World of Warcraft

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World of Warcraft
WoW icon.svg
World of Warcraft logo
Studio United StatesUnited States Blizzard Entertainment
Publisher FranceFrance Vivendi (until 2008) Activision Blizzard (from 2008)
United StatesUnited States
Senior Developer Ion Hazzikostas (Game Director)
composer Russell Brower, Jason Hayes, Derek Duke, Tracy W. Bush, Glenn Stafford, Matt Uelmen, Neal Acree, David Arkenstone
Erstveröffent-
lichung		 North AmericaNorth America/ November 23, 2004 February 11, 2005AustraliaAustralia
EuropeEurope
platform Microsoft Windows , macOS
genre MMORPG
Subject Fantasy
Game mode Multiplayer
control Mouse , keyboard
system advantages
preconditions		 See here
medium CD-ROM (earlier), DVD , download
Current version 8.2 of August 4, 2019
Age rating
USK released from 12
PEGI recommended for ages 12 and up
information Subscriptions : 5.5 million
(as of November 2015)

World of Warcraft , abbreviated WoW , is an MMORPG from the US game developer Blizzard Entertainment . The computer game was on November 23, 2004 - the tenth anniversary of Warcraft - franchises in - New Zealand , Australia , Canada , Mexico and the United States published. It was released in Europe on February 11, 2005, and later in other countries, including the People's Republic of China and Russia .

World of Warcraft is one of the most important computer games, has held the Guinness World Record for the most popular multiplayer online role-playing game since 2009 and has received several awards. By July 2012, the game had generated over ten billion US dollars in sales, making it the most successful computer game. In order to play World of Warcraft , a monthly fee must be paid. There is also a limited Starter Edition for a free gaming experience. The game is one of the most lucrative entertainment media, with annual sales of more than one billion US dollars.

New expansions for World of Warcraft are released at regular intervals . Since the appearance of the basic version, the extensions The Burning Crusade (2007), Wrath of the Lich King (2008), Cataclysm (2010), Mists of Pandaria (2012), Warlords of Draenor (2014), Legion (2016) and Battle have appeared for Azeroth (2018). In 2019 World of Warcraft: Classic was also released , a re-release of the first version of the game.

At Blizzcon 2019 , Shadowlands , the eighth expansion for World of Warcraft , was announced.

Gameplay

Two cosplayers disguised as night elf druids

In World of Warcraft , the player creates a character . Various design options such as hairstyles, skin colors, facial features and beards can be freely selected. The player has to choose one of the two factions Alliance or Horde when creating his character. It depends on your choice on which side you fight and which peoples you can choose. On the Alliance side you can choose between humans, night elves, dwarves, gnomes, draenei, worgen, lightforged draenei and void elves, while on the horde side you can choose orcs, tauren, undead, trolls, blood elves, goblins, nightborns, high mountain taurs, mag'hars and Vulperas can choose. It is also possible to play pandaren, who can decide on a faction in the course of the game. A total of twelve classes are available: druid, warlock, hunter, warrior, magician, paladin, priest, shaman, villain, death knight, monk and demon hunter. The choice of the people restricts class choice, since not all classes are available to every people.

As a goal of World of Warcraft you can see the level up of the created character up to the maximum level 120. Another common motivation is getting hold of special equipment.

Experience points

In order to raise your avatar you have to collect experience points (XP). You get this z. B. by accepting quests (English for task, mission) and completing them as a reward. In addition to experience points, they also grant rewards in the form of virtual money or equipment ( items ). In total, there are more than 10,000 quests available in the game. Some quests can only be solved in a group with other players. Furthermore, the avatar receives experience points for successfully defeating computer-controlled characters and monsters. Experience points are also awarded for exploring unknown areas. After reaching a certain number of experience points, the character automatically rises one level . Each level increase grants the avatar new available skills. In addition, players from levels 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, 90 and 100 have the opportunity to choose one of three talents for their avatar. Each talent grants a new ability.

