The one issue in MMO markets that drives me nuts is how fast many of them are eager to declare their death imminent. It happened with The Old Republic before it went Free to Play (and started doing better because of it). It's happening to the Secret World (even though Funcom has embraced the conversion as very likely and perfectly acceptable). And, of course, it happens to World of Warcraft as well.

It's not hard to see why – Blizzard's gargantuan game has arguably inspired a majority of the MMORPGs on the market today, not just for its design but also for the alluring pile of money it rakes in. Players and companies alike want to see it topple. And the first reports came in, declaring that the day-one retail sales of Mists of Pandaria were a huge disappointment, breaking only above 600,000 retail copies, which is a far cry from the nearly three million dropped for Cataclysm. Analysts and doomsayers have declared the expansion is a sign World of Warcraft is falling.

Wargaming.net has launched the official site for World of Battleships, its upcoming free-to-play naval action MMO that was announced at Gamescom. Aside from hosting some screenshots and the Gamescom teaser trailer, the site also provides some details on the three main classes of ships players will have at their disposal:

• Aircraft carriers that provide both naval and air support
• Battleships and heavy cruisers able to scarify the enemy with their looks alone
• Light destroyers with speed and agility as their strongest points

World of Battleships will share a common economic system with World of Tanks and World of Warplanes, allowing players to distribute their resources between the three projects.

Wargaming.net just released the first teaser trailer for World of Battleships at Gamescom. And when we say teaser, we mean it. Watch all of the welding below while we wait for more details on this free-to-play naval action MMO based on epic sea battles of the 20th century.

Wargaming.net announced today that World of Battleships will join World of Tanks and World of Warplanes to complete the company's war-filled gaming trilogy. As you may expect, World of Battleships will be a free-to-play naval action MMO based on epic sea battles of the 20th century. Here's what we know so far about the upcoming game:

"Keeping with the best traditions of the series, World of Battleships will offer a straightforward interface, easy-to-use controls, and a common economic system that will allow players to distribute resources between the three games for the ultimate progress in each of them.

The large assortment of available warships will give various tactical opportunities, as all the machines have a unique combination of firepower, speed, armor, and endurance. Various naval maps with changing weather conditions will enrich the gameplay, and the realistic graphics will transport players into the epic battles that changed the course of human history."