worldofwarcraft

EA Mythic is reporting that over 300,000 people have signed up for the closed beta of their imminent 2008 Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG, MMO) release, Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning. Yep, that’s over a quarter of a million people. Forums of the current leading MMO’s reveals numerous references to “jumping ship” once WAR (the accepted acronym for warhammer online) hits the shelves early next year.

Everquest 2 (EQ2) became tired two weeks after its release when World of Warcraft (WoW) hit the shelves. Are people tiring of WoW now too?

Certainly, when Lord of the Rings Online (LotRO) sprang on the scene a few months ago, a small contingent from WoW migrated over, tired of the 1337-speaking pre-pubescents who dominate general chat on most servers. But, LotRO also seemed to capture the attention of those who were never interested in the general WoW community immaturity and who quit early on, but were still looking for a good MMO experience. So, even as LotRO flourishes, WoW continues to grow.

What will happen if WAR proves compelling, though? The huge number of people hoping for that to happen suggest that WoW could be taking a hit next year and might be on the decline in general, despite the raw numbers. No expansion looms on the Warcraft horizon. Many WoW veterans are poised to make their moves. Someone needs to get me in the beta.

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