World of Warcraft - Wikipedia

World of Warcraft (WoW) is a · Similar to other MMORPGs, the game allows players to create a · World of Warcraft was a major critical and commercial success upon ... WorldofWarcraft FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia Jumptonavigation Jumptosearch 2004videogame "WoW"redirectshere.Forotheruses,seeWow. 2004videogameWorldofWarcraftDeveloper(s)BlizzardEntertainmentPublisher(s)BlizzardEntertainment[2]Designer(s)RobPardoJeffKaplanTomChiltonComposer(s)JasonHayes[a]SeriesWarcraftPlatform(s)MicrosoftWindows,macOSReleaseAUS/NA:November23,2004 EU:February11,2005[1]Genre(s)Massivelymultiplayeronlinerole-playingMode(s)Multiplayer WorldofWarcraft(WoW)isamassivelymultiplayeronlinerole-playinggame(MMORPG)releasedin2004byBlizzardEntertainment.SetintheWarcraftfantasyuniverse,WorldofWarcrafttakesplacewithintheworldofAzeroth,approximatelyfouryearsaftertheeventsofthepreviousgameintheseries,WarcraftIII:TheFrozenThrone.[3]Thegamewasannouncedin2001,andwasreleasedforthe10thanniversaryoftheWarcraftfranchiseonNovember23,2004.Sincelaunch,WorldofWarcrafthashadeightmajorexpansionpacks:TheBurningCrusade(2007),WrathoftheLichKing(2008),Cataclysm(2010),MistsofPandaria(2012),WarlordsofDraenor(2014),Legion(2016),BattleforAzeroth(2018),andShadowlands(2020),withaninth,Dragonflight,currentlyindevelopment. SimilartootherMMORPGs,thegameallowsplayerstocreateacharacteravatarandexploreanopengameworldinthird-orfirst-personview,exploringthelandscape,fightingvariousmonsters,completingquests,andinteractingwithnon-playercharacters(NPCs)orotherplayers.Thegameencouragesplayerstoworktogethertocompletequests,enterdungeonsandengageinplayerversusplayer(PvP)combat,howeverthegamecanalsobeplayedsolowithoutinteractingwithothers.Thegameprimarilyfocusesoncharacterprogression,inwhichplayersearnexperiencepointstoleveluptheircharactertomakethemmorepowerfulandbuyandsellitemsusingin-gamecurrencytoacquirebetterequipment,amongothergamesystems. WorldofWarcraftwasamajorcriticalandcommercialsuccessuponitsoriginalreleasein2004andquicklybecamethemostpopularMMORPGofalltime,reachingapeakof12millionsubscribersin2010.[4]Thegamehadoveronehundredmillionregisteredaccountsby2014[5]andby2017,hadgrossedover$9.23billioninrevenue,makingitoneofthehighest-grossingvideogamefranchisesofalltime.ThegamehasbeencitedbygamingjournalistsasthegreatestMMORPGofalltimeandoneofthegreatestvideogamesofalltimeandhasalsobeennotedforitslonglifespan,continuingtoreceivedevelopersupportandexpansionpacksover15yearssinceitsinitialrelease.[6][7][8]In2019,avanillaversionofthegametitledWorldofWarcraftClassicwaslaunched,allowingplayerstoexperiencethebasegamebeforeanyofitsexpansionslaunched.[9][10] Contents 1Gameplay 1.1Startingacharacterorplaysession 1.1.1Racesandfactions 1.2Ongoinggameplay 1.3Setting 1.4Subscription 1.5Parentalcontrols 2Plot 2.1AssaultonBlackwingLair 2.2RiseoftheBloodGod 2.3TheGatesofAhn'Qiraj 2.4ShadowoftheNecropolis 3Development 3.1Regionalvariations 3.2Post-releasecontent 3.3Expansions 3.4Music 4Reception 4.1Accolades 4.2Commercialperformance 5Securityconcerns 5.1RealID 6Communityandstudyofplayerinteraction 6.1Saleofvirtualgoodsintherealworld 6.2CorruptedBloodplagueincident 7Legacy 7.1Inothermedia 7.2Crossoverpromotions 7.3Animatedseries 8Notes 9References 10Furtherreading 11Externallinks Gameplay Mainarticle:GameplayofWorldofWarcraft Startingacharacterorplaysession AswithotherMMORPGs,playerscontrolacharacteravatarwithinagameworldinthird-orfirst-personview,exploringthelandscape,fightingvariousmonsters,completingquests,andinteractingwithnon-playercharacters(NPCs)orotherplayers.AlsosimilartootherMMORPGs,WorldofWarcraftrequirestheplayertopayforasubscriptionbyusingacreditordebitcard,usingprepaidBlizzardgamecardsorusingaWoWTokenpurchasedin-game.Playerswithoutasubscriptionmayuseatrialaccountthatletstheplayercharacterreachuptolevel20buthasmanyfeatureslocked.[11] Toenterthegame,theplayermustselectaserver,referredtoin-gameasa'realm'.Eachrealmactsasanindividualcopyofthegameworldandfallsintooneoftwocategories.Availablerealmstypesare: Normal–aregulartyperealmwherethegameplayismostlyfocusedondefeatingmonstersandcompletingquests,withplayer-versus-playerfightsandanyroleplayareoptional. RP(roleplay)–whichworksthesamewayasa"Normal"realm,butfocusesonplayersroleplayingin-character. BeforetheintroductionofWorldofWarcraft'sseventhexpansion"BattleforAzeroth",both"Normal"and"RP"serverswereeachdividedintotwoseparatecategories:PvEserversandPvPservers.Thishassincebeenremovedaftertheimplementationofthe"WarMode"option,whichallowsanyplayer(oflevel20andhigher)onanyservertodeterminewhethertheywanttoactivelyparticipateinPvPcombatornot,byenablingWarModeintwoofthegame'scapitalcities. Realmsarealsocategorizedbylanguage,within-gamesupportinthelanguageavailable.[12] Playerscanmakenewcharactersonallrealmswithintheregion,anditisalsopossibletomovealreadyestablishedcharactersbetweenrealmsforafee.[13] Racesandfactions Mainarticle:RacesandfactionsofWarcraft Tocreateanewcharacter,inkeepingwiththestorylineofpreviousWarcraftgames,playersmustchoosebetweentheopposingfactionsoftheAllianceortheHorde;Pandaren,whichwereaddedinMistsofPandaria,donotcommittoafactionuntilafterthestartingzoneiscompleted.Charactersfromtheopposingfactionscanperformrudimentarycommunication(mostoftenjust"emotes"),butonlymembersofthesamefactioncanspeak,mail,groupandjoinguilds.Theplayerselectsthenewcharacter'srace,suchasorcsortrollsfortheHorde,orhumansordwarvesfortheAlliance.[14]Playersmustselecttheclassforthecharacter,withchoicessuchasmages,warriors,andpriestsavailable.[15]Mostclassesarelimitedtoparticularraces. Ongoinggameplay Ascharactersbecomemoredeveloped,theygainvarioustalentsandskills,requiringtheplayertofurtherdefinetheabilitiesofthatcharacter.[16]Characterscanchoosetwoprimaryprofessionsthatcanfocusonproducingitems,suchastailoring,blacksmithingorjewelcraftingorongatheringfromresourcenodes,suchasskinningormining.Characterscanlearnallthreesecondaryskills:archeology,cooking,andfishing.