I may be reaching a bit, but I think this Fall may be the battle of the genres. Gears of War 2 and Resistance 2 are heading for a shooter showdown, while Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning and World of Warcraft will fight for the MMORPG of the year mantle. The Wrath of the Lich King expansion will be released on 11/13/08, just about two months after Warhammer.

Having spent lots of time with both World of Warcraft pre-Wrath and Warhammer Online, I’ve come to the conclusion that although they’re in the same genre and doing some of the same things, they appeal to different people. WAR is for the PvP player, the guy (or girl) that’s all about going in and outsmarting another person over and over again to ultimately take them down. WoW is more for the player that enjoys the comradery of achieving some seemingly insurmountable task with a group of people you’ve bonded with throughout the hundreds of hours played so far.

I look forward to seeing some sort of breakdown in numbers about the status of World of Warcraft and Warhammer Online in a post-Wrath-release world in November, and whether or not these games hold up past their initial launch.

Tags: MMORPG, warhammer, WOW, Wrath of the Lich King

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