IP vs. IP: Is LotRO better than AoC?

Let's face it, in the past, big-name intellectual properties in the form of an MMO haven't fared too well. We're looking at you, Matrix Online. However, Lord of the Rings Online has proven that the curse of the brand IP might be breakable. Enter Age of Conan. As an IP, the game is touted as being exactly what Robert E. Howard would have made, if he were an MMO developer. Although according to a recent article at MMOcrunch, they're not exactly seeing it that way.

The article, entitled Why LotRO is Better than AoC, touches on many of the current problems in this Funcom blockbuster, as the writer gives their opinion on how and why it just doesn't do it for them. The predominant message here seems to be that they don't understand why Funcom left all the good stuff for the end of the game. Why play 100+ hours to get to the actual fun part? Is this something we'll see from more developers in the future, or will they learn from the mistakes of current MMOs and just give us the goodies right up front. It breaks down to that fundamental question we ask from MMOs: should you need to work towards an ultimate goal, or should you be able to just have fun the entire time? Can't we have both?