Races

people Druid Sorcerer Hunter warrior magician paladin priest shaman Villain Death knight monk Demon Hunter
People  ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Dwarves ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Gnome ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Night  elves ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Draenei ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Worgen ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Void elves ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Light-forged draenei ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Dark Iron Dwarfs ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Kul Tirans ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Mechagnomes ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Orcs ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Undead ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Tauren ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Trolls ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Blood Elves ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Goblin ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Nightborn ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Hochbergtauren ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Mag'har orcs ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Zandalari trolls ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Vulpera ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
Pandaren ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

The new features of The Burning Crusade are light green .
The new features of Wrath of the Lich King are purple . Cataclysm's
new features are red .
The new features of Mists of Pandaria are blue .
The dark green marked peoples were visually embellished with Warlords of Draenor .
The innovations of Legion are turquoise .
The new features of Battle for Azeroth are orange .

struggle

The fighting skills of the individual classes differ. Some are better suited for close combat ( Engl. Melee), other (Engl. Range) for ranged combat. If several players fight together in a group, each group member should concentrate on one of the following three tasks:

  • Polluters (DPS abbreviated for damage per second or DD for damage dealer ): polluters can cause a lot of damage (by melee, ranged or spell), while they can not put away a lot of time.
  • Damage absorber (tank, English for tanks): Tanks are particularly resistant. Your task is to protect other players by directing attacks or hindering opponents with control effects.
  • Healers : Healers support other players with healing, buffing effects or other abilities for the benefit of their allies.

But regardless of their role, all classes can be played alone. Some classes are limited in the roles they can play. Warlocks, villains, magicians, and hunters, for example, can only serve as damage dealers. Other classes such as druids or monks can take on all three roles. Each class has three different talent specializations. The druid has four of them. Each talent specialization changes the gameplay of the respective class. From character level 30, it is possible to switch between two talent distributions at any time. For example, a character can switch back and forth between a Damage Dealer and a Healer Talent tree during the game.

Realms

In addition to the various design options and the combinations of races and classes, the player can create his character on different realms (English for servers ). There are three realm clusters : an American, an Asian, and a European realm cluster. In each there are different realms, which not only differ in language and time zone but also in the target group:

  • Normal realms : The focus is on fighting and solving quests.
  • RP realms (abbreviation for role playing ): On these realms, the role play aspect is in the foreground.

jobs

Each player has the opportunity to let his character learn professions, which are divided into primary and secondary professions. A maximum of two primary professions can be learned, but all secondary professions.

Job overview
job description Type
Alchemy Making elixirs and potions from herbs. Primary occupation
fishing Fishing in all waters. Secondary occupation
archeology Look for artifacts that bring rewards. Secondary occupation
Mining Excavation of ores. Primary occupation
Engineering skill Development of helpful items. Primary occupation
Inscription Crafting item enhancements and glyphs. Primary occupation
Jewelery cutting Manufacture of jewels and trinkets from ores and metals. Primary occupation
culinary arts Cooking food and drink from different ingredients. Secondary occupation
Herbalism Harvesting herbs. Primary occupation
Skinning Collecting leather. Primary occupation
Leather processing Manufacture of leather equipment from leather. Primary occupation
Blacksmithing Manufacture of plate equipment from metals and ores. Primary occupation
Tailoring Manufacture of fabric equipment from fabrics. Primary occupation
Enchanting Enchanting and disenchanting objects. Primary occupation

The player is free to choose the professions, with some combinations of primary professions being offered due to their dependency. For example, skinning and leather processing are a useful combination as the leather obtained from the dead animals can be processed directly. An avatar starts every profession with skill level 1, which can be increased by collecting raw materials, producing objects and enchanting and disenchanting objects. This way, new recipes are learned. In contrast to the secondary occupations, main occupations can be unlearned again, which means that the skill points accumulated up to that point are lost in this occupation.

