It's just a terrible idea and the reason why tons of MMOs die but surprise surprise like a phoenix they turn a decent profit free to play.
MMOs die because the creeping feeling of an empty game wold spreads like a virus and people start to question whether it's worth the money and largely decide no. Anyone who decided yet then re-evaluates when there's even less people around. Continue until income drops below the threshold of staying afloat. If you change the value proposition to allow people to stay by being in the game more (that's the really clever part of this particular model) then you combat the sinking-feeling paradox on 2 fronts.
It's kind of worked out for them OK so far. Why would they need to change it due to unrelated issues that may or may not be an exploit?
MMOs die because the creeping feeling of an empty game wold spreads like a virus and people start to question whether it's worth the money and largely decide no. Anyone who decided yet then re-evaluates when there's even less people around. Continue until income drops below the threshold of staying afloat. If you change the value proposition to allow people to stay by being in the game more (that's the really clever part of this particular model) then you combat the sinking-feeling paradox on 2 fronts.
It's kind of worked out for them OK so far. Why would they need to change it due to unrelated issues that may or may not be an exploit?