Does founder's syndrome hurt MMOs?

Founder's syndrome -- defined by Wikipedia as "a difficulty faced by many organizations where one or more founders maintain disproportionate power and influence following the effective initial establishment of the project" -- is not limited to just organizations. Sandbox gamers might recognize it as something that can affect their virtual worlds as well. For example, there's a long-standing debate among EVE Online fans as to whether or not it's possible for newcomers to ever truly catch up and compete on the same level as those who've been dominating the game and accruing money and power for over a decade. Sometimes, the people who get to the sandbox first keep control of all the toys.

Antique sandbox A Tale in the Desert attempted to dodge this problem by resetting the game in its entirety after each "tale" plays out. Veteran players might keep their network of contacts and their real-world knowledge of the game, but their in-game material wealth and characters must be started from scratch, allowing newcomers a better chance of competing with them. Of course, it might be hard for modern themepark fans to accept such a solution!

What do you think -- is founder's syndrome a problem in the MMOs you play? How would you solve the problem?

TH

For most of the MMOs that i've played, aside from PVP, there isn't really a gap between new players and veterans other than the natural ones that occur with time. I imagine Founder's Syndrome is prevalent in the mindset of most players, however, as it is pretty common human nature to want to be above others in some way, shape, or fashion.

I think that there will always be MMOs that allow it, and those that try hard not to. At that point, it's just up to the player base to pick the one that suits them the most. Some people might crave the feeling of progress as they climb the ranks of a tightly knit MMO community through time and effort. Others, like myself, don't share the sentiment.

don't really see a problem with older players since the new players will always catch up eventually.

Yeah i mean sure it does make it difficult for newcomers when they start a game like EvE but if you put decent time into it you can still be decent. But games like that is truly something you just cant be alone in. You cant walk in into a sandbox expecting a good progression while its only you playing.

If you have a group of brothers (us forexample) then there is at least a chance for progression. Yes it will take alot of investment, yes we might not be the biggest corporation out of them all, but progression is still possible. It's just how much energy and time you are willing to put that is the true question.