MMOs aren't about looks. There have always been games trying to beat WoW by looking better. It's gameplay, mechanics, and soul crushing grinding that matters.
I wasn't implying the looks, I was talking about mechanics, grinding, and everything else that both ArcheAge and WoW offer.
AA has everything WoW offers but has changed it and in my honest opinion made it a lot more captivating and interesting. In my opinion all other MMOs that have tried to beat WoW have failed miserably, all they did was take the same mechanics and put them with better graphics which obviously isn't super exciting. AA has, like I said, taken WoW's mechanics made them better (imo), and added a bazillion other things that make the game /at least/ worth playing a bit to see if you like it. Now granted it's all gonna boil down to what you do and don't like. Some people my not like that AA has added a shit ton more stuff, all the extra stuff is just gonna confuse em and scare them off. I however love all the new things that have been offered...
TL;DR: The amazing graphics are just a really nice bonus, AA still has all the mechanics WoW does and a shit ton more that make it awesome.