The Daily Grind: Is automation preferable to MMO closures?

I'm sure you've heard about this whole automating Guild Wars 1 business, yes? ArenaNet has decided to pull the plug on any further live development in favor of putting the title on autopilot. That means for the Guild Wars faithful -- and yes, people do still play that game even with the sequel out there -- that the future of the title will be more or less the same as the present.

The studio says that by doing this it will have ensured that Guild Wars will be able to keep on trucking for a good while yet. I know that when faced with MMO shutdowns, players have begged for studios to put those titles on autopilot rather than close them down. Still, if an MMO isn't being updated and doesn't have a development future, is that a game worth playing? Isn't ongoing development and change one of the hallmarks of this genre?

So what do you think? Is automation preferable to closing down an MMO?

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!