they made lotr free no monthly charge. not sure how they making money from it. DDO is also free. . i've been here since beta will be here when they do pull the plug.

Yes, they made LOTR "free"...just like Farmville, Pogo, and a slew of other games are "free"...

It's free, to play about 1/20 of the content available. Beyond that, you have to pay, either monthly or for a micro-transaction. I haven't played DDO since it first went retail, but I do remember reading that although that's "free", they also have micro-transactions for that as well. For anyone who knows how micro-transaction models work, often times, they are MUCH more lucrative than charging a straight monthly fee, because someone who enjoys the game, will pay more than double what they'd pay for a monthly sub, or even more in many cases. Plus, by having it free, those who can't or won't pay for it, will continue to play, inflating the worlds, making the game look much more attractive to those who do spend money on them.

So, no, it's not free, they do make money. Just remember, Yahoo! and Google are "free" websites to use, yet they make tons of money. Actually, even better, IGN here offers the forums for "free", but they make money of those who choose to subscribe.