Quote Originally Posted by Coombah View Post
cus·tom·er
   [kuhs-tuh-mer] Show IPA

noun
1.
a person who purchases goods or services from another; buyer; patron.

2.
Informal . a person one has to deal with: a tough customer; a cool customer.
They purchased this game. With the understanding that their character would be preserved even if they ended their subscription for a period of time and came back later.

That is how MMO's work.