last time i upgraded my PC was 4 years ago and i can run ARMA II on maxed graphics settings at over 100 fps, and have no trouble playing any newly released game. if you shop smart when you buy a PC and do you research and get hardware with good benchmark scores you don't have to upgrade for ages.
If you want try try your hand at an MMORPG, try Rift its a pretty fun game if thats your cup of tea, else for FPS Crysis 2 is going to have a wicked multi-player, you can download the demo on steam.
I agree with you on this, most games these days focus to much on how good they look, and not enough on how good the actual game is when it comes to story structure, re-playability, content, and user enjoyment. Its pretty bad when all of my favorite games were made more then 10 years ago.
Most online games that are free have an item shop to use real money to buy items but i have rarely heard of one that requires you to buy items to win, in 99% of the cases buying items just helps you win faster. The reason for this is because a free game has to generate revenue to stay alive it costs lots of money to run…