Guilds

Players can form a guild on a shared realm. A minimum number of different avatars is required to found a guild. The name of the guild can be freely chosen before it is founded. A guild can be compared to a clan . Within a guild, items are often sold, bartered or given away cheaply. Players get to know each other better and it is easier to find someone to play with. In addition, the feel of the game in a guild is intensified and improved, as you often play with people who have the same interests. For example, a difficult raid boss can only be mastered with very good teamwork from a guild. A guild also has direct advantages in terms of game mechanics. As development progresses, guilds can unlock skills for their members, for example a higher gain in experience points or faster movement.

Each guild can buy up to eight guild bank slots. The first six subjects can be purchased with an increasing amount of gold per level, while subjects seven and eight require a guild achievement. Items and gold can be stored in the guild bank. When players from the same guild face challenges together, a guild bank reward is granted. Within a guild there is an independently built organization. For example, the organization can be made up of a guild master, two officers and several members, but only one guild master and all other guild members are officers. The individual organizational bodies can be freely named.

Player versus Player (PvP)

One of the main occupations of gamers is to compete against other players. This is called PvP , meaning player against player. There are three ways to measure yourself against other players:

  • Battlefields (abbreviated as Battlegrounds, BGs): Instances in which teams from opposing factions face each other in a goal-based battle. The types of battlefields available differ between resource race, flag conquest and warfare. There are also rated battlefields, where if you win the fight, the matchmaking rating (English for matchmaking rating, abbreviated to MMR) of the respective character increases. The MMR ensures that players always compete with and against other players of similar skill.
  • Arenas : Fighting teams of 2, 3 or 5 against other teams of this size. Also based on the MMR principle.
  • World PvP : Skirmishes in contested areas and at conflict locations without any MMR connection.

When fighting these three types, honor points and conquest points are rewarded, which are collected and used as currency to buy equipment. A new PvP season starts at irregular intervals (previously between 17 and 33 weeks), but often together with a larger content patch. In addition, all MMRs will be reset and new items will be available. There are also rare rewards such as titles or mounts for the best players from the previous season.

Player versus Environment (PvE)

Another major pastime in World of Warcraft is completing dungeons and raids. These are assigned to PvE , i.e. player versus environment.

  • Dungeons : Dungeons are instanced locations where you have to defeat the computer-controlled opponents there. They become available from level 15 and extend up to level 100. A dungeon is divided into trash fights and boss fights. Trash are easy opponents to defeat, while bosses are difficult opponents. Each boss brings its own set of skills that must be countered by the players. When a boss dies, he drops loot. Dungeons are available in the difficulty levels normal (from level 15 to 100), heroic (from level 70) and mythic (from level 100). A dungeon is intended for a group of five players. The term instance is also used colloquially for a dungeon .
  • Raids (English raids.): Raids are more spacious instances that are intended for more players. Raids come in Raid Finder, Normal, Heroic, and Mythic difficulty levels.

You can enter a dungeon using the group search system. Any player from level 15 can log into this system. A group is then automatically put together for a dungeon. Raids can be formed by logging in using the Looking for group (LFG) tool.

call

By completing quests or killing certain opponents, the character can improve or even worsen his reputation with the various factions. Only a sufficiently high reputation value for a faction makes it possible, for example, to buy high-quality items (including mounts) from NPCs of this faction. A low reputation value can lead to NPCs of this faction attacking the player immediately when they are in sight. The reputation system is of course number-based, but there are reputation levels (from negative to positive): Hateful, Hostile, Unfriendly, Neutral, Friendly, Benevolent, Respectful, and Awesome.

Success system

The success system was integrated with Patch 3.0. This is where most of the events that a player experiences while playing are recorded and stored as successes, for example exploring locations, managing raids and getting horses and pets. There are also heroic deeds that are not stored in advance and are only entered as a success when the player has achieved it. In addition, these are usually not accessible by new players. Your own successes can be compared with those of other players. Some achievements have new titles, mounts, or toys. However, none of the items that can be obtained via the achievement system make the character stronger, they only serve as a reward for the player.

