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Who is saying that paying money doesn't give you an advantage? Of course it does: It saves you time. You could get anything you want with time, but not everyone has the time or is willing to spend the money. Just like not everyone has the time or is willing to spend the time.
And setting aside my developer role for a moment, as a player, I quickly grow tired of games in which I can't spend money to compete with the kids who don't have mortgages and car payments that require working to pay for. The most recent MUD that I've played seriously, City of Heroes, was a lot of fun, but in the end I quit because it required too much time. Had it offered me the opportunity to purchase something to speed my xp-gathering, for instance, I definitely would have bought it and stuck around longer. I'm not claiming that my view as a player is any more valid than anyone else's. I'm just saying that's what I want for myself.
Sure, it's far more difficult to take the time = success aspect out, but I'm not sure how that's relevant. It'd only matter if you assumed there was anything wrong with charging time or money for advantages. I'm going to go spend some time on Ninja Gaiden now, and be annoyed that I can't purchase myself a shortcut through the game, as I don't have the time to play it all the way through. I am heartened that Sony plans to sell downloadable car upgrades for Gran Turismo 4.
--matt
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