The Evolution of the MMORPG Genre 1974 - 2021

The MMORPG genre is perhaps one of the most complex and expansive genres in video games.
They provide us an an easy escape from the grind that is our daily life, and allow for us to explore fantastical worlds filled with other players of varying backgrounds, likes, dislikes and personalities. They take the foundations that made role-playing games a success and then apply that on a massive scale.

I've spent the better half of 2 decades now playing MMOs and there isn't a single moment of that time that I regret. Well.. okay maybe I made a few poor decisions, played some really low quality games or raged a little too furiously, but for the most part I don't have any regrets.
Nevertheless, the genre has continued growing. Continued evolving since I started in it all the way back in the early 2000s. Sure, some people are under the impression that the MMORPG genre has been in a state of decline for years now, despite there being more players interested in online gaming than ever before.
And while I can't speak for you, I can say that I'm merely waiting for a game to reignite that spark I once had - that allowed me to no-life these games as a kid.

It's been years since we had an MMORPG innovate in the way they did back during the 80s, 90s and early 2000s. Developers are comfortable rehashing ideas instead of opting to produce something new and exciting, and that is why, as I mentioned earlier, players think the genre is stagnating.
And that isn't untrue. We've definitely come a long way ever since the inception of the MMORPG genre, and we still have a ways to go. Whether the future for PC MMOs is bright, or we're going to end up a relic of ages past, much like many of the games that aided in the evolution of the genre remains to be seen.
Only time will tell, and I look forward to being a part of history.