[17][18]Charactersmayformandjoinguilds,allowingcharacterswithintheguildaccesstotheguild'schatchannel,theguildnameandoptionallyallowingotherfeatures,includingaguildtabard,guildbank,guildrepairs,anddues.[19] MuchofWorldofWarcraftplayinvolvesthecompletionofquests.ThesequestsareusuallyavailablefromNPCs.[20]Questsusuallyrewardtheplayerwithsomecombinationofexperiencepoints,items,andin-gamemoney.Questsallowcharacterstogainaccesstonewskillsandabilities,aswellastheabilitytoexplorenewareas.[21]Itisthroughqueststhatmuchofthegame'sstoryistold,boththroughthequest'stextandthroughscriptedNPCactions.[22]Questsarelinkedbyacommontheme,witheachconsecutivequesttriggeredbythecompletionoftheprevious,formingaquestchain.Questscommonlyinvolvekillinganumberofcreatures,gatheringacertainnumberofresources,findingadifficulttolocateobject,speakingtovariousNPCs,visitingspecificlocations,interactingwithobjectsintheworld,ordeliveringanitemfromoneplacetoanothertoacquireexperienceandtreasures. Whileacharactercanbeplayedonitsown,playerscangroupwithotherstotacklemorechallengingcontent.Mostend-gamechallengesaredesignedinsuchawaythattheycanonlybeovercomewhileinagroup.Inthisway,characterclassesareusedinspecificroleswithinagroup.[20][23]WorldofWarcraftusesa"restedbonus"system,increasingtheratethatacharactercangainexperiencepointsaftertheplayerhasspenttimeawayfromthegame.[16]Whenacharacterdies,itbecomesaghost—orwispforNightElfcharacters—atanearbygraveyard.[21]Characterscanberesurrectedbyothercharactersthathavetheabilityorcanself-resurrectbymovingfromthegraveyardtotheplacewheretheydied.Ifacharacterispastleveltenandtheyresurrectatagraveyard,theitemsequippedbythecharacterdegrade,requiringin-gamemoneyandaspecialistNPCtorepairthem.Itemsthathavedegradedheavilybecomeunusableuntiltheyarerepaired.Ifthelocationofthecharacter'sbodyisunreachable,theycanuseaspecial"spirithealer"NPCtoresurrectatthegraveyard.Whenthespirithealerrevivesacharacter,itemsequippedbythecharacteratthattimearefurtherdegraded,andthecharacterissignificantlyweakenedbywhatisin-gamecalled"resurrectionsickness"foruptotenminutes,dependingonthecharacter'slevel.This"resurrectionsickness"doesnotoccuranditemdegradationislesssevereifthecharacterrevivesbylocatingitsbody,orisresurrectedbyanotherplayerthroughspellsorspecialitems.[24][25] WorldofWarcraftcontainsavarietyofmechanismsforplayerversusplayer(PvP)play.Playersonplayerversusenvironment(PvE)serverscanoptto"flag"themselves,makingthemselvesattackabletoplayersoftheoppositefaction.[26]Dependingonthemodeoftherealm,PvPcombatbetweenmembersofopposingfactionsispossibleatalmostanytimeorlocationinthegameworld—theonlyexceptionbeingthestartingzones,wherethePvP"flag"mustbeenabledbytheplayerwishingtofightagainstplayersoftheoppositefaction.PvE(callednormalorRP)servers,bycontrast,allowaplayertochoosewhetherornottoengageincombatagainstotherplayers.Onbothservertypes,therearespecialareasoftheworldwherefree-for-allcombatispermitted.Battlegrounds,forexample,aresimilartodungeons:onlyasetnumberofcharacterscanenterasinglebattleground,butadditionalcopiesofthebattlegroundcanbemadetoaccommodateadditionalplayers.[27]Eachbattlegroundhasasetobjective,suchascapturingaflagordefeatinganopposinggeneral,thatmustbecompletedtowinthebattleground.Competinginbattlegroundsrewardsthecharacterwithtokensandhonorpointsthatcanbeusedtobuyarmor,weapons,andothergeneralitemsthatcanaidaplayerinmanyareasofthegame.Winningabattlegroundawardsmorehonorandtokensthanlosing.Inaddition,playersalsoearnhonorwhentheyornearbyteammateskillplayersinabattleground.[26] Setting WorldofWarcraftissetinthesameuniverseastheWarcraftseriesofreal-timestrategygamesandhasasimilarartdirection.[11]WorldofWarcraftcontainselementsfromfantasy,steampunk,andsciencefiction,includinggryphons,dragons,elves,steam-poweredautomata,zombies,werewolves,otherhorrormonsters,timetravel,spaceships,andalienworlds. WorldofWarcrafttakesplaceina3DrepresentationoftheWarcraftuniversethatplayerscaninteractwiththroughtheircharacters.ThegameworldinitiallyconsistedofthetwocontinentsinAzeroth:KalimdorandtheEasternKingdoms.Fourseparateexpansionslateraddedtothegame'splayableareatherealmsofOutlandandDraenorandthecontinentsofNorthrendandPandaria.Asaplayerexploresnewlocations,differentroutesandmeansoftransportationbecomeavailable.Playerscanaccess"flightmasters"innewlydiscoveredlocationstoflytopreviouslydiscoveredlocationsinotherpartsoftheworld.[28]Playerscanalsouseboats,zeppelins,orportalstomovefromonecontinenttoanother.Althoughthegameworldremainsrelativelysimilarfromdaytoday,seasonaleventsreflectingrealworldevents,suchasHalloween(Hallow'sEnd),[29]Christmas(WinterVeil),Children'sWeek,[26]Easter(Noblegarden),andMidsummerhavebeenrepresentedinthegameworld.Locationsalsohavevariableweatherincluding,amongotherthings,rain,snow,andduststorms.[28] Anumberoffacilitiesareavailableforcharacterswhileintownsandcities.Ineachmajorcity,characterscanaccessabanktodeposititems,suchastreasureorcrafteditems.Eachcharacterhasaccesstopersonalbankstoragewiththeoptiontopurchaseadditionalstoragespaceusingin-gamegold.[30]Additionally,guildbanksareavailableforusebymembersofaguildwithrestrictionsbeingsetbytheguildleader.[31]AuctionhousesareavailableforplayerstobuyandsellitemstoothersinasimilarwaytoonlineauctionsitessuchaseBay.[32]Playerscanusemailboxes,whichcanbefoundinalmosteverytown.Mailboxesareusedtocollectitemswonatauction,andtosendmessages,items,andin-gamemoneytoothercharacters.[16] SomeofthechallengesinWorldofWarcraftrequireplayerstogrouptogethertocompletethem.Theseusuallytakeplaceindungeons—alsoknownas"instances"—thatagroupofcharacterscanentertogether.Theterm"instance"comesfromeachgrouporpartyhavingaseparatecopy,orinstance,ofthedungeon,completewiththeirownenemiestodefeatandtheirowntreasureorrewards.[33]Thisallowsagrouptoexploreareasandcompletequestswithoutothersinterfering.Dungeonsarespreadoverthegameworldandaredesignedforcharactersofvaryingprogression.Atypicaldungeonwillallowuptofivecharacterstoenteraspartofagroup.Somedungeonsrequiremoreplayerstogrouptogetherandforma"raid"ofuptofortyplayerstofacesomeofthemostdifficultchallenges.