Massively multiplayer roleplaying games - or MMORPGs - have been around for a while now, but recent releases have demonstrated that they are making the crucial transition from a niche to a mass-market audience.
In late 2004 when World of Warcraft was released in North America it broke a number of records for the genre - including first day sales and concurrent users.
Now it is Europe's turn to experience Azeroth on developer Blizzard's new set of region-dedicated servers.
The first thing that strikes you about World of Warcraft is just how easy it is to pick up and play.
Most games of this type tend to require a great deal of attention and dedication to play, but in this case it is possible to enjoy the game in relatively short bursts - perfect for the more casual gamer.
You play the game through your on-screen character - or avatar - and as usual your overriding task in the game is to "level up" - in other words improve your character by gaining experience.
Designing that character is very simple and you do not need to worry about statistic points for strength, dexterity, etc.
Instead you simply choose which side of the moral divide you wish to be on - the Alliance or the Horde - and then one of the four available races in each side.
Plus there are a host of different professions as well (warrior, shaman, hunter, etc), each with different attributes.
Once you are in, the world around you is impressive.
The graphics are not what you would call realistic, but the quality and consistency of the artwork around you, as well as the attention to detail, renders that immaterial.
There are a whole range of different types of countryside, from icy mountains to barren deserts, thick rainforests to grassy savannahs. Each has its own consistent palette and each is sumptuous to look at.
An issue common to MMORPGs is scope. When you are confronted by an entire virtual world, with few limitations on where and what you can go and do, it is difficult to know where to begin.
World or Warcraft does a very good job of giving your time in Azeroth some structure, without making the experience linear.
Available quests are clearly marked, and these quests do a very good job of guiding you to suitable areas of content, which expand and develop along with your character.
As a result you do not feel out of your depth, unless you intentionally wander off into high level areas
Both solo and group quests play a big part of World of Warcraft, and whilst the different servers are dedicated to different types of action (PvE: Player vs Environment - and PvP: Player vs Player) the majority of battles take place against computer-controlled monsters.
The Player vs Player elements are effectively restricted to Alliance vs Horde encounters, but it is possible to fight anybody in a duel, although there are no ill effects sustained from losing such a bout.
Overall World of Warcraft is very difficult to sum up in such a short space.
It is a joy to behold, and a joy to play. The usual monotony of "grinding" experience points in order to level up is very rarely to be seen as new areas and challenges are being uncovered all the time.
And with the exception of specific high-level dungeons, or cross-continent travel, there are no loading times to speak of.
If you are a casual gamer in need of a new challenge, or an experienced MMORPG-er wanting another world to sink your teeth into, World of Warcraft could very well be exactly what you're looking for.
It is the best MMORPG to date, and could well be for some time.
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