From Joystiq:

For a MMOG to make buckets and buckets of money, it must be dumbed down. Nintendo and Microsoft have both taken steps to make gaming more accessible to the masses with simpler controls, simpler interfaces, simpler hardware, and so on. If we agree with the premise that consoles are complex enough to warrant dumbing down, then PC gaming needs a friggin’ lobotomy.

World of Warcraft is successful because it hit the right balance between simplicity and complexity from launch day. There are still hard-core gamers today who call WoW “Diablo III,” the implication being that it’s too dumb for a true hardcore RPG fan. And yet the subscriber numbers don’t lie. WoW is the most successful MMOG. In game design, dumb is the new smart.

If “dumbed down” stands for “accessibility” I agree.

It’s a oversimplification and may sound wrong, but it is a good one.

The key is not about finding a balance, though. The key is to make accessible what remains complex and involving. An example is the comment I wrote to Dave’s description of Eve-Online.

I believe that Eve-Online can be way more successful and accessible than how it is already. The core point is: without becoming less interesting for those who currently love it.