Microtransactions have always been a hot topic when it comes to MMOGs and the slow tilt of the industry towards the free-to-play microtransaction model has many gamers skeptic about how our future MMOGs might take shape. If a developer isn't receiving a monthly subscription, money still has to come from somewhere to keep the game running. Enter microtransactions, but with this new form of payment comes a lot of issues. Some people feel that there is the potential for gamers who choose not to buy to be overshadowed by those with deeper wallets. A point hit home in Medawky's PvP section of his Gates of Andaron article.

Gamasutra has recently been digging into the topic as well, speaking with hardcore gamers to get their thoughts on microtransactions and how developers can strike a balance with microtransaction models. The article covers the microtransaction model in detail and provides the viewpoints of many different gamers.

Some games have premium items for sale, but the interviewed players were largely skeptical towards these transactions. The reason is that they threaten to tilt the perceived fairness of the game, because established players fear that newcomers can buy their way to success:

• Read the full article here.