[34]Aswellasdungeon-basedraidchallenges,severalcreaturesexistinthenormalgameenvironmentthataredesignedforraidstoattack.[29][35] Subscription WorldofWarcraftrequiresasubscriptiontoallowcontinuedplay,withoptionstopayinone-month,three-month,orsix-monthblocks,andtimecardsofvaryinglengthsavailablefromretailers,orpurchasinga"WoWToken"usingin-gamecurrency.[36][37]Expansionpacksareavailableonlineandfromretailers.AsthegameclientisthesameregardlessoftheversionofWorldofWarcrafttheuserowns,theoptiontopurchaseexpansionsonlinewasaddedasitallowsforaquickupgrade.WorldofWarcraftisalsoavailableasafreeStarterEdition,whichisfreetoplayforanunlimitedamountoftime.StarterEditioncharactersareunabletogainexperienceafterreachinglevel20,andthereareotherrestrictionsineffectforStarterEditionaccounts,includingtheinabilitytotrade,usemail,useAuctionHouse,usepublicchatchannels,joinguildsoramassmorethantengold.[38] InJanuary2015,accountsthathavelapsedsubscriptions,whichpreviouslywouldnotletaplayerlogin,worklikearestrictedStarterEditionaccountwiththeonedifferencethatsub-level20characterswillbeabletojoinaguildifanyothercharactersontheaccountarestillinthatguild.[39] InApril2015,analternatewaytocoverthesubscriptionwasintroduced.Aplayermayspendrealmoney($20inNorthAmericaanddifferingamountsinotherregions)onaWoWToken,whichissoldontheauctionhouseforthein-gamecurrency,gold,thatinitiallycouldonlybeusedtoadd30daysofplaytime.[37]AtthelaunchofthefeatureinNorthAmerica,atokensoldfor30,000goldand24hourslatersoldfor20,000gold;therefore,thegoldamountchangesdependingonwhatplayersarewillingtospend.Subsequently,theamountthataNorthAmericantokensellsforremainedatabove30,000gold,andtheotherBattle.netregionswerewellabovethatvalue.Onceaplayerbuysatokenontheauctionhouse,itisaccountboundandcannotberesold.AsofFebruary2017,theWoWTokencanalsobeexchangedfor$15inBattle.netbalancethatcanbeusedascreditforpurchasesinmostofBlizzard'sgamesaswellasinDestiny2.[40] Parentalcontrols Thecompanyoffersparentalcontrols[41]thatallowvariouslimitstobesetonplayingtime.Itispossibletosetadailylimit,aweeklylimit,ortospecifyanallowedplayingschedule.Inordertocontrolthesesettings,itisnecessarytologinwithdifferentcredentialsthanareusedjusttoenterthegame.Itisalsopossibletoreceivestatisticsonthetimespentplaying.Apartfromcontrollingchildren,adultssometimesuseparentalcontrolsonthemselves.[42]Thecompanysupportsthiskindofprotectionasotherwisethepotentialplayersortheirsupervisorsmaychoosetouninstallorblockthegamepermanently. Plot Seealso:Warcraft§ Setting Thissectionneedstobeupdated.Pleasehelpupdatethisarticletoreflectrecenteventsornewlyavailableinformation.(April2022) IntentonsettlinginDurotar,Thrall'sHordeexpandeditsranksbyinvitingtheundeadForsakentojoinorcs,tauren,andtrolls.Meanwhile,dwarves,gnomes,andtheancientnightelvespledgedtheirloyaltiestotheAlliance,guidedbythehumankingdomofStormwind.AfterStormwind'sking,VarianWrynn,mysteriouslydisappeared,HighlordBolvarFordragonservedasRegentbuthisservicewasaffectedbythemindcontroloftheblackdragonOnyxia,whoruledindisguiseasahumannoblewoman.AsheroesinvestigatedOnyxia'smanipulations,theancientelementallordRagnarosresurfacedtoendangerboththeHordeandAlliance.[43]TheheroesoftheHordeandAlliancedefeatedOnyxiaandsentRagnarosbacktotheElementalPlane. AssaultonBlackwingLair DeepwithinBlackrockMountain,theblackdragonNefarianconductedtwistedexperimentswiththebloodofotherdragonflights.Intentonseizingtheentireareaforhisown,herecruitedtheremainingDarkHorde,aroguearmythatembracedthedemonicbloodlustoftheoldHorde.Thesecorruptorcs,trolls,andotherracesbattledagainstRagnarosandtheDarkIrondwarvesforcontrolofthemountain.NefariancreatedthetwistedchromaticdragonsandalegionofotheraberrationsinhisbidtoformanarmypowerfulenoughtocontrolAzerothandcontinuethelegacyofhisinfamousfather,DeathwingtheDestroyer.NefarianwasvanquishedbytheheroesfromtheHordeandtheAlliance. RiseoftheBloodGod Yearsago,intheruinedtempleofAtal'Hakkar,loyalpriestsoftheBloodGodHakkartheSoulflayerattemptedtosummonthewrathfuldeity'savatarintotheworld.Buthisfollowers,theAtal'aipriesthood,discoveredthattheSoulflayercouldonlybesummonedwithintheGurubashitribe'sancientcapital,Zul'Gurub.Newlyreborninthisjunglefortress,HakkartookcontroloftheGurubashitribeandmortalchampionsofthetrolls'mightyanimalgods.TheSoulflayer'sdarkinfluencewashaltedwhentheZandalaritriberecruitedheroesandinvadedZul'Gurub. TheGatesofAhn'Qiraj ThegreatdesertfortressofAhn'Qiraj,longsealedbehindtheScarabWall,washometotheinsectoidqiraji,asavageracethathadoncemountedanassaulttodevastatethecontinentofKalimdor.ButsomethingfarmoresinisterlurkedbehindAhn'Qiraj'swalls:theOldGodC'Thun,ananciententitywhosepervasiveevilhadsuffusedAzerothsincetimeimmemorial.AsC'Thunincitedtheqirajitofrenzy,boththeAllianceandHordepreparedforamassivewareffort.AmixedforceofAllianceandHordesoldiers,dubbedtheMightofKalimdor,openedthegatesofAhn'QirajunderthecommandoftheorcVarokSaurfang.TheheroeslaidsiegetotheruinsandtemplesofAhn'QirajandvanquishedC'Thun. ShadowoftheNecropolis IntheLichKing'shastetospreadtheplagueofundeathoverAzeroth,hegiftedoneofhisgreatestservants,thelichKel'Thuzad,withtheflyingcitadelofNaxxramas,asabaseofoperationsfortheScourge.ConsistentattacksfromtheScarletCrusadeandArgentDawnfactionsweakenedthedefensesofthefloatingfortress,enablinganincursionfromtheheroesthatledtoKel'Thuzad'sdefeat.However,atraitoramongtheranksoftheknightlyorderoftheArgentDawnranawaywithKel'Thuzad'scursedremainsandfledtoNorthrend,wherethefallenlichcouldbereanimated. Development WorldofWarcraftwasfirstannouncedbyBlizzardattheECTStradeshowinSeptember2001.[44]Releasedin2004,developmentofthegametookroughly4–5years,includingextensivetesting.The3DgraphicsinWorldofWarcraftuseelementsoftheproprietarygraphicsengineoriginallyusedinWarcraftIII.[44]Thegamewasdesignedtobeanopenenvironmentwhereplayersareallowedtodowhattheyplease.[45]Questsareoptionalandweredesignedtohelpguideplayers,allowcharacterdevelopment,andtospreadcharactersacrossdifferentzonestotrytoavoidwhatdeveloperscalledplayercollision.[46]Thegameinterfaceallowsplayerstocustomizeappearanceandcontrols,andtoinstalladd-onsandothermodifications.