Nice post, with some valid comments/questions. My questions are: Are you just a Microsoft fanboi or do you REALLY just hate misrepresentation and duplicity in the business/advertising world (as do I)? Why post anon?

Wow... You are 100% correct. Thanks for suscinctly stating in two paragraphs what took me 6 to blather on about. http://games.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=655129&cid=24741755 And since EVE Online is obviously a financial success, this model works. But the devs at Red 5 make it sound like they are going to miraculously merge this model with a traditional model. It would be like trying to merge a car and a horse. Both completely viable transportation options on their own...but together? And bloody, ugly mess.