The genre must be competitive with counterpart single player rpgs to be respectable. This genre is not even close anymore.
pre-wow era: 1995-2005
Final Fantasy, Baldur's Gate 1/2, System Shock 1/2, Diablo 1/2, Icewind Dale, Ocarina of Time
vs.
The Realm, EverQuest 1/2, Ultima Online, Asheron's...