[47] WorldofWarcraftrunsnativelyonbothMacintoshandWindowsplatforms.BoxedcopiesofthegameuseahybridCDtoinstallthegame,eliminatingtheneedforseparateMacandWindowsretailproducts.Thegameallowsalluserstoplaytogether,regardlessoftheiroperatingsystem.Althoughthereisnoofficialversionforanyotherplatform,supportforWorldofWarcraftispresentinWindowsAPIimplementationsWineandCrossOverallowingthegametobeplayedunderLinuxandFreeBSD.[48]WhileanativeLinuxclientisneitherreleasednorannouncedbyBlizzard,inJanuary2011ITjournalistMichaelLarabelindicatedinaPhoronixarticlethataninternalLinuxclientmightexistbutisnotreleasedduetothenon-standardizationoftheLinuxdistroecosystem.[49] Regionalvariations IntheUnitedStates,Canada,andEurope,BlizzarddistributesWorldofWarcraftviaretailsoftwarepackages.[50]Thesoftwarepackageincludes30daysofgameplayfornoadditionalcost.Tocontinueplayingaftertheinitial30days,additionalplaytimemustbepurchasedusingacreditcardorprepaidgamecard.Theminimumgameplaydurationthataplayercanpurchaseis30daysusingacreditcard,or60usingaprepaidgamecard.Aplayeralsohastheoptionofpurchasingthreeorsixmonthsofgameplayatoncefora6–15%discount.[51]InAustralia,theUnitedStates,andmanyEuropeancountries,videogamestorescommonlystockthetrialversionofWorldofWarcraftinDVDform,whichincludesthegameand20levels[52]ofgameplay,afterwhichtheplayerwouldhavetoupgradetoaretailaccountbysupplyingavalidcreditcard,orpurchasingagamecardaswellasaretailcopyofthegame. InBrazil,WorldofWarcraftwasreleasedonDecember6,2011,viaBattleNet.Thefirstthreeexpansionsarecurrentlyavailable,fullytranslated,includingvoiceacting,intoBrazilianPortuguese.[53] InSouthKorea,thereisnosoftwarepackageorCDkeyrequirementtoactivatetheaccount.However,toplaythegame,playersmustpurchasetimecreditsonline.Therearetwokindsoftimecreditsavailable:onewheretheplayerisbilledbasedontheactualnumberofminutesthatwillbeavailable,andonewheretheplayercanplaythegameforanumberofdays.Intheformer,timecanbepurchasedinmultiplesof5hoursor30hours,andinthelatter,timecanbepurchasedinmultiplesof7days,1month,or3months.[54]Assoftwarepackagesarenotrequired,expansionpackcontentsareavailabletoallplayersonlaunchday. InChina,becausealargenumberofplayersdonotownthecomputeronwhichtheyplaygames(e.g.iftheyplayinInternetcafés),theCDkeysrequiredtocreateanaccountcanbepurchasedindependentlyofthesoftwarepackage.Toplaythegame,playersmustalsopurchaseprepaidgamecardsthatcanbeplayedfor66hoursand40minutes.[55]Amonthlyfeemodelisnotavailabletoplayersofthisregion.TheChinesegovernmentandNetEase,thelicenseeforWorldofWarcraftinChina,haveimposedamodificationonChineseversionsofthegamewhichplacesfleshonbare-bonedskeletonsandtransformsdeadcharactercorpsesintotidygraves.ThesechangeswereimposedbytheChinesegovernmentinanattemptto"promoteahealthyandharmoniousonlinegameenvironment"inWorldofWarcraft.[56][57]TheChinesegovernmentdelayedthereleaseoftheWrathoftheLichKingexpansion,duetowhatitdeemedobjectionablecontent.[58]NetEasetookoverlicensingofWorldofWarcraftfromThe9inJune2009followingtheexpirationofThe9'scontract,[59]andwereabletosecurealaunchforWrathoftheLichKingonAugust31,2010,nearlytwoyearsafteritsWesternrelease. Post-releasecontent TheWorldofWarcraftlauncher(referredtoinpressreleasesandthemenubarasthe"BlizzardLauncher")isaprogramdesignedtoactasastartingpointforWorldofWarcraftplayers.ItprovidesawaytolaunchWorldofWarcraftandstartstheBlizzardupdater.Itwasfirstincludedwiththeversion1.8.3patch.The2.1.0patchallowedforanoptiontobypasstheuseofthelauncher.FeaturesofthelauncherincludenewsandupdatesforWorldofWarcraftplayers,accesstoWorldofWarcraft'ssupportwebsite,accesstothetestversionofWorldofWarcraftwhenitisavailabletotestupcomingpatches,updatestoWarden,[60]andupdatestotheupdateritself.The3.0.8patchredesignedthelauncherandaddedtheabilitytochangethegamesettingsfromthelauncheritself.Thelauncherupdatefrompatch4.0.1alsoallowspeopletoplaythegamewhilenon-crucialpiecesofthegamearedownloaded.Thisrequiresahigh-speedbroadbandinternetconnection. Patch1.9.3addednativesupportforIntel-poweredMacs,makingWorldofWarcraftauniversalapplication.Asaresultofthis,theminimumsupportedMacOSXversionhasbeenchangedto10.3.9;WorldofWarcraftversion1.9.3andlaterwillnotlaunchonolderversionsofMacOSX.[61]PowerPCarchitectureMacsarenolongersupportedsinceversion4.0.1.[62] Whennewcontentisaddedtothegame,officialsystemrequirementsmaychange.Inversion1.12.0therequirementsforWindowswereincreasedfromrequiring256 MBto512 MBofRAM.OfficialWindows98technicalsupportwasdropped,butthegamecontinuedtorunthereuntilversion2.2.3.[63]BeforeMistsofPandariain2012,WorldofWarcraftofficiallydroppedsupportforWindows2000,[64]followedbyWindowsXPandVistainOctober2017,aswellasall32-bitsupport.[65] Startingwith4.3,[66]playerscouldtryoutanexperimental64-bitversionoftheclient,whichrequiredmanualdownloadingandcopyingfilesintotheinstallationfolder.Since5.0,the64-bitclientisautomaticallyinstalled,andusedbydefault. SinceWorldIPv6Day,theclientandmostoftheserverssupportIPv6.[67] Expansions Title ReleaseDate LevelCap WorldofWarcraft November2004 60 TheBurningCrusade January2007 70 WrathoftheLichKing November2008 80 Cataclysm December2010 85 MistsofPandaria September2012 90 WarlordsofDraenor November2014 100 Legion August2016 110 BattleforAzeroth August2018 120 Shadowlands November2020 60 Dragonflight TBD 70 Eightexpansionshavebeenreleased:TheBurningCrusade,releasedinJanuary2007;WrathoftheLichKing,releasedinNovember2008;Cataclysm,releasedinDecember2010;MistsofPandaria,releasedinSeptember2012;WarlordsofDraenor,releasedinNovember2014;Legion,releasedinAugust2016;andBattleforAzeroth,releasedinAugust2018.Playersarenotrequiredtopurchaseexpansionsinordertocontinueplaying;however,newcontentandfeaturessuchashigherlevelcapsandnewareasmaynotbeavailableuntiltheydoso. Blizzardroutinelyappliesolderexpansionstoallaccountsasnewexpansionsarereleased.OnJune28,2011,TheBurningCrusadeexpansionwasautomaticallyappliedtoallpreviousWarcraftaccountsatnocost.OnSeptember19,2012,thesamethingwasdonewiththeWrathoftheLichKingexpansion,[68]andonOctober15,2013,theCataclysmexpansionwasalsoapplied.