Communication in the game

Within the game, players can talk to other players from their faction via chat channels . Text communication takes place in these channels. There are general commands available that can be used to say something to all nearby players or to shout throughout the area. There are also ready-made channels in which, for example, you can ask general questions, do business or organize defenses against attackers. In the graphical user interface of the game you can also set a swear word filter, which, however, cannot recognize all insults and sometimes incorrectly recognizes harmless words as insults. This is because the swear word filters also censor English words that have a different meaning in the German language.

Before patch 2.0 there was also a separate search-for-group channel, which made it possible to search for a group or other comrades-in-arms. Since the said patch there is a built-in group search system that automatically compiles groups. It can e.g. B. an instance or a quest can be selected, and the search system looks for other players who are also looking for a group for them. The group is then automatically put together and the group leader is selected at random.

With Patch 2.1, the search-for-group channel is available again in a modified form. The channel is now controlled via the group search system. When registered in the system, the channel is automatically entered and left when deactivated.

With the patch 3.3 the group search system was fundamentally changed and with it the search-for-group channel. Since then, the chat channel has only been available when the character is in one of the main cities in the game, and it is independent of the group search function.

In addition, a postal system is available in the game, which can be used via mailboxes in front of inns or banks in various cities. With this you can not only send messages to players, but also send gold or goods. Sending gold, simple letters and items takes an hour. The exception is sending to a character who belongs to the same World of Warcraft user account, or to members of your own guild, provided they have activated a corresponding bonus - this mail will be delivered immediately.

Direct communication with players from the opposing faction is not possible. What is written directly is translated into incomprehensible gibberish by the game, which can only be translated back in individual cases. However, to enable communication, the manufacturer has set up a system of emotes . This can be used to convey emotions and simple gestures. For example, the emote / wave lets your character raise their hand and wave, while / whistle even makes an audible whistle sound. People-specific jokes (/ jokes ) are also audibly told by the character.

Various players use voice chat programs such as TeamSpeak or Ventrilo to communicate with other players via a microphone, which simplifies interaction, especially in instances. Since patch 2.2 there has been an in-game voice chat based on the same principle, but not requiring any additional software. This voice chat can e.g. B. be used in normal groups, in raids and on battlefields. But you can also create your own channels. Active use is limited to 40 players, but listening is possible for more players.

Since the early years of the MMORPGs, the scene has developed its own chat language, which packs longer statements into short words comprising a few letters. This is used for fast communication e.g. B. in stressful situations in which you have to quickly communicate something to your fellow players. So "lol" (English "laugh out loud") means "loud laughter". Also smileys have changed within the game community or were reinvented. The “xD” smiley, for example, shows a reinforced form of the laughing (“: D”) smiley, a face with eyes narrowed with laughter. But for a long time now this has not just been written, but even spoken using TeamSpeak etc.

trade

You can trade with other players in auction houses that are integrated into the game. There you have the opportunity to buy or sell objects you have made yourself or found for a small auction fee for the virtual game currency "gold". You have to specify a minimum bid and the duration. Optionally, you can also specify a buy-it-now price.

In addition to the exchange in the game itself, there has been a brisk external trade in gold and items outside of the game for real money. In China in particular, companies have emerged in which professional players, so-called gold farmers , use long-term games and often under inhumane conditions to generate game currency or items that can then be sold by the company. The legal basis for such transactions has so far been controversial, with retailers and game manufacturers taking opposing positions. According to the World of Warcraft end user license agreements , this type of business is expressly prohibited and will result in the closure of the user account.

Modifications

There are various user interface modifications that execute general, repetitive commands semi-automatically, or change the look and feel of the game. These "add-ons" are written by players. It is expressly requested by Blizzard that every player can design his user interface individually in this way. There are e.g. B. Modifications that add additional action bars, remove some textures, show cooldown times of spells or save gold spent on repairs and flights.

