Is this a sign of things to come? Aion Europe is officially making the shift to free-to-play in February 2012, According to an official FAQ posted on their website, all of Aion's quests and story will be available to all players for free, with a Gold Package available for players who want some bonus items while they level.

There doesn't appear to be much information regarding the actual revenue system that will be used (or what items will be sold), but chances are high Aion's F2P model may follow Lineage II's recently adopted free-to-play system.