User blog comment:Dark Jeto/Why I Believe ESO will Survive and Thrive/@comment-98.65.226.247-20140310070209/@comment-16047389-20140310134230

It's a different process for each MMO, but it usually starts on an online community site, where they gather dozens or hundreds of members before the game is even launched. The oldest guilds in WoW were established during the beta. Some even before.