[69]OnOctober15,2014,MistsofPandariawasappliedtoallaccountsfollowingthereleaseofWarlords.[70]OnMay17,2016,WarlordsofDraenorwasappliedtoallaccountstocoincidewiththereleaseoftheWarcraftmoviethatgivesa30-daytrialofthegame.[71] AllTheBurningCrusade,WrathoftheLichKing,Cataclysm,MistsofPandariaandWarlordsofDraenorcontentisnoweffectivelypartoftheoriginalgame,withallnewWorldofWarcraftaccountsautomaticallyincludingtheseexpansionsuponcreation.[68]Asofthepre-patchreleaseofBattleforAzerothinJuly2018,allexpansionsuptoLegionareincludedinthebasegame.[72] Thefifthexpansion,WarlordsofDraenor,wasannouncedatBlizzCon2013onNovember8,2013,[73][74]andenteredbetaonJune27,2014.[75]WarlordsofDraenorwasreleasedonNovember13,2014.[76]OnAugust6,2015,Blizzardannouncedthesixthexpansion,Legion,atGamescom2015.[77]InNovember2015,theLegion'salphatestingstartedandinApril2016thebetateststarted;theLegionexpansionwasreleasedonAugust30,2016.Theseventhexpansion,BattleforAzeroth,wasreleasedworldwideonAugust13and14(dependingonlocation)2018.[78] Theeighthexpansion,Shadowlands,wasannouncedatBlizzCon2019onNovember1,2019,andbroughtthefirst"levelsquish"inthegame'shistory,withcharactersatlevel120(thelevelcapinBattleforAzeroth)beingreducedtolevel50,andthenewlevelcapbeingsetto60.ShadowlandswasreleasedonNovember23,2020.[79][80] Music ThesoundtrackforWorldofWarcraftwascomposedandarrangedbyJasonHayes,TracyW.Bush,DerekDuke,andGlennStaffordandconductedbyEímearNoone.ItwasreleasedonNovember23,2004,togetherwiththecollector'seditionofthegame.ItissoldseparatelyononeCDintheMP3format.OnJanuary12,2011,AlfredPublishingproducedanofficiallylicensedsheetmusicseriesforvocalists,pianists,strings,andotherinstruments,WorldofWarcraftSheetMusicAnthologyinsoloandaccompanimentformatswithCD.Theseworksincludefourpagesofcollectibleartworkandvarybynumberofsongsincluded.In2018,aremixofthesongfromthegame,"HymnoftheFirstbornSon",wasnominatedfor"BestGameMusicCover/Remix"atthe16thAnnualGameAudioNetworkGuildAwards.[81] Reception ReceptionAggregatescoreAggregatorScoreMetacritic93/100[82]ReviewscoresPublicationScore1Up.comA[83]Edge9/10[84]Eurogamer8/10[85]GameInformer9.5/10[86]GamePro4.5/5[87]GamesMaster93%[84]GameSpot9.5/10[11]GameSpy[22]IGN9.1/10[21]PCGamer(UK)94%[84]PCZone95%[84] WorldofWarcraftreceivedverypositivereviewsuponrelease,[82]followingaperiodofhighanticipationbeforelaunch.[88]Althoughthegamefollowsasimilarmodelto—andwasnotedforusingmanyfamiliarconceptsfrom—therole-playinggenre,[11][83]thenewapproachestoreducingpausesbetweengameencounterswerewellliked.[22]Acommonexamplewastheapproachtocharacterdeath.InsomepreviousMMORPGs,aplayerwouldsufferahighpenaltyforcharacterdeath;inWorldofWarcraft,aplayerisabletorecoverandstartplayingquickly.[11]Combatwasanotherareawhere"downtime",orpausesbetweenplay,wasreduced.Byallowingallcharactertypestorecoverfromdamagetaken,playerscanreturntocombatquickly.[22]Reviewersfeltthatthesechangesinpacingwouldmakethegenremoreaccessibletocasualplayers—thosewhoplayforshortperiodsoftime—[22]whilestillhaving"deep"gameplaythatwouldattractplayersofalllevelsofinterest.[21]Theconceptofa"restedbonus",orincreasingtherateatwhichaplayer'scharactergainsexperience,wasalsowelcomedasawayforplayerstoquicklycatchupwiththeirfriendsinprogression.[11] Questingwasdescribedasanintegralpartofthegame,oftenbeingusedtocontinueastorylineorleadtheplayerthroughthegame.[22]Thehighnumberofquestsineachlocationwaspopular,aswellastherewardsforcompletingthem.[11]Itwasfeltthattherangeofquestsremovedtheneedforaplayerto"grind",orcarryoutrepetitivetasks,toadvancetheircharacter.[21]Questsalsorequireplayerstoexploreeverysectionofthegameworld,potentiallycausingproblemsforsocialgamersorroleplayersseekingsomewherequiet.[22]Queststhatrequiredtheplayertocollectitemsfromthecorpsesofcreaturestheyhadkilledwerealsounpopular;thelow"droprate",orchanceoffindingtheitems,makesthemfeelrepetitiveasahighnumberofcreaturesneedtobekilledtocompletethequest.[21]Alargenumberofnewplayersinaparticularareameantthattherewereoftennocreaturestokill,[22]orthatplayerswouldhavetowaitandtaketurnstokillaparticularcreaturetocompleteaquest.[11]Somecriticsmentionedthatthelackofqueststhatrequiredplayerstogroupupmadethegamefeelasifitweredesignedforsoloplay.[85]Otherscomplainedthatsomedungeonorinstancedgroupquestswerenotfriendlytonewplayers,andcouldtakeseveralhourstocomplete.[21]Uponrelease,asmallnumberofquestshadsoftwarebugsthatmadethemimpossibletocomplete.[11] Characterswerefelttobeimplementedwell,witheachclassappearing"viableandinteresting",havinguniqueanddifferentmechanisms,[85]andeachoftheraceshavingadistinctlookandfeel.[11]Characterdevelopmentwasalsoliked,withthetalentmechanismofferingchoicetoplayers,[83]andprofessionoptionsbeingpraised.[11]Charactercustomizationoptionswerefelttobelow,[21]butthedetailofcharactermodelswaspraised.[88] Theappearanceofthegameworldwaspraisedbycritics.Mostpopularwasthefactthataplayercouldrunfromoneendofthecontinenttotheotherwithouthavingtopauseata"loadingscreen"whilepartofthegameisretrievedfromstorage.[88]Theenvironmentwasdescribedas"breathtaking".Playersfounditdifficulttobecomelost,andeachareainthegameworldhadadistinctlookthatblendedfromonetothenext.[22]Criticsdescribedtheenvironmentas"acarefulblendofcartoon,fantasyart,andrealism".[83]Thegamewasfoundtorunsmoothlyonarangeofcomputersystems,[11]althoughsomedescribeditasbasic,[22]andmentionedthatthebloomlightrenderingeffectcanblurthings.[21]Onereviewerdescribedtheabilitytoflyoverlongstretchesofsceneryas"veryatmospheric".[85]Theuserinterfacewasliked,beingdescribedas"simple",withtooltipshelpingtogettheplayerstarted.[11] Thegame'saudiowaswellreceived,particularlythebackgroundmusic.Byassigningmusictodifferentareasofthegameworld,reviewersfeltthatthefantasystyleaddedtotheplayer'simmersion,[83]andthatthereplayvaluewasincreased.[21]ThesoundsandvoicesusedbycharactersandNPCs,aswellastheoverallsoundeffects,werefelttoadda"personality"tothegame.[83] Accolades WorldofWarcraftwonseveralawardsfromcriticsuponrelease,includingEditor'sChoiceawards.[11][21]Inaddition,itwonseveralannualawardsfromthemedia,beingdescribedasthebestgameintherole-playingandMMORPGgenres.