D | Science fiction | Pay-to-play | 2011 | |||
| Earth & Beyond | Defunct | 3D | Science fiction | Pay-to-play | 2002 | September 22, 2004 (2004-09-22) | |
| Earth Eternal | Defunct | 3D | Medieval fantasy | 2009 | November 24, 2011 (2011-11-24) | Browser-based | |
| Elder Scrolls Online, The | Under development | 3D | Medieval fantasy | ||||
| Emil Chronicle Online | 3D | Fantasy | 2005 | ||||
| Empire & State | Released | 2D | Science fiction | Free-to-play | 2011 | Browser-Based political strategy MMORPG | |
| Empire of Sports | 3D | Sports | |||||
| Entropia Universe | 3D | Science fiction | Free-to-play | 2003 | |||
| EVE Online | 3D | Science fiction | Pay-to-play | 2003 | Space vehicle piloting, trading, and business management | ||
| EverQuest | 3D | Fantasy | Pay-to-play | 1999 | |||
| EverQuest II | 3D | Fantasy | Freemium | 2004 | Sequel to Everquest | ||
| EverQuest Online Adventures | 3D | Fantasy | Pay-to-play | 2003 | PlayStation 2-exclusive; prequel to Everquest | ||
| Fantage | 2D | Fantasy | Freemium | 2008 | |||
| Face of Mankind | 3D | Science fiction | Freemium | 2009 | |||
| Fallen Earth | 3D | Post-apocalyptic | Freemium | 2009 | |||
| Fallout Online | Cancelled | 3D | Post-apocalyptic | Science fiction alternate history | |||
| Fantasy Westward Journey | 2D | Fantasy (Chinese) | Inspired by Journey to the West | ||||
| Fiesta Online | 3D | Fantasy | Free-to-play | 2007 | |||
| Final Fantasy XI | 3D | Fantasy | Pay-to-play | 2002 | Multiplatform: PC, PlayStation 2, Xbox 360 | ||
| Final Fantasy XIV | 3D | Fantasy | Pay-to-play | 2010 | Multiplatform: PC, PlayStation 3 | ||
| Flyff | 3D | Fantasy | Freemium | 2005 | |||
| Free Realms | 3D | Fantasy | Free-to-play | 2009 | Browser-based | ||
| Furcadia | 2D | Fantasy | 1996 | ||||
| Fury | Defunct | 3D | Fantasy | 2007 | August 7, 2008 (2008-08-07) | ||
| Gekkeiju Online | 3D | Medieval fantasy | |||||
| GodsWar Online | 3D | Mythology (Greek) | Free-to-play | 2009 | |||
| Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising | 3D | Mythology (Roman) | Pay-to-play | 2011 | |||
| Granado Espada (Sword of the New World) | 3D | Historical fantasy (Age of Exploration) | 2007 | ||||
| Guild Wars | 3D | Fantasy | Free-to-play | 2005 | |||
| Guild Wars 2 | 3D | Fantasy | Free-to-play | 2012 | Sequel to Guild Wars | ||
| Helbreath | 2D (sprite-based) | Fantasy | Free-to-play | 1999 | |||
| Hello Kitty Online | 3D | Cartoon | Free-to-play | 2009 | Client download required. | ||
| Hero Online | 3D | Mythology (Chinese) | Free-to-play | 2006 | |||
| Hero's Journey | Under development | 3D | Fantasy | ||||
| Hooded Gunman, The | Text-based (turn-based) | History ("The Troubles") | Irish para-militarism | ||||
| Istaria: Chronicles of the Gifted | Released | 3D | Fantasy | Free-to-play / Pay-to-play | 2003.12.09 | Name changed from Horizons 2008.04.14 | |
| Illyriad | Active | 2D | Fantasy | Free-to-play | 2011 | ||
| Jumpgate: The Reconstruction Initiative | 3D | Science fiction | 2001 | ||||
| Jumpgate: Evolution | Under development (closed beta) | 3D | Science fiction | ||||
| Knight Online | 3D | Fantasy | 2004 | ||||
