The 800-pound gorilla in the game rooom

Ok, a break from the ongoing tragedy.

The New York Times discusses how "World of Warcraft" has completely dominated the computer gaming world. The sales comparison graph alone is pretty astounding, but the graph covers only the U.S. sales. "Warcraft" has also sold millions of copies in Europe and Asia.

I've been game-hopping for the past several months, including the family-friendly Toontown, a 10-day trial of Warcraft, a few months with the superhero-themed City of Heroes and a little-known golf multiplayer called Shot Online. All have been fun, and I expect that I'll continue to try lots of online games over the next few years. But as the article mentions, there are only so many that you can afford at once, both financially and time-wise.