The WoW Effect - Homogeny, Hegemony and the Horde

John "AgonThalia" Sherman, form LotroSource.com weigh in on our editorial topic for the week.

It goes without saying that The World of Warcraft is a success. In fact, it's such a success that its radical design has not only revolutionized the way MMO's are played, it's influencing the way MMO's are being designed. Compared to the other MMO's on the market, WoW is the 800lb. troll in the room and the debate has shifted from "how successful is WoW going to be?" to "which of the new MMO's are going to be the WoW killer"? Taking a step back and examining the history of WoW as it compares with other marketplace juggernauts can reveal some interesting parallels with its rise and eventual fall. Turbine has released their new MMO, The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar to a select group of beta testers, who as they explore the world of Middle Earth, are providing valuable input to Turbine. Will LotRO be the WoW killer? From the information that we have now, can we make any predictions? Turbine has the opportunity to combine their proven track record in making good MMO's with an intellectual property that has sparked the imaginations of people for over 60 years. The big question, as it applies to LotRO, is: "With such a golden IP in their hands, will Turbine conform to the success of WoW or will they take a risk and innovate"?

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