Most customers expect defective products to be repaired for free, and such has traditionally been the case with software. To a software firm, subscription pricing is the perfect answer. They can continuously repair and improve their product without ever feeling like they're being taken advantage of. Not only does it allow them to stop giving things away for free, it means that they can start supporting a single version of their products, rather than multiple legacy editions. It's easy to see why software makers love the idea of subscriptions.
Users are another matter altogether.
Subscriptions have their advantages, but they also have plenty of problems. Speaking for myself, I hate recurring expenses. I like to know that I've paid for something. Things which I own free and clear are things I don't have to worry about. To me, renting feels like a trap.