World of Warcraft (WoW) (electronic game)
World of Warcraft (WoW) is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed by Blizzard Entertainment and released in 2004. Set in the fantasy world of Azeroth, players create characters and embark on quests, engage in battles, and interact with other players in a shared online environment. The game features two main factions, the Alliance and the Horde, each with various races and classes, allowing for a diverse range of gameplay experiences. Players can choose to engage in player-versus-environment (PvE) content or player-versus-player (PvP) combat, fostering both cooperative and competitive interactions.
WoW has seen significant milestones, including a peak of nearly 12 million subscribers in 2011, although this number declined to 5.5 million by late 2015. The game is known for its expansive lore and various expansion packs, each introducing new content, levels, and gameplay mechanics. Over the years, expansions such as The Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King have broken sales records, showcasing the game's popularity. WoW emphasizes social interaction, with many players forming friendships and communities through in-game chats and forums, contributing to its lasting cultural impact in the gaming world.
World of Warcraft (WoW) (electronic game)
World of Warcraft (WoW) is an online role-playing video game. It is a massively multiplayer game, meaning large numbers of players can interact and play with one another. The game, which was developed by Blizzard Entertainment, was released in 2004. The number of WoW subscribers peaked at nearly 12 million in 2011 but fell to 5.5 million as of November 2015. Still, in 2024, the number of players reached 7.5 million as the game celebrated its twentieth anniversary. This growth was due to expansions of the game. WoW is part of the Warcraft series that includes video games, cards, novels, films, and more.
Playing the Game
WoW requires an Internet connection and does not have an off-line mode. The game is geared toward play with a large number of multiple players, but an individual can play the game alone. Players work in groups to conquer various quests to advance to higher levels in the game. WoW is a role-playing game, meaning players take on the personas of the characters they are playing and control all their actions. These characters are part of a larger online world shared by other players.
WoW is a swords and sorcery game in which characters battle with swords and encounter magical elements. It is set on the planet of Azeroth. Many types of characters exist on Azeroth. Some are allies, while others are rivals.
On the ground, there is a war going on between two factions, known as the Alliance and the Horde, that want to dominate Azeroth. The Alliance includes the races of humans, dwarves, gnomes, night elves, draenei, and worgen. The Horde consists of orcs, trolls, tauren, the undead, blood elves, and goblins. A race known as the Pandaren, who believe in harmony and balance, is in the middle of the two factions and can join either side.
Azeroth has other issues. Old gods living underneath the surface release horrors upon the planet. The north part of the planet is a frozen wasteland controlled by an evil army of the undead. In another realm deep in the galaxy above the planet, a force of demons plans to destroy Azeroth.
Players must choose their characters carefully. First, they must choose gender. Next is race, which determines the faction (Alliance or Horde) to which they belong. Only characters of the same faction can cooperate and communicate with one another; members of the opposite faction cannot. Next, players must choose their characters' class. The choices are warrior, paladin, hunter, rogue, priest, death knight, shaman, mage, warlock, monk, druid, and demon hunter. Class determines what the characters can and cannot do, such as fight and heal.
Over time, characters will gain strength by acquiring experience, skills, and items. The characters will undergo many changes, acquire new talents and abilities, earn and spend gold, learn how to maneuver weapons, and use items such as rings, artifacts, and suits of armor to their advantage. Players can create dozens of characters, allowing them to experience the game through playing different roles.
Through their characters, players will fight monsters and complete quests while encountering player-controlled characters, computer-controlled characters, and non-player characters (NPCs). These characters may need help with various tasks, such as delivering items or rescuing a princess, but often, these tasks will put the character in danger. Players will also have to band together to conquer some challenges, such as exploring dungeons or raids.
Players also will participate in skirmishes between members of the opposite factions (Alliance and Horde) in what is called player-versus-player combat (PvP). This can be between individual players or groups of players. While playing WoW, players have the ability to chat and make friends with other players, adding to the social impact of the game. Numerous websites, online forums, and meetups exist for players to interact, get and give tips, and more.
Popularity
WoW officially debuted on November 23, 2004. However, it had been in development for several years prior to this. The first version of the game had sixty levels. The game became immensely popular and had seven million subscribers by September 2006.
Its first expansion pack, World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, debuted in 2007. It sold 2.4 million copies in one day, breaking the record for video game sales in North America and Europe. The expansion went to level seventy and included many new elements, including new races. By the following March, WoW had ten million subscribers.
The next expansion, World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, was released in November 2008 and sold 2.8 million copies in one day, breaking the first expansion's sales. The following month, WoW subscribers soared to 11.5 million. The expansion increased the levels to eighty, added more classes, and expanded the accessible territory in the game.
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, the third expansion, debuted in December 2010, again shattering sales records with 3.3 million copies sold on the first day. This installment redesigned Azeroth, went up to level eighty-five, and added new classes and races.
By 2011, WoW saw a decline in numbers, with just ten million subscribers. The fourth expansion, World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria, debuted in September 2012, but it failed to break past WoW records, only selling 2.7 million copies in its first week. Subscriptions fell to 9.1 million that year. The new installment added levels through ninety, introduced a new class, added a new continent, and redesigned a few races and classes.
By September 2013, subscriptions were down to 7.7 million. The fifth expansion, World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor, was released in November 2014. It featured one hundred levels and revamped character models. WoW continued to see a decline, with 5.5 million subscribers in November 2015. The sixth expansion, World of Warcraft: Legion, and the film adaptation of the game series both came out in 2016. Into the mid-2020s, WoW once again began to reach subscribers, amounting to 7.5 million in 2024. This is thanks to several expansion packs released at the end of the 2010s and into the 2020s. These include Battle for Azeroth (2018), Shadowlands (2020), Dragonflight (2022), and The War Within (2024).
Bibliography
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Foster, Mike. "Azeroth and Beyond: Nine Years of World of Warcraft." Engadget, 22 Nov. 2013, www.engadget.com/2013/11/22/azeroth-and-beyond-nine-years-of-world-of-warcraft. Accessed 26 Jan. 2025.
Kelly, Michael, and Jerome Heath. “All World of Warcraft Expansions in Release Order.” Dot Esports, 23 Sept. 2024, dotesports.com/wow/news/all-world-of-warcraft-expansions-in-order. Accessed 26 Jan. 2025.
Skipper, Ben. "World of Warcraft Subscribers Hit 5.5 Million, Lowest Numbers for 10 Years." International Business Times, 3 Nov. 2015, www.ibtimes.co.uk/world-warcraft-subscribers-hit-5-5-million-lowest-numbers-10-years-1527035. Accessed 26 Jan. 2025.
Stickney, Anne. "What Is World of Warcraft?" Engadget, 3 Jan. 2014, www.engadget.com/2014/01/03/what-is-world-of-warcraft. Accessed 26 Jan. 2025.