Not singlehandedly, of course. But I, like many others set my expectations unreasonably high and chased the elusive “one MMO to rule them all”. No matter how much I denied it, I secretly hoped for a “WoW-Killer” to become a run-away success. I secretly cheered when MMO ripoffs and clones ingloriously bit the dust. I started demanding more and more from what “free” was supposed to get me. And that really wasn’t healthy.
It’s not ruined at all, I’d just ruined it for myself. I think the widespread disappointment with Star Wars: The Old Republic saw the end of MMO ‘puberty’ as it were. Persistent worlds were struggling to figure out what they are and what they should be, but now they’re starting to become young adults. We’re moving into the stage where they start unlocking real potential.
I still expect change, but now I expect it gradually. And I think the best is yet to come.
Mordantly,
Machination