At regular intervals, Blizzard expands the user interface with functions that were previously only possible with add-ons, making them partially superfluous.

Modifications not allowed

In addition to the official modifications, there are also modifications that violate the end-user license agreements. According to Blizzard's regulations, add-ons may only be created using the means for which they are intended and may not give the players any direct advantage. The last rule is controversial, however, as all add-ons can provide an advantage. Usually only add-ons are meant that change the game mechanics significantly or in a way that is not intended by the developers. Modifications that repeatedly queried database entries for the game in the background and thus generated an above-average network load for a single game client were also blocked. Such modifications are called sniffers . The aim was to fill the databases of private servers with the data obtained .

Monitoring of client computers

To avoid that on the client computer via external programs to the World of Warcraft - process automation flow-acted for the purpose of purchasing advantage or where is World of Warcraft include a monitoring functionality. With the help of special software - called "Warden" - while World of Warcraft is running, both RAM and other CPU processes are checked and searched for patterns of known cheat programs. The customer is informed of this fact within the contract details before the first start of the game. Consent to these methods is a prerequisite for participating in the game. Data protectionists see dangers with regard to the confidentiality of private data, which Blizzard Entertainment could in principle become aware of in this way, and thus clear parallels to spyware. For this approach, Blizzard Entertainment received the Austrian Big Brother Award in 2005 , a negative prize that is given annually in the field of communication.

Hacks

Hacks manipulate the data packets sent by the game client to the server by manipulating values. Players who play the normal way may feel disadvantaged by these hacks, especially in battles for rewards. Blizzard usually ensures that a particular hack can no longer be used and bans all players who can be proven to have used the hack. "Warden", the anti-cheat system from World of Warcraft automatically blocks accounts that show abnormalities. In addition, Blizzard introduced a 'report' function a few years ago, which allows players to report other players who behave abnormally with just a few clicks. In such cases, the characters are mostly computer-controlled .

Computerized characters

There are programs that automate a character's operations and take control of the player (not to be confused with non-player characters created by Blizzard). These bots either collect items or gold or advertise virtual trading (mostly through chat messages or in-game mail). Bots are also used to drive the trade in virtual goods for real money, as they can efficiently take over the collection of items and gold. The use of such programs is prohibited according to Blizzard's terms of use and can lead to account suspension if the use can be proven.

With the increase in advertising, add-ons such as "SpamMeNot" have been developed to greatly reduce unwanted messages and to simplify forwarding to Gamemaster . Since patch 2.1, Blizzard has improved the anti-spam system and made it easier for spammers to report.

Private servers

In addition to the official Blizzard servers, there are private servers, so-called freeshards , for which there are no fees. The players use a - mostly earlier - version of the original game client, which connects to a server operated by private persons or groups. These servers run enthusiast-developed software (also known as "servers") that mimics the original Blizzard Entertainment servers.

Blizzard Entertainment rejects private servers. The legal situation is not entirely clear, neither from the perspective of the player nor the operator of this private server. However, there is basically what is known as reverse engineering , which is repeatedly the subject of draft laws for copyright protection. In addition, you are violating a number of points in the license agreements that you as a customer have legally confirmed. Among other things, the old versions of the WoW client required for the private server are also offered for download, which is a clear violation of copyright law.

World of Warcraft private servers are faced with the problem that Blizzard Entertainment is constantly developing new and more complex game content. As a result, the private server software only supports significantly older versions of the clients when new content is published. On the other hand, many players specifically choose a private server, as only there the game can be experienced at an earlier stage. Most private servers therefore deliberately run on younger versions of the original game ("Classic", 2004) or the add-ons The Burning Crusade (2007), Wrath of the Lich King (2008) or Cataclysm (2010) and are no longer expanded subsequently.

