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MMORPGs are history.

Edit. This post was meant to be tongue in cheek but Khan of the Battered Shield recently linked to it in a serious piece about the future of MMOs. Now I am worried that folk may come and read this, miss the joke and think that I am a complete idiot. If you do read what follows please take it in the spirit of humour in which it was intended. My real feelings about the future of MMOs are a bit more complicated. I am going to write a new post about this and will link to it here when finished.


Recently I have made a few posts on this blog along with comments to other blogs along the lines of "MMORPGS are a passing fad".

I could point to evidence that WOW has become so dominant that no new MMORPG has a chance. I could point to the many bloggers who are expressing boredom with their current MMO. I could show the very clear trend that the time constant for gamers to get bored with each new game is falling. I could point out that the huge demands that MMOs make on their players are a critical flaw that will eventually kill the genre. I could do detailed research on subscription and retention rates in order to prove my case.

I could do all of that but it sounds too much like hard work. Instead I have decided to simply record my prediction in as many places as possible so that when the inevitable day eventually comes (that MMOs fade into history) I will be able to boast about my foresight and say "I told you so".

It may be tomorrow, it may be in 10 years time. It may not be until we are all immersed in cocoons and existing in some kind of cyber relality. Nevertheless I feel that it is a safe bet that my prediction will come true eventually.

A new side bar will be added linking to evidence of my foresight.

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