If you happen to run into him, don't tell him we said this, but we keep very close e-tabs Ryan "Blackguard" Shwayder, following him around forums and checking his blog rather frequently. It's not that we have some unnatural affection for the man (although we do), it's more of a professional curiosity. We're watching and waiting from the shadows for the day when Ryan will perhaps have a bit too much to drink and sit down at his computer and finally dish all the details for 38 Studios' top-secret project, for which he is both a game designer and community manager.In the latest post on his blog, Ryan notes the overwhelming acceptance of PvP servers not only in World of Warcraft, but in the recently released Age of Conan as well, with over 50% adoption in that case. They've gone from begrudged niche in some cases to being as necessary for a sustained end-game as raiding or crafting. Specifically, Shwayder notes, "Now that it's clear there is money in PvP and it's not niche, I'm betting we start to see some high-budget PvP MMOs soon." Is that right? High-budget PvP MMOs in the future? Like, we don't know... Copernicus?
