Rewards vs Restrictions: The Free-to-Play MMO’s of Revived Sagas

The two series that defined my childhood are each getting three new movies. The first in a three-part film adaptation of Tolkien’s The Hobbit came out a couple of weeks ago to mostly positive reviews, smashing box office success, and a display of nerdgasms from the audience, yours truly included. And this piece of news is as old as Jar-Jar’s attempts at comedy, but Star Wars is due for Episodes VII, VIII, and IX sometime in the future (around 2015 I think?), this time with Disney in the pilot’s chair. So if you’re a fan of these series, a fan of MMO’s, and are looking to save your money for future midnight release tickets, then the Force is strong with you, son of Gondor. But let’s make something clear, this is not an either/or piece. You can, and I in fact encourage you to play both Lord of the Rings Online and Star Wars: The Old Republic. This articles seeks to compare the effectiveness of each of their free-to-play systems. So strap on your blaster rifle, muster the Rohirrim, and...