In the most recent Newsletter from Funcom there is an interesting announcement regarding a MAJOR shift for the game:

Anarchy Online without subscription fees! Groundbreaking move as first major western live MMO switches to no subscription fees Hi everybody and welcome to the holiday edition of the AO newsletter. As you can see from the heading of this newsletter we have some groundbreaking news to bring forth in this issue. Before we move on to this historical change for AO we would like to remind all our active players to update their account e-mail address as we are sending out a holiday gift later this week. We would also like to mention that existing users can take advantage of this offer, but ONLY if you start a new account. So, what is this all about then? We bring some excerpts from the press release to fill you in on the details: In a unique move Funcom is removing all cost barriers in the ultimate sci-fi MMORPG, allowing all new players to enter and stay, free of cost! At the same time Funcom is departing from the obligatory need to register with a credit card, making for an easier entrance and registration process. In an increasingly competitive market for fantasy MMO games, Anarchy Online stands out as the superior alternative if you like online RPG’s and sci-fi. Not only will this new and totally free approach allow everyone tired of elves, fairies and gnomes to enter a futuristic RPG world full of fun action, it will also make it possible for those who are sci-fi fans to explore a world hailed and rewarded as the best sci-fi MMO available today. "Funcom has always been recognized as an inventive MMO developer. This unique move will allow us to test important new business models prior to announcing future online games, while also giving everyone the chance to experience the best online sci-fi RPG totally free of cost" said Trond Arne Aas, President and CEO of Funcom. "We feel very confident in the unique features and heralded qualities of our game, and are now openly inviting everyone playing MMO's to find out what Anarchy Online is all about, completely free of commitment" said Ole Schreiner, Project Director for Anarchy Online. "Not only can we boast of a fantastic game which has been expanding for years, we are also constantly adding exciting new content, progressively making the ultimate sci-fi MMORPG even better." Take advantage of this offer --- As mentioned existing users can also take advantage of this offer, but ONLY if you start a new account. In order to take advantage of the completely free offer you need to sign up a new Anarchy Online account between the 15th of December 2004 and 15th of January 2005. Once you have done so you can play free of charge until 1/1 2006. Other restrictions and conditions may apply. See registration information for details. We would also like to add that the free version does not include access to any of the three expansion packs. Should you wish to upgrade to any of the expansion packs regular monthly subscription and client fees will be added. Santa comes early to Rubi-Ka this year, so make sure you alert all your friends and family about this amazing offer which is ending on the 15th of January. All that remains is to wish everybody a happy holidays and a peaceful new year. See you on Rubi-Ka! Best regards The Anarchy Online Team