Failure: the entertainment factor vs. popularity

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What do you think is the most more important consideration? The entertainment you get out from a product or how popular it  is? Or is there some other overriding consideration? We see all this taunting about how a game is a failure because it did not manage to keep millions of players entertained after few months, but does it really count as a failure? And to whom? I am sure most of these companies are satisfied with their box sales and are making money from subscriptions and cash shops even if they did not meet the largely overestimated retention numbers.

Looking at the many recent online games, which I have also played, for example Aion, Rift, SWTOR, Diablo 3 and Warhammer Online, I have to say that I got enough out of all those titles to satisfy me. However, I would not consider any of them as a good game, but I can justify the box cost on all those titles listed. I spent over hundred hours in each of them and quit once I got to the point where I was no longer having fun and was not entertained. I have no regrets.

I consider that games are supposed to be harmless distractions (unless you work in the field or earn money from playing), the main goal should be to keep you entertained. Naturally, not everyone is going to like same type of games, so variety is needed and I think we have that today, which we should be grateful. There is enough demand to justify even more obscure titles and concepts.