World of Warcraft Killer. It's become an actual term in the gaming industry.

It's the Shangri'la of gaming, a mythical paradise that all gamers and developers dream of but no-one knows if it actually exists, or even if it can.

Dethroning WoW has become the ultimate goal of game development - it's the ultimate title that can be bestowed unto any game - but maybe we should take a step back and have a look at this ideal with a more critical eye.

Now, everyone who has had WoW negatively affect their lives in some way, please raise your hand now...
1...2..8...312... Hmm, that's a lot.

Alright, now for all the non-gamers who've had their lives impacted by a friend/relative/partner who has a WoW addiction, please raise your hands...
...Oh my, it's about the same amount, if not more.

Don't start throwing your rocks yet guys, I know you get awfully defensive when it comes to your precious Azeroth, but hear me out.

Did you see all those hands? Yeah, that's one helluva lot of people who've been affected by just one game. I should know, I'm one of them (WoW claimed my soul during closed beta... I wasn't part of the beta, I was hooked just hearing about it). My concern is simply this: Do we really want a game that is so incredible that it kills WoW?

*Waits for the resounding YES to fade away*

Try to think about it for a moment. Even if you yourself are not addicted (you're a liar btw), you still cannot deny that thousands, possibly millions, are. Any game that could possibly dethrone WoW would only amplify the negative effects being caused by this single game. Then the cycle starts again - What will be the WoW Killer Killer?

Ever heard the story about the little village that had a mouse problem? They brought in cats to get rid of the mice... then dogs to get rid of the cats... then lions... etc. The problem only gets bigger and bigger.

Now I like to think that gamers are an intelligent, insightful lot. I like to think that gamers are able to know when a train is speeding towards them and they're addicted to the tracks. Don't get me wrong though, I'm not saying that we should get rid of WoW or its eventual "Killer". I'm saying that it may not be the smartest move for games to go charging into this territory unchecked.

You may not realise it now... but there are a lot of lives on the line here.

Ok, you can start throwing those rocks now.

-Tob