Sony Online Entertainment has announced plans to offer up a free-to-play model for its PC and PS3 MMO, DC Universe Online.

Starting in October, basic access to the game will be free, while paying customers will be able to hold onto more inventory, virtual currency and create more characters either by paying a monthly fee or upgrading by micro-transactions.

DC Universe Online launched last January with a standard monthly fee. The announcement puts DCUO in line with several other massively multiplayer online games that are moving to free-to-play models. Competing superhero MMO City of Heroes  is also moving to a free model later this year, as is Star Trek Online.

Tom Chilton, lead designer for World of Warcraft, has talked about the possibility of removing the subscription fee. In an interview with PC Gamer, Chilton said that he can forsee a future in which charging a subscription fee no longer makes sense.

He explains that the change to a free World of Warcraft could happen if the game needs to stay competetive, even with Blizzard itself.

“If another game comes along and blows us away it may not make sense for us to have a subscription fee. Or even further down the line, when we have another MMO out.”

Of course, this is probably not a viable option at present. Blizzard’s hugely popular MMO takes a lot of time and energy to maintain, with Blizzard committing huge resources to supporting its player base.

Final Fantasy XIV, the next MMO from Square Enix, has a new trailer video. A number of recognizable elements appear in this video, including some new versions of previous mobs we saw in Final Fantasy XI, including Gobbues and Treants.

Final Fantasy XIV is due later this year for PS3 and Windows PC platforms. A beta for the game will also go live shortly.

A new trailer for Warhammer 40K has surfaced, as well as the finalized name for the game.

The MMORPG from Vigil will now be known as Warhammer 40K: Dark Millennium Online.

More details on the game are promised later this year.

A new video of Final Fantasy XIV released by Square Enix, staged as a top-secret break-in to get a look at the FF14 Beta. The video shows off the character creation process, and the wider range of customizations available to players. Have a look:

Final Fantasy XIV Online is due to hit the MMO scene on the PS3 and Windows platforms later this year.

If you play Final Fantasy XI, then you probably know that the next version update will raise the game’s level cap. The long-standing level 75 limit is on its way up to 99, and with it come new abilities and spells.

Among those are the new weapon skills, and Square Enix has given us a preview of the new attacks to come to FFXI. No news on their damage, or any new skillchains, but we know the names of the new weapon skills.

Of course, Square Enix is trying to maintain interest in its game, especially in order to keep everyone interested until Final Fantasy XIV comes out.