| LaTale | 2D (side-scrolling) | Fantasy | 2006 | ||||
| Legend of Ares, The | Defunct | 3D | Fantasy | ||||
| Legend of Mir 2, The | 2D (sprite-based) | Fantasy | 2001 | ||||
| Legend of Mir 3, The | 2D (sprite-based) | Fantasy | 2004 | Sequel to Legend of Mir 2 | |||
| Legends of Future Past | Defunct | Text-based | Fantasy | 1992 | |||
| LEGO Universe | Defunct | 3D | Kids | Freemium | 2010 | January 30, 2012 (2012-01-30) | |
| Lineage | 2D (sprite-based) | Fantasy | 1998 | ||||
| Lineage II | 3D | Fantasy | Freemium (Pay-to-play until 2011 launch of GoD) | 2003 | Sequel to Lineage | ||
| Lineage III | Under development | Fantasy | Sequel to Lineage II | ||||
| Little Space Heroes | Under development (beta) | 2D | Kids | Freemium | 2011 | ||
| Lord of the Rings Online, The: Shadows of Angmar | 3D | Fantasy | Freemium | 2007 | |||
| Love | 3D | Fantasy | 2010 | Builder | |||
| Lunia: Record of Lunia War | 3D | Fantasy | Action-adventure | ||||
| Mabinogi | 3D | Fantasy, mythology (Welsh) | Free-to-play | 2004 | |||
| Magical Land | 2D (sprite-based) | Fantasy | |||||
| MapleStory | 2D (side-scrolling) | Fantasy | Freemium | 2003 | |||
| Matrix Online, The | Defunct | 3D | Cyberpunk, science fiction | 2005 | July 31, 2009 (2009-07-31) | ||
| Meridian 59 | 3D | Fantasy | Pay-to-play | 1995 | |||
| Metin 2 | 3D | Fantasy | 2004 | ||||
| Minions of Mirth | 3D | Fantasy | 2005 | ||||
| Mortal Online | 3D | Fantasy | Pay-to-play | 2010 | |||
| Monato Esprit | Under development (open beta) | 3D | Fantasy | 2009 | |||
| MU Online | 3D | Medieval fantasy | 2003 | ||||
| Myth War Online | 2D | Fantasy | 2006 | ||||
| Mythos | Under development | 3D | Fantasy | ||||
| Mytheon | under development | 3D | Mythology (Greek) | ||||
| Myst Online | 3D | 2007 | Open source | ||||
| Neocron and Neocron 2 | 3D | Cyberpunk | 2002 | FPS-style gameplay | |||
| NEO Shifters | |||||||
| Neverwinter Nights (AOL game) | 2D | Fantasy (Dungeons & Dragons) | 1991 | Used the Gold Box engine | |||
| Nexus: The Kingdom of the Winds | 2D (sprite-based; overhead) | Mythology (Korean) | 1996 | ||||
| Neo Steam: The Shattered Continent | |||||||
| Pardus | 2D | Science fiction | Free-to-play | 2004 | Browser-based, space war and trading game | ||
| Parallel Kingdom | 3D | Fantasy | Freemium | 2008 | |||
| Perfect World | 3D | Fantasy | Freemium | 2005 | |||
| Perpetuum | 3D | Science fiction | Pay-to-play | 2010 | Persistent sandbox MMORPG | ||
| Phoenix Dynasty Online | Defunct | 2D | Fantasy | Free-to-play | December 8, 2010 (2010-12-08) | ||
| Pirates of the Burning Sea | 3D | Historical (maritime) | Free-to-play | 2008 | |||
| Pirates of the Caribbean Online | 3D | Historical (maritime), fantasy (Pirates of the Caribbean) | Freemium | 2007 | |||
| PlaneShift | 3D | Fantasy | Free-to-play | Open source | |||
| Planetarion | text-based | 2000 | One of the oldest, space-based, genre-defining, text-based online games | ||||
| Priston Tale | 2001 | 3D | Fantasy | 2001 | |||
| Priston Tale 2 | 3D | Fantasy | 2008 | ||||
| Poptropica | 2D (adventure) | Cartoon, kids | Free-to-play | 2007 | Browser-based, no downloadable client required | ||
