Ten Ton Hammer - Taking MMO Gamers to the Next Level!

In an interview yesterday, Global Agenda Exec. Producer Todd Harris noted that one of the focuses (focii? focal points?) of alpha testing was making sure that the game was fun for level-cap players. This was the first time I've heard about such attention given to the endgame from so early in the testing process. Is designing backwards, rather than from the ground up, one of the keys to making an MMO that's fun to play at all levels? That's the topic of discussion today in Loading... Designing Backwards.