Pioneers Of MMORPGs Discuss Genre Evolution

Thanks to GameSpy for their new article charting the pioneers of MMORPG gaming, and discussing with them the "major quantum leaps" needed "to grow from two million North American MMORPG gamers to ten million." MUD co-creator Richard Bartle argues that "...so many MMORPGs have become so intently focused on automating and artificially motivating players to engage in the game-world that at times, the experience feels a little too 'Disneyfied.'" The solution, the article suggests, is to focus on "more human elements", "more life and realism into AI-driven NPCs", and stress "user-generated content" in the next generation of MMO titles.