I cant help but feel that for whatever merits ESO may have in its favor, the collective opinion of the internet has already sealed its fate. I doubt people will give this game the chance it deserves, because even Forbes is piling onto the "Lets Hate ESO" bandwagon. (or, maybe, banned-wagon?)
I get a similar feeling/taste from the MMO market in general. I believe WoW succeeded where it did, because of WHEN it did. When Vanilla/BC came out, MMO's were made mainstream enough to be considered, and the players (Eternal trolls and griefers aside) seemed to enjoy playing -with other people-, and this is the "secret sauce", adventure and companionship... Players today do not want interaction beyond the bare minimum to achieve end-game gear.
Gamers no longer play MMO's to play with other people, they play them to use other people. Be it for ego boosting, frustration venting, or content-locusting, people no longer have any desire to form a bond with other people in the digital landscape. Its a culture shift, and one I feel is going to doom the genre. (Dooooooooommmmm!!!)
I feel that people will stop bothering to log in to games that enhance/encourage player segregation/detachment. There are enough single player games out there, and with the audience no longer wanting to sit together... It's really only a matter of time.