| Puppet Guardian | 2D (isometric; adventure) | Fantasy | Free-to-play | 2007 | |||
| Puzzle Pirates | 2D | Fantasy | Freemium | 2003 | Puzzle adventure | ||
| Ragnarok Online | 2D/3D | Fantasy, mythology (Norse/mixed) | Freemium/Pay-to-play (Depending on the server) | 2002 | |||
| Ragnarok Online 2 | Under development (open beta) | 3D | Fantasy | 2012 | Sequel to Ragnarok Online | ||
| Ran Online | 3D | Campus fantasy | 2004 | ||||
| Realm of the Mad God | 2D | Fantasy | Free-to-Play | 2011 | Browser-based | ||
| Realm Online, The | 2D (sprite-based) | Fantasy | 1996 | ||||
| Regnum Online | 3D | Medieval fantasy | 2007 | ||||
| Requiem: Memento Mori | 3D | Dark fantasy | 2008 | ||||
| RF Online | 3D | Science fiction | 2006 | ||||
| Rift | 3D | Fantasy | Free-to-play (to level 20) Pay-to-play (Full content) | 2011 | |||
| Roblox | 3D | Abstract | Freemium | 2006 | Block-building game | ||
| Rohan: Blood Feud | 3D | Fantasy | 2008 | ||||
| Roma Victor | 3D | Historical (Roman Empire) | 2006 | ||||
| ROSE Online | 3D | Fantasy | 2005 | ||||
| Rubies of Eventide | On indefinite hiatus | 3D | Fantasy | 2003 | |||
| Runes of Magic | 3D | Fantasy | 2009 | ||||
| RuneScape | 3D | Fantasy | Free-to-Play and Pay-to-Play with microtransactions | 2001 | Browser-based, Java | ||
| Rusty Hearts | 3D | Fantasy | Free-to-Play | 2011 | |||
| Ryzom | 3D | Science fiction | 2004 | Open source | |||
| Salem | Under development | 3D | Historical (17th century) fantasy | Free-to-play | |||
| Sangokushi Online | Mythology (Chinese) | 2008 | Part of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms series by Koei | ||||
| Secret of the Solstice | 2D (sprite-based) | Fantasy | Free-to-play | ||||
| Secret World, The | Released | 3D | Modern | Pay-to-play | 2012 | ||
| Seal Online | 3D | Fantasy | 2003 | ||||
| Sentou Gakuen | Released | 2D (text-based) | School Life | Freemium | 2012 | ||
| Scions of Fate or Yulgang | 2D (sprite-based) | Fantasy | Free-to-play | ||||
| Shadowbane | Defunct | 3D | Fantasy | Free-to-play | 2003 | July 1, 2009 (2009-07-01) | |
| Shin Megami Tensei: Imagine | 3D | Fantasy | Free-to-play | 2007 | |||
| Sho Online | 3D | Historical fantasy (China) | Free-to-play | 2008 | |||
| Shot-Online | 3D | Sports (golf) | 2004 | ||||
| Silkroad Online | 3D | Fantasy | Free-to-play | 2005 | |||
| Soul of the Ultimate Nation | 3D | Fantasy | 2007 | ||||
| Spiral Knights | 3D | Fantasy | Freemium | 2009 | Java | ||
| Star Trek Online | 3D | Science fiction | Freemium | 2010 | Switched to "free-to-play" in January 2012 | ||
| Star Wars Galaxies | Defunct | 3D | Science fiction | Pay-to-play | 2003 | December 15, 2011 (2011-12-15) | |
| Star Wars: The Old Republic | Released | 3D | Science fiction | Pay-to-play/Limited free-to-play as of Nov. 15 2012 | 2011 | Spiritual sequel of 2003's Game of the year Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic | |
| Stargate Worlds | Cancelled | 3D | Science fiction | PC and Xbox 360 | |||
| StarQuest Online | Science fiction | 2007 | Downloadable client (Windows). | ||||
| Survival Project | 2D | Fantasy | 2001 | ||||