In recent years several categories have been established for private servers:

category description
Blizzlike The 'Blizzlike' servers are careful to create the most original game feel possible. Care is taken to ensure that the proportions of gold earned, experience and items dropped by defeated opponents, for example, are similar to those on the official World of Warcraft servers.
High rate The game is also recreated as true to the original as possible on 'Highrate' servers, but certain multipliers are increased on these servers. These influence the amount of gold earned, the experience as well as the number and the probability of objects being dropped by defeated opponents. 'Highrate' means minimally increased multipliers (2 ×, 3 ×) as well as significantly increased values ​​(10 ×, 20 ×).
Fun 'Fun' servers are often very different. What they all have in common, however, is that they undermine the actual meaning of the game and that, as a server administrator, you have, for example, so-called “Jump'n'Run” events, “scavenger hunts” and much more. organized to entertain the players on the server. The entertainment factor of the game itself is usually lost. A selection of ready-made characters, which often start at the maximum level, is also common.
story 'Story' servers are understood as meaning that the server operator has written his own (further) story ( fan fiction ) for the game and then implemented it with the help of modifications to the server files and the local data of the game. These can include, for example, new races or classes, spells, instances, areas or continents and also items.

The legal situation (at least in Germany) is not clear. however, modifying World of Warcraft is once again against the Blizzard Entertainment Terms and Conditions.

All-GM On an 'All-GM' server, every player automatically has appropriate authorizations to execute 'in-game' commands that are actually reserved for administrators. Players could then, for example, assign objects to themselves using chat commands and teleport themselves. Due to the fact that you can - if not set otherwise - kill other players with a chat command, 'All-GM' servers are not very popular. They have become rarer in recent years.
Arena (PvP) On 'arena' servers there is mostly fighting against other players only in the arena. The game's PvE content is left untouched most of the time.

action

The storyline in World of Warcraft ties in with Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne and is continued through content patches and expansions .

Business model

In addition to the one-time purchase of the game itself, a monthly fee must be paid in order to play World of Warcraft . With the purchase of the game you get a free month. After that, a monthly subscription costs EUR 12.99 , a three-month subscription EUR 11.99 per month and a six-month subscription EUR 10.99 per month. Payment is possible via direct debit , giropay , PayPal and other payment methods. In stores, prepaid cards are also available that are adapted to these prices. There is also a limited Starter Edition that allows a free gaming experience.

The following chargeable services are also offered:

Paid services
Paid service description price
Character transfer Transferring a character from his current realm to another realm without character adjustments. 25 euros
Change of faction Change of a character from his current faction to the other faction. 30 euro
People change Change of a character from his current race to another race in the same faction. 25 euros
Character customization Changing the gender and other character customizations of a character. 15 euro
Character renaming Renaming a character. 10 Euro
Character upgrade to level 110 Set a character at level 110 or create a new character at level 110. 60 euro

In addition, mounts and pets are offered for a fee in the game itself.

In the media

Computer game fairs

Blizzard Entertainment is regularly present at computer game shows to showcase new games or to introduce new game content. Thus, the extensions were The Burning Crusade , Wrath of the Lich King , Cataclysm , Mists of Pandaria and Warlords of Draenor announced at BlizzCon. In 2015, the game developer announced, for the first time in World of Warcraft history , an expansion at Gamescom (Legion) .

The announcements are also broadcast on Twitch and YouTube and enjoy a large fan base. During the live announcement from Legion alone , over 250,000 people followed the announcement via Twitch.

Commercials

At the beginning of 2008, commercials with well-known personalities were broadcast for the first time. In addition to Steven Van Zandt , Jean-Claude Van Damme and Ozzy Osbourne , German personalities such as Smudo and Thomas D from the Fantastischen Vier also promoted the game towards the end of 2008 . Other advertising partners were Verne Troyer , William Shatner , Mr. T and Chuck Norris . Currently, only commercials are broadcast that advertise the appearance of extensions.

WOW!

