Charles' wacky left-field idea of the day. Incorporate an optional grid-computing client into Everquest. Pop up a window: “Do you want to reduce your monthly bill by allowing us to make use of your computer's idle cycles while you are connected to the server?” (Yes, it'd have to be rephrased for the masses. I'm a programmer, remember?)

Advantages:

• Existing contracted user base:
  • Includes a significant number of alpha nerds with fast machines
  • Tends to stay connected to the net for a very long time.
  • Has an incentive to get involved
• Easy to keep client up to date with existing patch system: users are used to frequently having to download software updates.
• Existing payment structure makes lots of monthly micropayments easy to manage.

Disadvantages:

• A significant number of the machine's cycles are already being used up by the game. Certainly more than if they were just word-processing.
• Benefits of being part of grid may not end up making enough of a noticeable dent on an individual user's bill to be worthwhile.

Worth thinking about, though.