Archlord, Codemaster's free MMORPG has hit the 500,000 player mark. Compared to WOW it might not seem a lot, but when you say half a million out loud, or when you try to imagine half a million things, you'll realise how damn impressive it is.

As well as being free, Archlord has some pretty cool ideas too, ones that set it apart from the rest of the baying MMO crowd. It's PVP system seems to be the most developed and in depth out of any of the free to play, and most of the subscription, MMOs that I've played. The piece de resistance lies in the system underpinning the grind though: one player controls the world. Everyone is working to becoming the Archlord, a mechanic that means rather than simply slogging it out for loot and XP, you're rolling towards being the boss of EVERYONE. Which is pretty cool.

A lot of previously pay to play MMOs are heading down the free route now, and I think it's an interesting move. Build up a community, let them play for free, and hope they remain loyal enough to play your next game, subscription and all.

For more infos on Archlord, clicky here