World of Warcraft vs. Aion

Every time a new MMORPG comes along, people compare it to World of Warcraft. Whether or not you’re a WoW player, it’s nearly impossible to avoid hearing the discussion in some form or another.

Aion’s release has been no different, with forums abuzz with comparisons and the in-game General Discussion channels often filled with people muttering their opinions on the Aion vs. WoW debate.

For those not in the know – in a nutshell, Aion is NCsoft’s new MMORPG set in the beautiful yet harsh world of Etrea. It promises to open up new possibilities for its players through the PvPvE system, as well as through letting players spread their wings and fly (the latter not only being a means of transport, but also adding an aerial combat mechanic to the game). A number of other minor noteworthy gameplay innovations are also present.

Despite these promises, many have labelled it as WoW 2.0, and it is not difficult to see why. Whilst NCsoft has aimed to innovate in some aspects of the game, it does resemble a new, shinier version of WoW. Whether or not that is a bad thing, is obviously up to the individual. However, one thing is for sure, and that is that World of Warcraft is becoming dated, which has naturally lead to some players seeking something new but not necessarily too different.

So the million Rand question is – do Blizzard and World of Warcraft players have any reason to worry about the game they know and love? It’s far too early to predict Aion’s success in the Western market, with release having taken place a mere few days ago, but in Asia where it’s nearing its first birthday it is certainly proving to be a force to be reckoned with.

In Korea, the first country to see the release of Aion back in November 2008, it was voted as the “Best Korean Game of Year.” There, it is said to have millions of players…in fact so many that earlier this year 1 in 10 Koreans were actively playing the game. That is no small feat. It is also important to note that recently World of Warcraft servers were shut down in another Asian country – China, due to government intervention. The servers were reopened, but the entire affair was said to have reduced active World of Warcraft subscriptions to 5 million world-wide, down from 12 million, for that time period. This no doubt dented WoW’s subscription figures permanently as many players may have moved over to Aion for good when they were denied access to WoW.

However, speculation aside, the Western market is what we are considered a part of – Europe to be exact. Therefore what happens in Asia doesn’t necessarily directly affect us. Can you, as a WoW player, expect a mass exodus from WoW to Aion, rendering your realm empty and you running around in the shadow of the new kid on the block? Not likely. Aion is definitely proving popular, and it will most likely be around for a long time – whether the Western market accepts it or not– but WoW is like that old girlfriend/boyfriend that you just can’t seem to forget despite your new one being hotter in almost every way. This means that there will probably be more than enough people playing World of Warcraft for years to come. Add to that the introduction of another expansion set to change the face of WoW, and Blizzard and its player-base can rest easy…for now.

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