Ragnarok as a fun little game I played a lot of when I was going to junior high in Japan. All my friends played it and it was free, social, and did I mention free? Yeah, it was free in 2002!
It was also a great game, back in the days when FFXI was still a dream for PS2 owners and the next best MMORPG on the market is the awful looking Everquest.
GAF can be full of people who think money is no object but for a kid on $100 stipend in Saitama, free games go a long way. Free on-line is I think the real future for on-line gaming. The subscription fee gets old after you play and get milked by your first MMORPG.