SBG Feature | A brief history of the MMO genre, part two: The WoW shift

Jeff DeSolla: "MMOs, like most games, are very derivative. Generally, when you see an original idea in an MMO, it isn’t a full game, just a new component added to the mix. EverQuest probably did the most, though even then, many of the things it brought were simply mechanics well-known to RPG players brought into an online world. I mention this because when Blizzard Entertainment developed World of Warcraft, it really didn’t do anything that new or innovative. The success was purely gained from taking existing mechanics and making them less tedious and more fun for players, while keeping that same gradual progression that keeps players coming back for more."