Matt Firor, former boss of Elder Scrolls Online, recalled being told by several publishers around E3 2001 that the MMO market was already saturated. He quoted publishers saying, “There’s already enough MMOs out there, no one is ever gonna play a new one. There’s EverQuest, Ultima Online, Asheron’s Call. I mean, really, what are you doing that they can’t?” [1] Firor said Vivendi was the fifth publisher to agree to publish Dark Age of Camelot after others rejected it for similar reasons. [1]
Firor sees the games industry as cyclical, with booms and busts recurring over time. He noted that current troubles in the MMO sector resemble past cycles of interest and decline. He expressed cautious optimism that good games can still succeed given the right combination of game quality, features, team, and marketing, but with no guarantees. [1]
Firor disagrees with analyst Matthew Ball’s view that gaming is permanently losing the "War for Attention" to social media and short-form video. Ball argues that gaming faces a long-term decline in player focus, but Firor thinks the situation is more cyclical and nuanced, with market conditions fluctuating rather than collapsing. [1]
A major challenge Firor highlighted is discoverability. He said, "I would like to think that’s true [that a good MMO could succeed regardless of market], but there are a lot of really good games out there that nobody knows about. Discoverability is a big issue." This points to the difficulty that even quality titles face when competing amid a crowded market. [1]
Firor’s reflections draw on his experience navigating the MMO landscape for two decades, from initial skepticism by publishers in 2001 through later successes and changes in the industry. He cited E3 2001 specifically as the moment when publishers doubted the viability of new MMOs due to established competitors. [1]
His comments underscore how market saturation concerns have long shaped attitudes toward MMOs. Firor’s outlook remains that while the industry faces cycles and obstacles, effective discovery and strong development teams can still produce successful new MMOs. [1]
