The Daily Grind: Who will be our MMO development heroes of tomorrow?

The lifespan of the MMO genre is still fairly short when you take general gaming into consideration. Fifteen years ago, most of us wouldn't have dreamed of what's available online today, thanks to the innovators who brought together graphical roleplaying games and the MUDs of the day. People like Richard Garriott, Raph Koster, Starr Long, J. Todd Coleman, and a handful of others helped create what we know today as MMORPGs.

But who will be the innovators and trend-setters of tomorrow's MMOs? We see a lot of innovation these days, but ascribing those ideas to one person isn't as easy (or applicable) as it was in the early days of five-man studios. Still, there are geniuses in these modern studios making some much-needed improvements that will carry on for many years.

So if you're a player and you know of someone who will be known for his or her innovation in the future, let us know. If you're a developer who wants to call out a co-worker for something he or she has done to change the genre, get that name out there!

Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!