[89]Thegraphicsandaudiowerealsopraisedintheannualawards,withthecartoonishstyle[90]andoverallsoundmakeupbeingnoted.[91]ThegamewasalsoawardedBestMacOSXEntertainmentProductatthe2005AppleDesignAwards.[92]ComputerGamesMagazinenamedWorldofWarcraftthebestcomputergameof2004,andthemagazine'sSteveBaumandescribedhis"feelingthatBlizzardhasanalyzedeveryelementofeveryexistinggame,pulledoutthebestones,andthenlovinglylavishedanabsurdamountofattentiontotheirimplementation."Italsowonthemagazine's"BestArtDirection","BestOriginalMusic"and"BestInterface"awards.[93] WorldofWarcraftwasrecognizedatthe2005SpikeTVVideoGameAwardswhereitwonBestPCGame,BestMultiplayerGame,BestRPG,andMostAddictiveGame.[94]In2008,WorldofWarcraftwashonoured—alongwithNeverwinterNightsandEverQuest—atthe59thAnnualTechnology&EngineeringEmmyAwardsforadvancingtheartformofMMORPGgames.[95]GameSpotnameditthebestmassivelymultiplayergameof2004,andnominateditforthepublication's"BestGraphics,Artistic"award.[96]In2009,GameInformerrankedWorldofWarcraft11thontheirlistof"TheTop200GamesofAllTime".[97]In2015,thegameplaced3rdonUSgamer'sThe15BestGamesSince2000list.[98]In2015,TheStrongNationalMuseumofPlayinductedWorldofWarcrafttoitsWorldVideoGameHallofFame.[99] Commercialperformance WorldofWarcraftwasthebest-sellingPCgameof2005and2006.[100]IntheUnitedStates,itsold1.4millioncopies($68.1million)byAugust2006.Itwasthecountry'sthirdbest-sellingcomputergamebetweenJanuary2000andAugust2006.[101]OnJanuary22,2008,WorldofWarcrafthadmorethan10millionsubscribersworldwide,withmorethan2millionsubscribersinEurope,morethan2.5millioninNorthAmerica,andabout5.5millioninAsia.[102]AtitspeakinOctober2010thegamehad12millionsubscribers.[103]AsofNovember2014thegamehasover10millionactivesubscribers.[104]OnJanuary28,2014,Blizzardannouncedthat100millionaccountshavebeencreatedforthegame.[105]OnMay7,2015,itwasannouncedthattherewere7.1millionactivesubscriptions.[106][107][108][109]AttheendofJune2015,subscriptionsdroppeddownto5.6million,lowestsince2005.[110]BytheendofSeptember,subscriberswereat5.5million.[111] LessthantwomonthsafterbeginningoperationofWorldofWarcraftinChinaonSeptember19,2009,NetEasewasorderedtoimmediatelystopchargingplayersandtoceaseacceptingregistrations.[112][113]ApressestimateindicatedthatifWorldofWarcraftwereshutdowninChina,thelossofsubscriberswouldhavecausedActivisionBlizzard'searningstofallfrom65centspershareto60centspershare.[112]InApril2008,WorldofWarcraftwasestimatedtohold62percentoftheMMORPGsubscriptionmarket.[114]Thegamehasgrossed$9.23billioninrevenue,makingitoneofthehighest-grossingvideogamesofalltime,alongwithSpaceInvaders,Pac-ManandStreetFighterII.[115]Inearly2012,BlizzardstarteditsownseriesoftournamentsforWorldofWarcraftandStarCraftII,knownastheBattle.netWorldChampionshipSeries.[116][117] Securityconcerns InSeptember2006,reportsemergedofspoofWorldofWarcraftgameadvicewebsitesthatcontainedmalware.Vulnerablecomputerswouldbeinfectedthroughtheirwebbrowsers,downloadingaprogramthatwouldthenrelaybackaccountinformation.Blizzard'saccountsupportteamsexperiencedhighdemandduringthisepisode,statingthatmanyusershadbeenaffected.Claimswerealsomadethattelephonesupportwasclosedforisolatedperiodsduetothevolumeofcallsandresultingqueues.[118]InApril2007,attacksevolvedtotakeadvantageoffurtherexploitsinvolvinganimatedcursors,withmultiplewebsitesbeingused.[119][120]SecurityresearchergroupSymantecreleasedareportstatingthatacompromisedWorldofWarcraftaccountwasworthUS$10ontheblackmarket,comparedtoUS$6toUS$12foracompromisedcomputer(correctasofMarch2007).[121]InFebruary2008,phishingemailsweredistributedrequestingthatusersvalidatetheiraccountinformationusingafakeversionoftheWorldofWarcraftaccountmanagementpages.[122]InJune2008,BlizzardannouncedtheBlizzardAuthenticator,availableasahardwaresecuritytokenormobileapplication[123]thatprovidestwo-factorsecurity.Thetokengeneratesaone-timepasswordbasedcodethattheplayersupplieswhenloggingon.Thepassword,usedinadditiontotheuser'sownpassword,isonlyvalidforacoupleofminutes,thusprovidingextrasecurityagainstkeyloggingmalware.[124] BlizzardmakesuseofasystemknownasWardenontheWindowsversionofthegametodetectthird-partyprograms,suchasbottingsoftware,allowingWorldofWarcrafttobeplayedunattended.TherehasbeensomecontroversyastothelegalityofWarden.Wardenusestechniquessimilartoanti-virussoftwaretoanalyzeotherrunningsoftwareontheplayers'PCs,aswellasthefilesystem.However,unlikemostanti-virussoftware,itsendsaportionofthisinformationbacktoBlizzard,whichcausedprivacyadvocatestoaccuseitofbeingspyware.[125]OneexampleoftheinformationWardencollectsisthetitleofeverywindowopenonthesystemwhileWoWisrunning.[126]Ontheotherhand,manygamersrespondedpositivelytothedevelopment,statingthattheysupportedthetechnologyifitresultedinfewercasesofcheating.Blizzard'suseofWardenwasstatedintheTermsofAgreement(TOA).[127] TheWarden'sexistencewasacknowledgedinMarch2008,duringtheopeninglegalproceedingsagainstMDYIndustries.[128]ThelawsuitwasfiledinfederalcourtinArizona,andalsolistedMichaelDonnellyasadefendant.DonnellywasincludedinthesuitasthecreatorofMMOGlider,softwarethatcanautomaticallyplaymanytasksinthegame.Blizzardclaimedthesoftwareisaninfringementofitscopyrightandsoftwarelicenseagreement,statingthat"GlideruseseverelyharmstheWoWgamingexperienceforotherplayersbyalteringthebalanceofplay,disruptingthesocialandimmersiveaspectsofthegame,andunderminingthein-gameeconomy."Donnellyclaimstohavesold100,000copiesofthe$25software.[129] RealID Mainarticle:Battle.net§ PrivacyandRealID OnJuly6,2010,BlizzardEntertainmentannouncedthatonitsforumsforallgames,users'accountswoulddisplaytherealnamestiedtotheiraccounts.[130]BlizzardannouncedthechangefollowinganagreementwithFacebooktoallowFacebooktoconnectpersonswhochoosetobecomefriendstosharetheirrealidentity(RealID,asBlizzardcallsthefeature).TheintegrationofthefeatureintotheforumsontheBlizzardEntertainmentsiteraisedconcernsamongstfansofthemanygameseriesBlizzardhascreatedovertheyears.[131] Inresponsetotheconcerns,BlizzardreleasedanupdatedstatementonJuly9,2010,announcingthattheRealIDintegrationwiththeofficialforumswasbeingcanceled.