Stagnation of the MMO Genre: MMO Gaming in Dire Need of a Revival

Upon first inspection it would seem the MMO genre is pulsating with fresh ideas and life. But thats far from the truth, and I think most would agree. The whole scene is beginning to look like the same game repeated over and over, same game with different names.

I can remember back in the day when the prospect of the upcoming Everquest excited many. Ultima Online still being a newly released game was setting expectations so high in terms of gameplay and content possibilities. Then when Everquest was finally released, I tried it and got sick of it in a month. It became pretty apparent to me where the genre was headed even back then, an emphasis on graphics and repetitive hacking and slashing. With few exceptions thats exactly what happened. Are people really satisfied with this type of gaming? Will we ever say enough? Im keeping my fingers crossed.

It is really hard for me to fathom what these game developers could be thinking while they spam the shelves with these recent titles such as Vanguard, Lord of the Rings Online, even Everquest 2. How many times can you expect to squeeze the same idea for all its worth without just failing miserabley? I think we will be finding out soon. It did work for World of Warcraft, but in my opinion the winds of change will soon be blowing.