Have you ever heard of the tale about the everlasting fan belt? The story starts with a small inventor who became frustrated at high garage bills for maintaining his car. Every time he visited for a seemingly minor problem, the sparkplugs or fan belt needed replacing. After one expensive visit too many, he decided enough was enough and worked on fixing the problem once and for all.
After a few years, the young inventor perfected an item that would revolutionise the car maintenance industry – an indestructible fan belt. He secured a patent on it, and began to tout the idea with various car makers the world over.
The inventor found a buyer, so the myth says, and rewarded him handsomely. But the belt never made it to market. Sensing what it would do to the lucrative car maintenance industry, the buyer (who owned a chain of garages) never sold a single belt using the patent. Instead, he continued to profit from the built-in obsolescence, guaranteeing a steady stream of regular customers.
How does this relate to MMOs? Let me explain.