The MMO landscape continues to evolve. Turbine’s MMO Dungeons and Dragons Online will become a free-to-play MMO in North America this summer when a free “digital upgrade” is offered to every player. Subtitled “Eberron Unlimited,” the upgrade will obliterate the game’s old monthly fees and usher in a game-specific store where players can buy items, hirelings, and expansion packs. It will also raise the level cap.

Players who insist on paying a monthly fee still can. Instead of paying for the pleasure of playing, they will become a “DDO VIP,” and receive “priority server access” as well as “premium access” to expansions, a monthly allotment of 500 Turbine Points, and ten character slots.

“Our team has spent years crafting DDO Unlimited into a powerhouse experience featuring cutting-edge graphics, a kick-ass combat system, high level content, and cutting-edge social tools, said Kate Paiz, Senior Producer. "Today marks a major milestone as we prepare to launch the world’s most exciting free MMO."

Turbine’s beta program for Dungeons and Dragons: Eberron Unlimited launched yesterday and registration for it can be found on the new DDO Web site. If you're down -- and you should be, DDO is highly underappreciated -- head on over: there's probably a line or something.