Is the traditional MMORPG on the way out?

In the olden days, I had to walk to school – barefoot, in the snow, uphill both ways. Ok, so I didn’t…but I did have to walk (or ride my mount) to get to my instances in MMOs instead of insta-travelling there.

MMORPG games are now favoring one-click entrances into instances and raids. You can literally get there from your menu – no walking, no attacking NPCs on the way, no real work involved. Times are changing, and not for the better.

Honestly, if you don’t want to work that hard on progressing your character and getting cool armor, why are you playing an MMO to begin with? Especially now that you can play an FPS (first person shooter) that will also do some (though not as much) character progression. Some games even let you do a little customization (like in Team Fortress 2, you can customize the hat you wear).

Additionally, PvP is becoming more and more like FPS games. In a modern MMORPG, you queue up in a waiting room of sorts, and then are put into a PvP situation with a limited number of opponents. Again, why not just play an FPS if you want to battle a limited number of bad guys at a time?

In the olden times, MMO battlegrounds weren’t restricted to a small number of players. You used to be able to go out and fight on a battlefield swarming with opponents; it was both overwhelming and ridiculously fun. All of that is gone now, favoring this new insta-zoned PvP. Maybe it’s time for someone to make a ‘new’ genre – something to fill the void the traditional MMORPG has left.