"You don't have to run wow out of business to have a successful, fun mmo. "

That's EXACTLY what I keep saying when new MMOs are touted as the "WoW-Killer". I'm like, why do you even bother? If you set out to gank WoW customers and bring down WoW, you've failed from the start.

Which is why I think it's funny that Rift keeps alluding to Azeroth in its ad campaigns. A good game will stand on its own without much comparison. Basic elements of an MMO should be the limit to comparison, while the story, art direction, and gameplay should be unique to the experience you're trying to give your customers. If you're constantly saying "We're WoW, but better," in my mind, you're not, and you probably will never be.

Just do your own thing, and we'll see if we like it. I don't know why that's so hard for MMO developers to keep in their mind. Zeschuk acknowledges WoW's influence, but doesn't go spouting off as saying "yeah, this game will one-up what WoW players are currently getting in 'their' game". For one, it's bold in that he must really think SWTOR is shaping up to be it's own force, and two, it's just good business practice to formally acknowledge the leader, while secretly hoping your game does at least equal the amount of business.

In any case, I don't think SWTOR is trying to be a WoW-killer, which is a great sign.