It's like robbing a store and than just say sorry... how about.. STOP DOING IT!?
Thats totally missing the point. Most of us would not cry to pay a little money for it. If the money would go directly to AP it would even be better. But making the game NOT free results in 0 new players. Why would they buy a game that is so old? Even if it would be free chances are that not much new people would join, but it would give it a bigger chance.