WSJ writes about MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games):
While World of Warcraft and a handful of other “massively multiplayer online games” have become lucrative blockbusters, most U.S. titles don’t generate enough sales to offset high development costs. The reason lies partly in the runaway success of games like World of Warcraft fans of the genre often don’t have time to play more than one title at a time. Now, publishers are making a big push to lure new gamers by making games easier to play, lowering prices and expanding the subject matter beyond the traditional dragons-and-wizards fare.
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It costs as much as $30 million to develop massively multiplayer games, and, historically, the games have had limited appeal.
