Tired of the Same ol' Formula...

[Obysuca]

Like I said, XI wasn't popular for a reason.

Zero advertising outside Japan and released in a time when fewer people had a pc and mmos weren't widely popular like they are today. More people have a pc now and because of WoW forcing ads down your throat for the last 10 years everywhere and anywhere they can, more people know about mmos. Back when XI was released, playing a mmo was widely considered "nerdy" and "uncool". People would make fun of others who played them back then, but now because of tv/movies/references, mmos are looked at in a better light than they were in 2002, so more people give them a try. That's why it wasn't "popular", not so much because of gameplay. If that was the case, it wouldn't have lasted for 13 years.

Let's take a look at mmos like XIV and how "popular" they are. How many in the last 10 years that are exactly like XIV are still around? Barely, if any. Most were hyped then disappeared off the face of the planet before their first year, while others like SWTOR went f2p almost instantly. You can say XI "wasn't popular", but when it's lasted for 13 years and the cookie cutter mmos like XIV die in 1-3 years, it sure looks like the cookie cutter ones aren't too popular. They might be "popular" for the first few months/a year, considering more people have a pc now and more are into gaming than 15 years ago, they're usually only "popular" because its the mmo of the month to try out, but once a new shiny one comes out, if said mmo doesn't have anything that sets it apart or has staying power, they die off.

You say XI wasn't "popular", but look how many mmos have come out in the last decade (and died off too) and XI's still going. Think about that.
A mmo that lasts for 13 years, while staying p2p vs a generic mmo that gets popular for a few months then drops down a ton / dies off. I'd say the one that lasts for over a decade is more popular than one that dies off shortly and no one remembers.