14 DAY TRIAL // After the launch of the Cataclysm expansion for World of Warcraft one leading analyst claims that the MMO from developer Blizzard has the potential to lead the subscriber based online market for years to come, with no challenger threatening its existence.
Michael Pachter, who is the best-known analyst of the video games market and works with Wedbush Morgan Securities, told Eurogamer as part of a bigger report that, “Nothing will topple World of Warcraft for another 20 years.”
He added, “As long as the Blizzard guys keep working on it, the quality will remain very high, and it will remain the dominant game. Your question is analogous to asking what will topple Google in search or Facebook in social media, and the answer is the same. I don't see any game catching up, the lead is insurmountable.”
At the moment, World of Warcraft has more than 12 million subscribers and the number is growing, although a little more slowly than in the first two years after the launch of the original game.
Blizzard has already said that the next expansion, which could arrive in about 18 months, is being thought about, with the addition of a new continent being a distinct possibility.
The company is also aiming to deliver more patches that change certain areas of the game world.
The biggest upcoming competitor for the Blizzard MMO is Star Wars: The Old Republic, the project that is being worked on by LucasArts, BioWare and Electronic Arts, with a probable release date for the next fiscal year.
The game's claim to fame is that it will be more focused on the story in the in-game universe and will deliver full voiced dialog for all important NPCs.
Another potential competitor is Warhammer 40,000: Dark Millenium Online, which is worked on by Vigil Games and is set to focus on delivering a more action-oriented experience.