Strategy Informer  

It's not because they have more members that they're doing better. A lot of people don't spend a single dollar in the lotro shop, some people just play it 100% for free. Well, many people.

Yes, but they're making three times as much money, which is the name of the game.

I know the "STO" C-Store is loaded with items that noone purchases and unless you are hardcore about rising to top level quickly, noone bothers buying anything. Seems the same is true here.
I'd give "LoTRO" a go, but I'm playing out "STO" atm, and hoping like mad it goes F2P. Then Cryptic would see just such an explosion of memberships (many are cancelling as they won't pay for unfinished projects and false promises).

@herodotus
I hope so too hero, but the game I really hope someday goes F2P is EVE Online. Now that game beats STO any day :)

Microtransactions would be annoying in EVE, and you can actually buy game time in EVE with ingame money. ;) So technically, you can already play EVE for free.

@Arrecoolast
Yes, but if I remember correctly you need a butt load of creds to buy game time and getting those creds would require a better part of a month. Now where's the fun in that?

The one thing that "STO" has going for it at present in particular, is that it is pretty well geared toward the casual gamer (unlike "Wow" or perhaps even "EVE Online"). Yes there are those that spend an inordinate amount of time playing it no doubt (as with all MMO's and Virtual Life programs such as "Second Life"), but this is not the audience that is is attracting.
I'm sure Cryptic have other ideas, but this is how the game stands at present and is why noone really buys anything in-game. There is the monthly fee of $14.95, however I can see that even that will fall away in the future with more casual gamers joining. These things I don't see for "WoW" or "EVE".

@djole381
In the beginning it takes some time to get the money needed yes but after a little while you can get the money needed in a week or less depending on how much you play. ^^