When designing a large game just by yourself, this is most probably the smartest - or only - way to go about it. Make the engine, and design it to be user-modifiable so it can, as the article says, have content added by users. Content creation is definitely the most arduous process in game development, so letting the userbase do that makes it possible for one person to make a game.
MMO neophyte designs MMO by himself
Aug 18th 2006 6:07AM (Joystiq)