| Tabula Rasa | Defunct, Destination Games, 2008—2009 | 3D | Science fiction | 2007 | February 28, 2009 (2009-02-28) | FPS-style gameplay | |
| Tale in the Desert, A | 3D | Mythology (Egyptian) | Pay-to-play | 2003 | Non-combat-oriented RPG | ||
| Tales of Eternia Online | Defunct | 2D (sprite-based) | Fantasy | 2006 | March 31, 2007 (2007-03-31) | ||
| Tales of Pirates | 3D | Fantasy | 2007 | ||||
| Tantra Online | 3D | Mythology (Hindu) | |||||
| Tera | 3D | Fantasy | 2011 | ||||
| Terra | 3D | Science fiction | 1996 | Armored battle | |||
| Chronicles of Spellborn, The | Defunct | 3D | Fantasy | Free-to-play | 2008 | August 27, 2010 (2010-08-27) | |
| Tibia | 2D (sprite-based; overhead) | Fantasy | 1997 | Downloadable client (Windows only). | |||
| Toontown Online | 3D | Cartoon, kids | |||||
| Trickster Online | 2D (sprite-based) | Fantasy | 2003 | ||||
| Turf Battles | Defunct | ||||||
| Twelve Sky | 3D | Fantasy | Free-to-play | 2007 | |||
| Twelve Sky 2 | 3D | Fantasy | Free-to-play | ||||
| Twin Skies | (unavailable) | Fantasy | Browser-based with a 3D client component | ||||
| Ultima Online | 2D | Medieval fantasy | 1997 | ||||
| Uncharted Waters Online | 3D | Historical (maritime) | 2005 | ||||
| Urban Dead | Text-based (HTML) | Horror | 2005 | ||||
| Underlight | Defunct | 1998 | Enforced in-character role-playing | ||||
| Vanguard: Saga of Heroes | 3D | Fantasy | 2007 | ||||
| Vindictus | 3D | Fantasy | Free-to-play | 2010 | |||
| Voyage Century Online | 3D | Historical (maritime) | 2006 | ||||
| Vendetta Online | 3D | Science fiction | Pay-to-play | 2004 | Space vehicle piloting and twitch-based interface | ||
| Wakfu | 2D (isometric) | Fantasy | Freemium | 2012 | Downloadable client (Windows, Mac, Linux). Tactical combat. | ||
| Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning | 3D | Fantasy | Pay-to-play | 2008 | |||
| Warhammer Online: Wrath of Heroes | 3D | Fantasy | Free-to-play | 2012 | |||
| Wonderland Online | Version: 6.0+ | 2D (special) | Fantasy | Free-to-play | March 2008 | Anime/Manga based | |
| Wizard101 | 3D | Fantasy, kids | Freemium | 2008 | Wizard game with cards, kid-safe chat | ||
| With Your Destiny (Supreme Destiny) | 3D | Fantasy | 2003 | ||||
| WonderKing Online | 2D (side-scrolling) | Fantasy | Free-to-play | 2006 | |||
| World of Darkness | under development | Horror, fantasy | Based on White Wolf Publishing's "World of Darkness" | ||||
| World of Warcraft | 3D | Fantasy | Pay-to-play (free-to-play to level 20 since 2011) |
2004 | |||
| Wurm Online | Released | 3D | Medieval fantasy | Freemium | 2006 | Sandbox game with hundreds of skills, multiple kingdoms, and a deep crafting system. | |
| Yogurting | Defunct | 3D | Campus fantasy | 2005 | March 29, 2011 (2011-03-29) | ||
| Yulgang (Scions of Fate) | 3D | Fantasy | |||||
| Zhengtu | 2D | Mythology (Chinese) | |||||
| Zu Online | 3D | Mythology (Chinese) | 2007 |
Read more about this topic: List Of Massively Multiplayer Online Role-playing Games
Famous quotes containing the words subscription and/or models:
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