The current beta of Aion really does the beg the question: will WoW be the force that we currently know for much longer? I’d say it will be, but the lead-up to the release of Aion in the US/Europe/AU later in Sep surely has some Blizzard managers grinding their teeth in their sleep.

Aion — which has been available for the past year or so in South Korea — is probably the strongest rival MMO thus far. Not only did it lure millions of Chinese and South Koreans away from similar games, but the company has had time to refine it pre-Western release. The company also seems to have faith in the game, charging US$14.99 per month subscription, similar to WoW’s cost.

Beta licenses are still available. Check the Aion websites for the deets, yo.