Wednesday, September 09, 2009
MMORPG Having RL Impact
At first glance the title of this blog post may not seem to make any sense. MMORPG stands for Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game. Often times within an MMORPG, RL is used as an acronym for real life. World of Warcraft is one such MMO which has garnered a massive following. As of this wri
ting, the population of the community is closing in on 12 million active subscribers.World of Warcraft or WoW allows players to assume the role of one of several different races of beings. The player is given many options to create the character to his or her liking. Once you create your player, you start at level 1 and make the long, arduous trek to the current level cap of 80. Considerable play time is required to reach the level cap. The game consists of exploring new areas, killing various in game characters, and completing quests to earn experience. Experience is like a sort of currency which allows you to reach the next level.
Many people are wondering, what is causing this game to become so popular? Many other MMO's have existed, but none have even come close to approaching the popularity of WoW. I believe, Blizzard Entertainment, the developer of WoW have found a near perfect formula of game play. Often times, the next big upgrade for your character is just around the corner, so you keep playing to reach it. This pattern repeats itself numerous times, and as you put forth more effort into your character, the desire to attain more power becomes stronger. Addiction has been a real problem for many people who play WoW. There are many websites dedicated to helping people break their addiction to WoW. WoWDetox.com is just one example.
Financially speaking, WoW is an absolute beast. With close to 12 million subscribers, it generates over $150 million per month. This is not including the amount of money generated from software sales.World of Warcraft is approaching its 5th anniversary and there are no signs of slowing down. This virtual community of WoW is diverse and still growing. For example, in my current Guild ( a band of players who commonly group together) the members range in age from 6 to 80. WoW's appeal is seemingly growing amongst a very broad range of people. If you are interested in seeing what the phenomenon is about, i suggest giving the 10 day free trial a spin over here.
Official Trailer
