Why does people look back to UO when a new game like Darkfall and Mortal Online is coming out?
Why does something new and exciting really matter? Does PVP, PK'ing, stealing, and house looting in an open system somehow evolve into this brand new entity that makes those features different? Do you need EQ graphics in order to do all of this in an open system? Ultima Online is very much fun to play no differently than it was a decade ago.
Pvp, pking, stealing ect if implemented in a better game with better mechanics with better graphics does evolve into a new entity.
The only thing your argument has going for it is that all the above have not been implemented ever again in a single game. But it dosnt change the fact that its still stale.