Tabula Rasa marks Garriott's return to the MMO genre. The last MMO game he released was a success, but it also had little to no competition, as games of its type were just starting to become popular. Now, with MMO being the "it" genre, the competition is fierce. World of Warcraft, Star Wars: Galaxies, EverQuest II and even NCSoft's own City of Heroes are all seeking to take the user base out from under Tabula Rasa. So, with no recognizable franchise behind it, Garriott's game must set itself apart in other ways.