Playing those massively multiplayer online role playing games can be fun, thrilling, addictive…and costly. The monthly fees that are required to keep your habit going can add up over time.

Which is why an ever-increasing number of free online MMORPG sites are popping up and taking advantage of the addictive qualities of the games?

The quality of a free online MMORPG is going to vary, naturally, as the quality of any online game varies. Surprisingly, however, many of the biggest names in this genre have decided to go the free route. Of course, when it comes to online role playing games, the word free has a certain, shall we say, elasticity.

For instance, if you want to play Guild Wars for free, you’re going to have to pay for the privilege. What that particular little bit of doublespeak means is that you can play Guild Wars without putting out the monthly fee, yes, but you will still have to go to the store and buy a copy of the software. Or buy it at an online store. Or eBay.