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Dating as far back as 1996 with 3DO's Meridian 59, the Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game, or MMORPG, genre, has taken off exponentially in recent years. As computers become faster and more inexpensive, and braodband internet is more widely accessable to the masses, the profit margins for MMOs has grown.

One such MMO, however, has simply shattered all MMO records and earnings that came before it. That game is World of Warcraft. Now boasting over seven million - yes you read that right - players, the World of Warcraft is one of the top selling video games of all time, let alone MMOs. The game is designed and run by Blizzard Entertainment, who (it should be noted) hold 3 of the top five best selling PC games of all time. This number is based on actual copies purchased, not dollar amounts. So, to say that Blizzard has a formula for making great games is something of an understatement. The only game keeping Blizzard from the top spot is the Sims.

World of Warcraft marks Blizzard's first foray into MMO territory, and on all counts it is considered a resounding success. WoW does away with the time-consuming leveling process of most other MMOs, providing a fast, easy leveling path to the level cap of 60. Once at 60, there is a surprisingly vast amount of things left to accomplish - player versus player combat, high-end raiding, top-level instances, and faction building make this one MMO that can remain fun beyond the "end-game".

I can say from experience that to a first time player, the game is drop-dead gorgeous. The more esoteric areas - Teldrassil, the Night Elf starting area, for example - look like something pulled out of a Saturday morning cartoon and brought to life. The mixture of realistic graphics and semi-cartoony coloring makes World of Warcraft one of the most PC-friendly games out there. Almost any system with a mediocre or better 3D card can handle WOW, and experience simply awe-inspiring graphical effects. Blizzard's trademark attention to detail is present in every aspect of the game, from the zone-wide weather effects to something as small as wolves chasing bunnies around Elwynn Forest.

Another Blizzard trademark is a wry sense of humour. Anyone who has played a Blizzard game will tell you they like to sneak references to popular culture into their games, and WoW is no exception. In fact, due to it's sheer scale, WOW seems to have gone completely over the top with it's references. Some of the references are plain, for example, Hin Denburg,

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