Eight million people paying $15 a month evidently wasn't enough for the creators of "World of Warcraft." "Burning Crusade," the new expansion to the hit massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG) will ensure that any players thinking about quitting will never get the chance to do so.
For those unfamiliar with the MMORPG genre, "World of Warcraft" is a vast online world featuring characters from Blizzard's popular "World of Warcraft" series. Players create their own character by choosing from either the Alliance or the Horde, and then choosing one of the four races within each faction. Players are then thrown into the world with the sole goal of gaining levels and becoming powerful by solving quests, fighting monsters and participating in story arcs that reward the player with powerful weapons and items. The player simply repeats these goals in new lands with more powerful enemies until there is nothing left to accomplish.
"Burning Crusade" attempts to alleviate that problem by adding a whole new world for gamers to participate in. Outland, a vast desolate wasteland on another planet that has made several appearances in past "Warcraft" games, is now available to players. "Burning Crusade" also brings to the table never before seen equipment, spells and monsters. New instances, like private quest lines limited to players in the same group, provide a new challenge and expand on the "Warcraft" story line.
Blizzard has also announced new races. The Draenei and the Blood Elves are the newest to enter the fray for the Alliance and the Horde, respectively. For some gamers, running through the game's original content with a new race may be enjoyable. Jewel crafting has also been introduced as a new trade skill and is sure to provide some relief for gamers looking for an alternative to the overused Enchanting or Blacksmithing skills.
"World of Warcraft," like many MMORPGs, is a strange game to describe. The goal of these games is to create a world with a vast plethora of activities that will attempt to entice the player and keep him or her in the world. The notion of creating individual characters ensures that the typical gamer will become attached to his or her character's reputation in the world, and a monthly fee to play ensures that the game creator will enjoy some profit for keeping these players playing. The goal of "Burning Crusade" is to keep players paying by offering essentially "more of the same."
"World of Warcraft" is a social game. The main appeal of this genre is players' ability to make their mark on a world through reputation and socialization. The somewhat monotonous game play just ensures that nearly any gamer can accomplish this goal with the world. If this works for you, then "World of Warcraft" is the best of the MMOs. In addition, "Burning Crusade" ensures that gamers who play way more than they should can continue to do so for some time.
