Game: Mortal Online
Age: 3-5 years old
Status: Active
Info: Mortal online is a first person sandbox MMO. It has a very unique crafting and skill system. It also has rampant bugs and balance issues that have been there since release. For instance sometimes the skillbar just doesn't work after logging in. You rush into the middle of a fight and find you aren't switching weapons or activating abilities when you press the button. Also of the hundreds or race/age combos for characters ~10 are viable with only 2-5 combos being viable for each role. These issues have been around since release and have not been dealt with but people still play this game because it's unique.

Game: Shattered Galaxies
Age: 7+ years
Status: Active (At least it was when I checked last year)
Info: Shattered Galaxies is a corner view 2D MMO in which you command a small squad of units in massive team based RTS battles in order to gain control of parts of the map for your faction. It is next to impossible to get ground units to hold formations even though you can customize them and there has not been a SINGLE noticeable update since I first played it in 2006. Like I'm really not sure if they have updated the game AT ALL.

These are just 2 of MANY, MANY, MMO's with critical issues that are still going strong. EVERY game's forums are filled with doomsayers saying "This game will fail because of X." Yet Mortal, Wurm, Shattered Galaxies, Xsyon, Darkfall etc are still on the market. Hell even SWG stayed on the market until they were forced to shut down in order to make way for TOR.

MMO's rarely ever shut down, especially those that offer something unique. Dust 514 is certainly unique and thus will endure the doomsayers.

Also to those saying "But player count is dropping!!!" OF COURSE IT IS. Find me any game that doesn't have a drop in population shortly after release. There is a spike in population as people try the game, and then a decline shortly afterward as some people decide they don't like it or their short attention span wears out for EVERY game. You will notice for EVERY game that releases and expansions cause a population peak and then decline.

The fact is the doomsayers are like the evil twins of fanboys. Equally oblivious to reality and insistent on their point of view. "This game didn't give me what I wanted the moment that I wanted it therefore it WILL fail."

No it won't. Take your tinfoil hat and cardboard sign that says the end is coming and go scream on another street corner.