WOW! was a TV show from GIGA that dealt exclusively with World of Warcraft . The program was moderated by Florian Kamolz and Philipp Senkbeil. The content of the program was various instructions and advice on completing quests, various talent specializations and getting reputation and honor. Viewers always had the opportunity to ask the moderators questions, some of which were answered on the show and others by the GIGA community. Broadcasting ceased on March 31, 2009.

Make Love, Not Warcraft

The South Park episode Make Love, Not Warcraft is a reference to World of Warcraft and is about a single player who has become too powerful to be stopped by the other players. Since he kills every character in range within a very short time, even Blizzard fears "the end of World of Warcraft ". The last hopes are on the children from South Park, who were only able to develop competitive characters after months of hunting wild boar and who then try to stop the over-character with the help of a special magic sword. The episode takes up common clichés and satirically thematize the subject of computer game addiction .

The episode won an Emmy in the category "Cartoon show (less than an hour)".

Gambling addiction

World of Warcraft , like other computer games, is considered potentially addictive. There are corresponding media reports with individual examples from those affected. A 2009 study suggests that World of Warcraft is more likely to become addicted than other computer games. Among the 10 most popular games, the highest proportion of dependent players was found among young male players with 8.5 percent.

Another publication mentions two factors through which World of Warcraft players can become dependent: Firstly, the strong identification with the character, combined with the feeling of achieving something with them in the game, as a substitute for this feeling of success in real life . Second, the fact that while the individual is not playing, the game continues anyway. As a result, the player always feels like he's missing something when he's not playing.

Warcraft movie

Blizzard produced Warcraft: The Beginning in collaboration with the two film studios Legendary Pictures and Universal Pictures . The film is the first real-life adaptation of a Blizzard game and does not tell the events of World of Warcraft , but with some freedom it tells the events of the very first Warcraft real-time strategy game Warcraft: Orcs & Humans from 1994 and is also based on parts of the book World of Warcraft - The Rise of the Horde .

The film was released in German cinemas on May 26, 2016 in 2D, 3D and IMAX 3D .

Fan culture

WoWWiki: One of the most famous WoW fansites

World of Warcraft's large community of players has created an extensive fan culture. There are comics, short stories, art books, books and radio plays based on the game. Drawings by players who have received awards from Blizzard are regularly featured. Several computer game magazines and websites mainly cover World of Warcraft . Several YouTubers also report on the game. There are also regular cosplay and dance competitions.

development

The game was officially announced on September 3, 2001 at the European Computer Trade Show . According to the company, the development of the game took four to five years, of which the test phase alone took two years. The 3D graphics use various elements of the Warcraft 3 graphics engine . The game world was created as an open environment for all players on a server. Quests should help the player with character development and encourage him to explore as many different zones as possible. In addition, these have been designed in such a way that players do not disturb each other when completing quests. The user interface was designed in an open manner so that the player could adjust the appearance and position of the controls.

World of Warcraft was released for Microsoft Windows and macOS . Unofficial Linux and FreeBSD support can be achieved through Wine derivatives such as Cedega or CrossOver . A game client for Linux exists but was never released by Blizzard due to concerns about the complexity of supporting the Linux ecosystem. Since patch 3.0.2 the game is only supported from Windows XP . With Patch 4.0.3, support for PowerPCs was given up.

The original version of the game (also called Classic or Vanilla ) was released on November 23, 2004 in Mexico , New Zealand , Canada , Australia and the United States . While it was released in South Korea on January 18, 2005, it was released in Europe on February 11, 2005. It was later published in the People's Republic of China , Singapore , Taiwan , Hong Kong , Macau , South Africa and Russia . The game was published in these countries and continents, but it was only fully localized into English, German, French, Spanish, Russian, Brazilian-Portuguese and an Italian language version.

