A recent study by market research firm Parks Associates has revealed that the growth of the MMORPG industry may lie in free-to-play MMORPGs.

The study polled over 2000 gamers and found that only hardcore gamers seemed to be interested in subscription-based models for MMOs.

On the other hand, the study found that "social, dormant, and leisure gamers all show significant interest in a free-to-play, microtransaction-based model." The study showed that 14% of gamers who weren't currently playing MMOs were more interested in trying one out if it was free-to-play, while only 2% of gamers were interested in MMO games requiring subscriptions.

According to Parks Associates' Michael Cai, free MMOs allow more players to try a game out, thereby allowing them to choose whether or not to spend their time and money on a game, as well as offering more freedom in determining how much time and money they want to spend on it.

Of course, the study doesn't look at other factors, such as the type of consumer lured in by a free-to-play or subscription-based game, or the qualities of the games being considered in the free versus paid universes. Like it or not though, the truth is there: people like free stuff, and it's something developers should consider when they're planning their next game.

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