[132][133] Communityandstudyofplayerinteraction Seealso:SocialinteractionviaMMORPGsandemergentgameplay InadditiontoplayingthegameitselfandconversingondiscussionforumsprovidedbyBlizzard,WorldofWarcraftplayersoftenparticipateinthevirtualcommunityincreativeways,includingfanartwork[134]andcomicstripstylestorytelling.[135] BlizzardgarneredcriticismforitsdecisioninJanuary2006tobanguildsfromadvertisingsexualorientationpreferences.Theincidentoccurredafterseveralplayerswerecitedfor"harassment"afteradvocatingagroupthatwasagay-straightalliance.[136][137]BlizzardlaterreversedthedecisiontoissuewarningstoplayerspromotingLGBT-friendlyguilds. OnOctober7,2010WorldofWarcraftreachedasubscriberbaseofover12millionplayers.[138]SinceMay2011,thenumberofplayersplayinghaddecreasedby10%from11.4millionto10.3million.Blizzard'sCEOMikeMorhaimesaidthatthereasonwasprobablyduetoadrop-offintheEasternmarkets.[139]In2012,seniorproducerJohnLagravetoldEurogamerthatthedropinsubscriptionsmayhavealsobeenattributedtotherecentreleaseofBioWare'sStarWars:TheOldRepublic.[140] Saleofvirtualgoodsintherealworld Furtherinformation:Virtualeconomy AswithotherMMORPGs,companieshaveemergedofferingtosellvirtualgoldandassociatedservices.Thepracticeofamassinggoldandin-gameitemsforfinancialprofitisfrequentlyreferredtoasgoldfarming. AfterBlizzardstartedofferingfreetrialgameplayaccounts,playersnoticedanincreaseinspamfrombotsadvertisingtheseservices.[141]OnestudyshowsthatthisproblemisparticularlyprevalentontheEuropeanrealms,withgoldbeingover14timesmoreexpensivetobuyonUSrealmsthantheirEuropeancounterparts.[142] Inpatch2.1,Blizzardrespondedtothisbyaddingadditionalanti-spammechanicsincludingwhisperthrottlingandthereportspamfunction.Additionally,trialaccountsarepreventedfromspeakinginthepublicchatchannels(althoughtheymayspeaktoplayerswithinrangeorwhispertootherplayersthathavefirstwhisperedtothem),participatinginin-gametrades,andusingtheAuctionHouseandthemailfeature,amongotherlimitations. InMay2007,BlizzardfiledacomplaintagainstinGameDollarLLC(tradingaspeons4hire)inU.S.federalcourt.InFebruary2008,thepartiesfiledaconsentdecreeinwhichinGameDollaragreedtorefrainfromusinganyWorldofWarcraftchatorcommunicationtoadvertiseanybusinessorsellanyservicesrelatingtoWorldofWarcraft.[143]InJune2007,WorldofWarcraftplayerAntonioHernandezfiledaclassactionlawsuitagainstIGEforinterferingwiththeintendeduseofthegame.[144] AscharactersprogressinWorldofWarcraftandtakeonsomeofthetoughestchallenges,manyoftherewardsreceivedareboundtothatcharacterandcannotbetraded,generatingamarketforthetradingofaccountswithwell-equippedcharacters.ThehighestnotedWorldofWarcraftaccounttradewasfor£5000(€7000,US$9,900)inearlySeptember2007.Thehighpricewasduetothecharacterpossessingitemsthatatthetimewereownedbyonlyahandfuloutofthemillionsofactiveplayers,duetothedifficultyinacquiringthem.However,Blizzardbannedtheaccountfivedaysafterthepurchase.[145] ThepracticeofbuyingorsellinggoldinWorldofWarcrafthasgeneratedsignificantcontroversy.[146]OnFebruary21,2008,Blizzardreleasedastatementconcerningtheconsequencesofbuyinggold.Blizzardreportedthatan"alarminglyhigh"proportionofallgoldboughtoriginatesfrom"hacked"accounts.Thearticlealsostatedthatcustomerswhohadpaidforcharacterlevelingserviceshadfoundtheiraccountscompromisedmonthslater,withallitemsstrippedandsoldforvirtualgold.Thearticlenotedthatlevelingservicecompaniesoftenused"disruptivehacks...whichcancauserealmperformanceandstabilityissues".[147]InApril2015,introducedameanstosellin-gamegoldforrealmoney.Aplayermayspend$20onaone-month"gametimetoken"thatcanbesoldforin-gamegoldontheauctionhouse.[37] InDecember2015,Blizzardsoldanin-gamebattlepetnamedBrightpawfor$10withallproceedsgoingtotheMake-A-WishFoundation.[148]ThisresultedinanewBlizzardrecorddonationofover$1.7milliontoMake-A-Wish.[149]InDecember2016,BlizzardagainsoldabattlepetnamedMischieffor$10;ithelpedraisemorethan$2.5millionforMake-A-Wish.[150]InSeptember2017,BlizzardsoldabattlepetnamedShadowthefoxfor$10,withproceedsgoingtotheRedCrosstohelpwithdisasterrelief.[151] CorruptedBloodplagueincident Mainarticle:CorruptedBloodincident TheCorruptedBloodplagueincidentwasoneofthefirsteventstoaffectentireservers.Patch1.7sawtheopeningofZul'Gurub,thegame'sfirst20-playerraiddungeonwhereplayersfacedoffagainstatribeoftrolls.Uponengagingthefinalboss,playerswerestrickenbyadebuffcalled"CorruptedBlood"whichwouldperiodicallysaptheirlife.Thediseasewaspassedontootherplayerssimplybybeingnearinfectedplayers.OriginallythismaladywasconfinedwithintheZul'Gurubinstance,butitmadeitswayintotheoutsideworldbywayofhunterpetsorwarlockminionsthatcontractedthedisease. Withinhours,CorruptedBloodhadcompletelyinfectedmajorcitiesbecauseoftheirhighplayerconcentrations.Low-levelplayerswerekilledinsecondsbythehigh-damagedisease.Eventually,BlizzardfixedtheissuesothattheplaguecouldnotexistoutsideofZul'Gurub. TheCorruptedBloodplaguesocloselyresembledtheoutbreakofreal-worldepidemicsthatscientistsarecurrentlylookingatthewaysMMORPGsorothermassivelydistributedsystemscanmodelhumanbehaviorduringoutbreaks.Thereactionofplayerstotheplaguecloselyresembledpreviouslyhard-to-modelaspectsofhumanbehaviorthatmayallowresearcherstomoreaccuratelypredicthowdiseasesandoutbreaksspreadamongstapopulation.[152] Legacy WorldofWarcraftredefinedtheMMORPGgenre.Itsinnovationswerenotnecessarilyoriginalinisolation,buttogethertheycreatedamodelforthegenreasathemeparkratherthanasimulation.Itsenvironmenthadtonalvarietywithseriousloreandfullcharactersbuttheintentiontoentertain.Thegameusedquestcompletionforexperienceprogression,makinggameplayintoashoppinglistandencouragingmobilityratherthandominatingalocation.Itsuseofinstanceddungeonsletplayersprogresstogetherwithoutrunningintoothers,suchthatdifferentareasofthegamehaddifferentpurposes,separatingplacesforgroupchallenges,masschallenges,andleveling.WorldofWarcraft'soriginaltalentsystem,whichletplayersdistributepointsamongupgrades,sawwideadoption,includingbyStarWars:TheOldRepublic.WorldofWarcraftalsogavestructuretothe"raid"groupactivity,inwhichplayersneededaspecificstrategy.Emergentbehaviorfromraidstrategieswerelaterbuiltintothegame.