From the very beginning WoW players are to "define" or design their character. The player is not only amazed by the colorful clothing, bulky armor, and the many different body forms they can choose from, but also get to choose their race and class. Choosing the characters race is important because characters can only communicate with it's same race. And class determines what players can and can't do. Sounds like history repeating its self, but in video game form?
WoW provides a militaristic agenda. When a player first starts their game they are promptly given orders by orcs to kill harmless creatures. Players maim, dismember, decapitate, and slaughter their victims. From then on, like many militaristic games such as Call of Duty or Diablo, players are rewarded after killing their victims by leveling up, presented with new weapons or abilities, and move on to a new exciting mission.
What also makes this game so appealing is the players ability to talk to other players around the world online through chat or headphones. In WoW groups form to have battles and this can be rewarding and more incentive for players to keep playing. This interactive appeal can also turn for the worse when players loose a battle or mess up in some sort of way. Some players become so entranced that they actually threaten other players.
WoW is designed to keep new players or "noobs" playing by being drip-fed enough for them to keep coming back for more. Many players have become addicted to the game investing hours upon hours of game play. Some individuals have even committed suicide due to the fact that they were banned from World of Warcraft or even because their character had died. There are even some cases of individuals who have lost touch with reality completely and forgot about their health, like a twenty-eight year old gamer in Beijing, nicknamed "Snowly" who died when he was approaching a major level due to exhaustion and no eating. There are even websites such as Wow Detox that provides support for people who were addicted to the fantasy game and need help to keep away.
Another online role playing game pegged more for kids is Neopets, which blew up when I was in middle school. Neopets allowed you to create and decorate your own Neopet and you could level up by placing them in duels and playing strategy games. Honestly, I was extremely addicted. I would come home from school and try to level up my plethora of Neopets for hours on end.
Role playing games, like World of Warcraft, and other video games, are making millions of dollars off of so many people around the world. And many of these games sponsor the idea that violence is acceptable. But, where is the line between video games and real life? And what are parents doing to help separate the difference between a killing fantasy land and harsh reality?
World of Warcraft was released in 2004 and it took Blizzard until 2007 to release the expansion to the game, and only until 2008 for Wrath of the Lich King (the next Expansion to come out. This was a turning point for WoW. It really made me mad with the game creators. I was a true fan of the original game, it was difficult and required skill. When the expansions came out it seemed like Blizzard was releasing them as fast as possible just to make the game easier for all players. Sometimes I think game creators are part to blame on these social tendencies of gamers. Games like WoW are created to a point where unless you spend countless hours per night (upwards of 6). You won't reach all of the content in the game in time before the next expansion. So for Blizzard the quicker they release expansions the more the gamers are going to play. The players rush and rush to do as much as possible and are caught in a vicious circle of repeats. I spent 6 years off and on playing WoW and eventually wiggled my way out but from actual experience I can say it all doesn't rest on the player. Some responsibility has to be put towards game developer.
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