The rush is on. Star Wars Galaxies, released this past summer, was only the beginning. Middle-Earth Online is gearing up to bring The Lord of the Rings to life in ways that the movies couldn't dream of. The Matrix Online, still secretive, is a real noodle bender: A virtual reality based on living life inside a virtual reality? Games that have been popular elsewhere are also making the leap to persistent worlds, classics like Warhammer, WarCraft, or Dungeons & Dragons.