As we are beginning to close out this year, and head into the next, we already have two MMORPGs who seem to be aiming for the top spot of the MMORPG world. Each one promising fun features and epic stories that will dethrone the illustrious WoW, who has held the top spot for the better part of 3 years now. For those who haven’t caught on yet (to either the title or references) I am speaking about Warhammer Online and Age of Conan.
Both Eidos/Funcom and EA/Mythic has set up release dates for their prospective games at the beginning of next year, which means they will both be thrown into a heated competition with each other, as well as Blizzards newest expansion: Wrath of the Lich King. So what does each of these games offer that will place them firmly into the #1 MMORPG spot? Lets see:
Warhammer Online
- Extensive RvR play that takes palce within PvP and PvE environments.
- War-centric theme.
- Based off of Games Workshop’s very popular IP.
- Player Tactics and Moral Skills
- Play models that change to reflect the power of your character, i.e. Orcs will grow in size.
Age of Conan:
- First mainstream-published mature MMORPG title.
- Expansive single-player game leading into the MMORPG.
- Action-oriented fighting system.
- Siege weapons.
- Massive battlegrounds.
Both games obviously build onto what World of Warcraft has already established, but will it be enough to actually topple the 800 lb. gorilla? With both offering different styles of play and both competing for the top spot anything can happen. Let’s just hope they both launch relatively bug-free, unlike some supposed WoW-killing MMORPGs.
[i]Based off of GameStop’s very popular IP[/i]
Err…. thats Games Workshop!
The current release date for WAR is now Q2, 2008 and I imagine they’ll hold back on releasing it until the bitter end (if they don’t delay it for a third time). Technically, that release is half way through next year, in June.
Also, a little fix: Warhammer Online is based on Games Workshop’s IP, not GameStop, which is a chain of stores that sell video/PC games. The names are easy to confuse though.
On a side note, I think these games will be competing with each other over the mature audience of gamers. Let’s hope they don’t cripple each other as WoW continues to grow. And yes, a non-buggy release would be amazing, but I don’t think I’ve ever played an MMORPG that didn’t have a buggy release. Bugs = synonymous with MMORPGs. :P
Ha!
My bad, sorry about the mix-up guys. I had GameStop on my mind at the time of writing this article. :)
Ya both of these games will be buggy upon release, even the famous LoTRO release (regarded as one of the smoothest MMORPG launches of all time) had a few bugs of its own. However, lets hope it doesn’t end up like a Vanguard release, a prime example of how first impressions can destroy a game.
The Warhammer Online Staff has already said they aren’t looking to topple WoW. That would be a fools errand at this point. Luckily they don’t need to topple WoW in order to be a success. All they need to do is offer a quality RvR game, that explores the depth and breadth of the Warhammer IP. If they stay true to their vision, they will have a hugely successful title on their hands.. They already have nearly 500,000 beta subcribers. This is an amazing number and a great sign of things to come
Thank GOD some mature mmorpgs. Im so tired of trying treason with children as to how BOTS and afkers RUINED pvp in WOW. They simply have no concept of morality nor integrity. Yes many mature people lackt his also but at least they can offer an arguement better then “you suck” etc.
Long live mature rated mmorpgs!
Warhammer looks like it will be a wow copy. lord of the rings online all over again. My vote is on Age of Conan, no ugly toon style graphics, great directed attacks that you control and a mature feeling. I’m afraid warhammer will draw in too many 10 year olds =/.
My vote be for Warhammer as a gamer from asia pacific region the real time fighting of AOC be a disadvange with the latency. Plus nothing beats 100+ players in epic RVR.
I am going to play Age of Conan. I’ve been playing WoW for quite some time now, and I too am tired of the childish, not to mention AWEFUL players that subscribe to go AFK in PvP. I’m tired of bad players and immature children. I expect Age of Conan to be more mature, and most importantly have an inherent higher-degree-of-difficulty. This should deter the unskilled. I hate playing with bad players…it ruins MMO’s for me. Good work AoC. Warhammer will be too much like WoW.
War will be like WoW? HA! Look, if you enjoy non-stop farming and non-stop grinding for cash, they yeah WoW’s your game..but then you say about the kids? I have a mate whos 14 years old and has a fully epic Rogue that was in PURGED (best guild on hellscream) AoC is for older people who are into scandinavian stuff (vikings etc etc etc) my vote goes to War online, will be great and I am researching a lot about it already.
vote is for WAR. For anyone that says ” war is gonna be like wow”, you havn’t looked into the game or Mythics history of making games then. If you say you have, do better at researching. I applaud AoC trying out the new combat system, but latency will be too much of a problem to make it a real competitive game. Mythic knows what they are doing and will succeed.
On a side note, look at any game at release. Do you think Wow was fun at release? They had hardly any content at all. They didnt even have battlegrounds. Far as im concerned mythic invented BG in DAoC, if I am wrong please correct me. GO WAR!
I played my friends Beta Warhammer account a few months ago and couldn’t stand it. The fighting system was too simplistic, boring and the morale tactics were overpowered but also to slow to charge up. The pvp was very over rated.
Granted that was beta and I’m sure things have changed and/or been polished since then but as for a first impression, it was no wow killer.
Age of Conan looks like it has the right idea, with a complex fighting system that sounds like fun. Whether it will be a wow killer or not, don’t know till i try it but I’m definitely going AoC instead of warhammer.
I’ve done a bit of research, and I still can’t decide with is the better of the three (AOC, WAR, WOW) I left wow because of the repetitive fighting styles of a character after I reached 70 it was old, so if war has the same Idea then I don’t want it. I haven’t experienced it but the AOC sounds interesting in its fighting style. on another note I also injoy the exagerated outfits of games such as WoW and WAR, Aoc’s outfits are all realistic wich is not to say bad just not as exciting. The number one issue I am worried about is how well will these games run. Just because one game is the best doesn’t mean it’s the best for me, I want something that will not overload my computer and by viewing the requirements AOC seems like it will. That’s just my thoughts though.
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The rule is not to talk about money with people who have much more or much less than you.