thats the problem tho.
blizzard (and other mmo makers too) seem to be unable to be satisfied with anything less than a 'wow killer' and there in lies the problem.
they wont consider making 'farmers-MMO' and 'FPS-space-MMO' and 'Fantasy-lifestyle-MMO' for niche audiences, because they are all obbsessed with making 'wow-killer-MMO' instead.
untill someone (and that someone does not have to be a major player, just someone smart enough to avoid the shareholder-says issue.and someone other than EVE, because everyone knows EVE is niche but no one in the biz will admit that there are other niches to exploit, appart from 'casual' titals like king makes) actualy steps up and says
'you know what? there are LOADS of players we can expliot, ah i mean cater to....if we stop looking to make max-wow-killer-500, and instead focus on other niche users. hardcore permadeath fanatics. hardcore roleplayers. lovecraftian horror fans. you name it, if we can find a community willing to play it (and buy it. dont have to be buy to sub, or even free2pay lol) we should make it'
at least that way, some of us would get a game we can call home lol. and smaller niche markets are easier to work with. provided you also realise that you need to stick to the original group. its no good making a racecar apocalipse game about prisoners racing for their freedom and then, someone starts yelling in the forums that they want a farming sim thrown in. a gambling pvp fight pit maybe but you know what i mean. too often someone outside the niche comes along and wants what THEY prefer adding into a game that they like for a little part of it. like shoehorning in PvP to a PvE game because a few want it in every game ever now. and dont be scared to make a game that has no pvp or has no pve. just make sure to advertise exactly what is and isnt ever going to be in it. dont add in pvp afterwards to please the hardcore, or pvp-free islands just to please the peace players. stick to what you say, becasue that niche audience will prefer you for it.