This is the end.

FEBRUARY 27, 2008 • Tabula Rasa was not the first MMO to be shut down, but it was one of the few that went out with a bang. Instead of simply switching off the servers on Feb. 27, subscribers of the NCsoft title were treated to a final-day epic onslaught of alien invaders in a huge special event. They alien ravagers, controlled by game GMs, wreaked havoc, and despite a valiant defense, the Earth was destroyed. Game over.

Impact: By their very nature MMOs are designed to be open-ended. But when online worlds are struck down with the click of an accountant’s keyboard mouse, too few publishers make the effort to do more than turn off the game with a whimper. Consumers understand economic reality, yet it says wonders when an outfi t like NCsoft sends off the MMO with a grand finish. For the players that have devoted many hours to the game, such overtures result in good faith for future titles, rather than lingering anger at losing a favorite game.