While we are still not privy to the actual number of users that have signed up for Codemasters Online Gaming¡¯s Lord Of The Rings Online: Shadows Of Angmar, the game¡¯s producer, Jeffrey Steefel is more than confident that there is plenty of life ¡®after World Of Warcraft¡¯.

"There's plenty of life after WOW", Steefel told a panel at Leipzig¡¯s GCDC earlier today, adding that, "The market will segment and diversify, and that's beginning to happen. That's why all these games can exist at the same time."

Steefel also touched on the evolution of new subscription models as well as questioning the relevance of what we understand by the term ¡®hardcore gamer¡¯.

"Subscription models won't go away, but it won't be the only way we'll pay", said Steefel, who, discussing ¡®hardcore gamers¡¯ also added, ¡°the question is what is a hardcore gamer? A person can play Club Penguin for 80 hours a week and still be a hardcore gamer."

Of course Steefel¡¯s own game, Lord Of The Rings Online:Shadows Of Angmar, is in a rare and privileged position, being based on the most popular fantasy story of all time, with Steefel himself admitting to the GCDC audience that, "We have an audience who are there to be in Middle Earth, not to be hardcore. We have people who will never get past level 30, they¡¯ll just continue to do what they need to in order to remain in Middle Earth."

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