3rd the gameplay is everything stale in current mmos. Get this, clear that, run here, get experience, jump in a group of dudes fighting some big monster, get more experience. Now I don't have a problem with that, that's what MMO types are. But it's NOT REVOLUTIONARY, Unique, engrossing, or requiring anything more than just being there.
No, it's evolutionary. I've stated this before. It takes what came before and polishes it. You don't have to group to contribute. Everyone gets rewarded based on participation. Quests are compiled into a list so you don't have to run back to some guy who tells you to keep going up the ladder, you can just go up the ladder and then finish the whole set. (That annoyed the crap out of me in WoW.)
This is a "level up" forumula, play till leveled then forget about the game. In other words, when people foam at the mouth droning on about how this "formula" is so amazing, they are undoubtedly new with the genre.
The level up formula is included in not only MMOs, but shooters an other games as well. Prototype 2? Yeah, leveled until the end then stopped playing. But once you reach the end of a single player game, don't you usually stop playing?
Being new is also fine, but don't try convincing me or other who have been around. And PvP will not be the saving grace, see 5th.
4th this bland formula is repeated until endgame. So you better totally love this worn out MMO formula, because it doesnt change at all - ever.
Even with the preceding, 4 is still nothing more than a wide generalization that means nothing. You could type 3 and 4 about any game in any genre.