NCsoft announces that AION is going free-to-play in North America, a move many have expected since the free-to-play era for the European version of the MMORPG was announced. There are details about this on The AION: Ascension Website, were they say: "In Aion's Truly Free model, players have unrestricted access to all content from level 1-60, no strings attached! Aion Truly Free is a key aspect of Aion: Ascension™, which also contains the Aion 3.0 content update. A plethora of new experiences await, including new zones, increased level cap, mounts, and housing, all of which is also Truly Free!" As for the business model, they say: "If you like the game, we'd appreciate a purchase from our store (game developers need to eat too!). If you don't like the game, can't pay, or don't want to pay—no worries, it's on us!" Here's more:

Here are some of the key features of Aion Truly Free:

• No subscription fee. Play for free!
• No account restrictions. Visit any zone, chat in any channel, sell any amount of stuff on the trade broker—nothing is off limits!
• Robust countermeasures to combat game abuse. We're dedicating a ton of resources to preventing account theft, botting, and real money trading.
• No hassles. Create your account, download the game, and play!
• No harassment. Don't worry, we won't hound you with constant offers or promotions.
• A lot of great stuff we'll reveal more about leading up to launch!