Some of you guys really need to read through the RSI site: it's not an MMO. There are no subscription fees. They *are* allowing for in-game micro-transactions to buy cosmetic items for customization, but, to paraphrase Roberts: everything in the game will be earned the old fashioned way--through dedication and skill.
People will be able to run their own servers and make mods.
It sounds like he is going to have an in-game Privateer-like economy, with sales of the client/server and "customizations" to fund upkeep.
It remains to be seen if that will realistically work on a financial basis. I hope it does, but gaming is so diluted right now, I fear this may be niche market. It's been almost a decade since I closed the book on a similar game, with a far bigger leg up (franchise-wise), and the numbers back then were bad when the market was far less...fractured.
But, who knows? Faith manages.
(Edited for typos; I'd blame auto-correct, but it was all me.)
This comment was edited on Nov 22, 2012, 13:53.
"Never start a fight, but always finish it."