In this week's Free Zone, Richard Aihoshi offers some provocative thoughts about Sony Online Entertainment's recent announcement about Everquest 2 Extended, the free-to-play version of the game set to go live as early as August 17th. Richard also asks questions and ponders the repercussions for other 'aging' titles.

Some have brought up and offered their opinions on thought-provoking questions. For example, in light of the company's position that a primary goal in taking this step is to expose more people to the game, how well will EQ2X serve this purpose? The standard 14-day free trial offer will only be available to friends referred by subscribers. For anyone else, will being able to play for an unlimited amount of time prove more attractive?

Read Richard Aihoshi's Free Zone: The EQ2X Edition.