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This is an interesting statement. From personal observation I have found that many players who left the MUD environment and went to games like WoW soon found themselves bored or frustrated.
These types of games come with limitations that do not plague textbase games.
1. Text base games can be played on almost any computer that is equipped to go on the Net.
2. Text base games can be almost limitless in size, zones, equipment, because...well...it's text based.
3. Graphic games are expensive to play, usually requiring monthly or yearly subscriptions. A big turn off for a lot of kids who can't afford it because of school or other reasons.
4. Graphic games usually will require players to upgrade and require an up front outlay of cash for the initial game.
I know that a lot of people were very excited when WoW came out (and please I'm not flaming WoW or criticizing it anyway so don't get excited), but eventually came back to the MuD because while the graphics are great the play is very limited compared the what players do in the MuD environment.
Obviously, I haven't run a survey, though perhaps it would be a good poll idea... to find out how may people left MuDs for graphic games only to return and why. But it' seems to me that this is mostly part of the 'mobile gaming community'. I've met many newbies who have left one mud for another just to try greener pastures, to get away from frustrating situations, only to find themselves driving back. It's not surprising that these same players might be lured by bright graphics only to find the games far more limited than the text game they have grown accustomed to.
I wouldn't ring the deathbells for MuDs just yet. They all still offer far more variety than the graphic games, for far less cost.
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