There are many reasons for the failure of 3DO. Mismanagement, 'milking' of titles well beyond the normal lifespan(Army Men was notorious for this) with little or no new additional content, lack of focus, too many 'irons in the fire', and a lack of quality in the later product releases. Let's also face facts here and admit that the RPG market is by far the hardest to design for and get good results for the casual gamer. Take Diablo 2 for example. There are no advantages to a single player campaign, and you're actually losing out of getting items by playing the game on your own terms. In order to get as much from the game as possible, you're basically forced to go online into an environment extremely hostile to anyone with an IQ over double digits. The game ENCOURAGES long playing sessions, and honestly few people can or will make that sort of commitment to a game. I see MMORPGs as more of a fad than a long-lasting business model, but it's going to take at least 10-20 years or longer to turn that around. And they have the same flaw as D2 encouraging destructive long playing sessions. Until the casual gamer makes their voice heard more, don't expect the status quo or future RPG releases to change much.
