What's gone right for the genre, and where has it gone wrong over the years for the MMO?
Ellingsen: Things have definitively been moving in the right direction for the genre. We've seen a tremendous progress, and while there have been certain mistakes, I think they were necessary in terms of making sure there was a healthy evolution for the genre. The market has expanded dramatically thanks to World of Warcraft and more people are aware of these types of games today than when, for instance, Anarchy Online launched.
With Age of Conan we're trying to take the evolution of the genre a step further by introducing features and concepts that earlier developers didn't have the opportunity to do. It's a bold endeavor, but we feel that we're on the right track and we're proud to push the technology further.
In terms of what's been done "wrong," I think some developers should have dared to push these boundaries even earlier, instead of going for the tried and true. We think players are ready for something new and exciting.
