MMORPG might have been impacted by MOBA games but a starving camel would still be bigger than a horse. There were still many loyal players at this stage.
Compared to standalone games, online games were more in line with mainstream players' taste. Once the number of players increased, it would be easy to become a long-term money tree.
The sales volume of standalone games would decrease after a few months at most. Everyone would get sick of it after playing for a while. What's more, those who had paid for standalone games did not have any follow-up expenses other than buying some downloadable content.
However, it was different for online games. There would be an endless stream of money entering the account even if it was a relatively conscientious time charge. If it became popular, it would be difficult to clean up in the future.
GOG and Ocean Stronghold were painful lessons.