Let me give you some insight into why we decided and why we thought we could do an MMO. First of all, a subscription model is very attractive, because it's clear how the venture is supposed to make money. We thought, or at least I thought, that we could make an MMO more simply by making a game that's just the "multiplayer online part" plus a smaller "rest of the game". I got started immediately working on the network sync code.
I got as far as moving boxes that did in fact sync their positions on multiple computers. But going from that to a real game is about as big a gulf as going from nailing boards to building a house. It turns out, code to network sync a game is not going to go anywhere without a game to sync.
So now I'm working on a simpler single player game, built with the scripting language bindings that was one of the best pieces left over from the earlier endeavor. I think even experienced programmers from other fields cannot understand the soul-crushing amount of work it is to get even simple things working in a 3D game when you're doing it all by your self. Yesterday I got a green line to move on a black screen, and I was happy.
(The game engine, which can do more than that, had been not working for 6 months following a rewrite, so I was happy to see anything. And yes I know about the Joel Spolsky article about the folly of complete rewrites. I'll see your Joel Spolsky and raise you one Richard Brooks: "plan to throw one away. You will anyway.")