[153] WhilenotthefirstMMORPGtoleadtohundredsofhoursofcommitment,WorldofWarcraftwasthemostsuccessfuloneinitstime."Mostpeople",wroteVicein2019,"knowsomeonewho'ssaidtheywere'addicted'toWorldofWarcraft".Forsome,thegamebecameanear-totalobsessiontakingprecedentoverbasicnecessitiesandrelationships.Thegame'sbountifulquestsprovidedasenseofpurposeorcopingmechanismformanywhowereunfulfilledwiththeirlives,eventhoughthattimeinvestmentresultedinlittletonochangetotheirlifefulfillment.ThegameinspiredWowaholicsAnonymous,acommunityforplayersseekingtoquitplaying.WorldofWarcraftalsoprovidedhopeandpurposetoplayers,someleadingtoin-personromance.[154] PriortorunningBreitbartNewsandjoiningtheTrumpcampaignandadministration,SteveBannonfoundapoliticalaudienceinWorldofWarcraftplayers.HewasinvolvedinInternetGamingEntertainment,acompanythatemployedWorldofWarcraft"goldfarmers"whosegoldwouldberesoldforrealmoney,whichintroducedBannontowhathesawas"rootless,whitemales"with"monsterpower"evenpriortotheriseofReddit.HebuiltBreitbartintoafar-rightnewsandentertainmentwebsiteinpartbyhiringMiloYiannopoulostopursuedisaffectedgamers.[155] VitalikButerin,wholaterco-foundedthecryptocurrencyEthereum,wasdriventopursuedecentralizedtechnologiesfollowinga2010patchthatchangedhisWorldofWarcraftavatar'spreferredspell.[156]RequestsbyWorldofWarcraftplayersalsoledMicrosofttoalterhowhotkeysworkintheirWindowsoperatingsystem.[157] Inothermedia WorldofWarcrafthasinspiredartiststosatirizeitandacknowledgeitsmarkinpopularculture.OneexampleistheEmmyAward-winningSouthParkepisode"MakeLove,NotWarcraft".[158][159]Thegamehasbeenusedtoadvertiseunrelatedproducts,suchasToyotatrucks.[160] Inlate2007,aseriesoftelevisioncommercialsforthegamebeganairingfeaturingpopculturecelebritiessuchasMr.T,WilliamShatner,andVerneTroyerdiscussingthevirtuesofthecharacterclassestheyplayinthegame.[161]ASpanishcommercialfeaturingGuillermoToledo,andaFrenchcommercialfeaturingJean-ClaudeVanDamme,werealsotelevised.[162]TwomorewereshowninNovember2008,featuringOzzyOsbourneandSteveVanZandt.[163]Anothercommercialintheseries,whichbeganairinginNovember2011,featuredChuckNorrisandplayedontheInternetphenomenonof"ChuckNorrisfacts".[164] WorldofWarcrafthasinspiredthreeboardgames:WorldofWarcraft:TheBoardGame(includingShadowofWarandTheBurningCrusadeexpansions),[165]WorldofWarcraft:TheAdventureGame[166][167](producedbyFantasyFlightGames),andaWorldofWarcrafteditionofTrivialPursuit.[168][169]Thereisalsoatradingcardgame,[170]andacollectibleminiaturesgame[171]onthemarket,bothformerlyproducedbyUpperDeckEntertainment,nowproducedbyCryptozoicEntertainment.Cryptozoicreleasedan"Archives"setwhichcontainsfoilreproductionsofoldercardsproducedbyUpperDeck.InAugust2012,MegablokslaunchedalicensedlineofWorldofWarcraft'buildingblock'toysbasedonthegamescenes,scenariosandcharacters.[172]InMarch2014,Hearthstone:HeroesofWarcraftwasreleased,whichisafree-to-playdigitalcardgamebasedontheWarcraftuniverse,usingclassessimilartoWorldofWarcraft.[173] InNovember2007,DCComicspublishedthefirstissueoftheWorldofWarcraftcomicundertheirWildStormimprint.[174] In2015,BlizzardreleasedHeroesoftheStorm,acrossovermultiplayeronlinebattlearenavideogame,inwhichplayerscancontrolover35heroesfromWarcraftuniversesuchasArthas,Gul'dan,Kel'thuzad,Malfurion,Ragnaros,Sylvanas,ThrallandVarian.[175]ThegamefeaturesaWarcraft-themedbattlegroundnamedAlteracPass.[176]AnumberofWarcraft-themedskinshavebeenintroducedforHeroesoftheStorminthe“EchoesofAlterac”eventinJune2018.[177]VarioussoundtracksfromWorldofWarcraft,suchasObsidianSanctumfromWrathoftheLichKing,TheWanderingIslefromMistsofPandaria,andStormwindtheme,arepresentasbackgroundmusicinthegame.[178] Crossoverpromotions TomarkthereleaseofHearthstone,BlizzardreleasedtheHearthsteedmountforWorldofWarcraftplayers.ThemountisobtainedthroughwinningthreegamesinArenaorPlaymode.[179]WidelyadvertisedonvariousWorldofWarcraftwebsites,thispromotionencouragesWorldofWarcraftplayerstotryHearthstoneandmarkedthefirstsignificantcrossoverimplementedbetweenBlizzardgames. PlayerswhopurchaseWarlordsofDraenorCollector'sorDigitalDeluxeEditionreceiveanOrcthemedcardbackinHearthstone.[180]HeroesoftheStormplayerswhoreachlevel20receivetheGraveGolembattlepetinWorldofWarcraftandafterreachinglevel100inWorldofWarcraftreceiveanIronsideDireWolfmountinHeroesoftheStorm.[181]StartingonMarch11,2016,playerswholevelacharacterto20inWoW,whichcanbecompletedwiththefreestarteredition,earnthealternatePaladinheroLadyLiadrininHearthstone.[182] PlayerswhobuyOverwatchOrigins,GameoftheYear,orCollectorsEditionaregiventheBabyWinstonbattlepetinWoW.[183][184][185] Animatedseries OnAugust24,2020,BlizzardannouncedthatananimatedseriescalledAfterliveswillpremiereonAugust27,duringtheGamescom2020event.[186][187][188] Notes ^AdditionalmusicbyTracyW.Bush,DerekDukeandGlennStafford References ^"BlizzardEntertainmentannouncesWorldofWarcraftEuropeanstreetdate–February11,2005".BlizzardEntertainment.February2,2005.ArchivedfromtheoriginalonFebruary7,2005.RetrievedFebruary9,2007. ^"TheActivision/BlizzardMerger:FiveKeyPoints".IndustryNews.gamasutra.com.December3,2007.ArchivedfromtheoriginalonDecember21,2008.RetrievedFebruary24,2009.OneoftheintriguingthingsabouttheoldVivendistructurewasthat,evenwhenMartinTremblayjoinedtorunVivendi'spublishing,itwasspecified:"WorldOfWarcraftcreatorBlizzardEntertainmenthasbeendesignatedastand-alonedivisionreportingtoVUGames'CEO,andisnotpartofTremblay'sproductdevelopmentmandate. ^"FICTIONTIMELINE".BlizzardEntertainment.March9,2009.ArchivedfromtheoriginalonDecember4,2010. ^Reilly,Jim(May5,2012)."WorldofWarcraftReaches12MillionSubscribers".IGN. ^"Blizzardreaches100MlifetimeWorldofWarcraftaccounts".Polygon.com.January28,2014.ArchivedfromtheoriginalonFebruary1,2014. ^Sawyer,Logan(May13,2020)."RankingThe15BestMMORPGsOfAllTime".TheGamer. ^Bradley,Alan;Avard,Alex;Gerblick,Jordan(August11,2020)."ThebestMMORPGgamestoliveoutyourbestfantasylife".GamesRadar. 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