"People want MMOs, and the sales of New World proved it" – Cryptic Studios head Jack Emmert on why MMOs are ripe for reinvention

Jack Emmert, CEO of Cryptic Studios, argues that demand for MMOs remains strong despite recent high-profile cancellations like New World: Aeternum. He contends that failures stem from over-scoped, over-budgeted titles trying to compete with World of Warcraft rather than targeting passionate niches. His philosophy: start lean, launch with a focused core loop, and grow based on player feedback. Emmert is back at Cryptic to reinvigorate its existing MMOs (Neverwinter, Star Trek Online, Champions Online) and is exploring what the studio's next project should be, emphasizing rapid prototyping as the key to reducing development risk.