Will SWTOR Finally Topple WoW?

 WoW has long been likened to the Galactic Empire, if we were to draw a line to the Star Wars franchise. It’s big, profitable, and continues to draw people in with little real competition in sight. Sure, there are games that rival it, but those to go “To the Dark Side” rarely return.

Star Wars: The Old Republic will attempt to succeed where others have failed. Topple the giant!!! So what makes SWTOR different? Why does it have a chance to succeed against such gigantic odds? A few reasons:

1) It has freakin’ Jedi’s!!!! If there is a single WoW player out there who says that they hate Star Wars, then they’re 10 years old, or are lying to you. I’m sure WoW fans get enchants on their swords just so they look like lightsabers. So this introduces one simple factor that is, in actuality, HUGE! Jedi’s kick any WoW races’ ass, and every WoW player wants to be a Jedi.

2) The Bioware factor. I’m pretty sure that Dr. Ray Muzyka (CEO of Bioware) shits golden nuggets. I mean has Bioware ever had a flop? It’s probably the first time that Blizzard has had a venerable opponent actually step up to the plate. This could be a clash for the ages. The one advantage that goes to Blizzard is simply the marketing money behind it and the installed, addicted swarm of zombies that still haven’t figured out that you can’t finish the game.

3) New home for the hardcore. Hardcore players often complain that WoW has become diluted and boring and that they grow tired of n00bs. Whatever the case, SWTOR is a whole new environment for the hardcore. Uncharted areas to explore with little or no help from Wikis and other media, it means a fresh and new challenge, and it might be the right time, being that most of these “hardcore” players will be presented with the option of paying for the new expansion or moving to SWTOR.

In conclusion, SWTOR presents a threat. How significant is that threat? Well it could depend on many factors, or could come down to something as simple as a release date. Will Bioware understand this and race to beat the WoW Cataclysm expansion to market? If they don’t then they could get buried with so many other MMOs that have tried to topple WoW and failed.

In this even significant? You’re damn right it is! If you run into a player you doesn’t resent paying for each and every expansion of a game that they pay $15 a month for, then you’ve never really played. So to stand their best chance at survival Bioware should have a very simple agenda at this point. Get into Crunchtime and push this beast to market before Cataclysm hits, otherwise their launch could be less than….well….Cataclysmic to WoW.