reception

Ratings

World of Warcraft The Burning Crusade Wrath of the Lich King Cataclysm Mists of Pandaria Warlords of Draenor legion Battle for Azeroth
Database evaluations
Metacritic 93% 91% 91% 90% 82% 87% 88% 79%
GameRankings 91.89% 91.48% 92.68% 91.45% 82.80% 85.33% 87.19% 79.54%
Publication ratings
GameStar 90% 92% 89% 88% 85% 88% 89% 83%
PC Games 94% 90% KTd 91% KTd KTd 90%
Computer picture games 1.78 1.87 2.34 KTd 2.11 2.20 1.83 1.60
4players 91% 91% 91% 88% 83% 85%
IGN Entertainment 9.1 / 10 8.8 / 10 9/10 9/10 8.7 / 10 9/10 9.1 / 10 8.0 / 10
User ratings
Metacritic 7.3 / 10 7.9 / 10 7.5 / 10 5.6 / 10 4.8 / 10 5.9 / 10 7.3 / 10 3.1 / 10

KTd = No test performed

The table shows that the critics and users often disagree. This is mainly due to the fact that the critics review the respective expansion when it is released, while users rate the entire range of games of an expansion over the entire duration. With the exception of Mists of Pandaria and Battle for Azeroth , all games received positive reviews from the critics. Despite the good reviews from Cataclysm , Mists of Pandaria and Warlords of Draenor , the extensions get a rather poor rating from users. Battle for Azeroth was rated the worst by both critics and users. One should note, however, that the user rating for this extension is only representative at the end.

Awards

World of Warcraft and all its expansions have received multiple awards.

Subscriber Numbers

World of Warcraft subscribers continued to grow through the third and fourth quarters of 2010. In these two quarters the high was reached with 12 million subscribers. Subscriber numbers have been falling since the fourth quarter of 2010. However, the game still gets some subscription increases if a content patch or expansion is released. At the end of 2015, the company announced that it would no longer publish any current subscriber numbers. There are other criteria that are intended to better illustrate the state of the game, according to the company. Thus, the latest subscriber number remains that of November 2015, in which it was estimated at 5.5 million.

In 2013 the game achieved a turnover of 1041 million US dollars and held a market share of 36% in the MMORPG area, making it one of the most lucrative entertainment media. In 2014, the game had sales of $ 728 million. By July 2012, the game had generated over $ 10 billion in sales, making it the most successful computer game. It has also held the Guinness World Record for the most popular MMORPG since 2009 .

On September 8, 2016, it was reported that the number of concurrent players in the first week of Legion's sixth expansion was higher than it has been since Cataclysm launched in 2010.

Sales figures

extension Sales figures
The Burning Crusade 2.4 million times within the first day.
Wrath of the Lich King 2.8 million times within the first day.
Cataclysm 3.3 million times within the first day.
Mists of Pandaria 2.7 million times within a week.
Warlords of Draenor 3.3 million times within the first day.
legion 3.3 million times within the first day.
Battle for Azeroth 3.4 million times within the first day.

E-sports

Extensions

Since the appearance of the basic version, the expansions The Burning Crusade , Wrath of the Lich King , Cataclysm , Mists of Pandaria , Warlords of Draenor , Legion and Battle for Azeroth have been published. Since the Legion expansion was released , all previous expansions have been integrated into the main game and no longer need to be purchased separately. Your content is available to all buyers of the full version without restrictions. The following table is therefore only of historical significance.

The extension overview not only shows the contents of the extension itself, but also the contents of all patches published in the extension . Therefore, the content of the currently running expansion Battle for Azeroth can change significantly. In addition, content was introduced in some extensions, which was continued in the following extensions, so that the other content only represents the newly introduced content and not all other introduced content. For example, the pet fights introduced in Mists of Pandaria or the world quests for Legion in Battle for Azeroth were continued.

Expansion overview
Announcement date Release date New maximum level New breed New class New world / new continent New dungeons New raids New arenas New PvP zone New battlefields New job Other content
The Burning Crusade October 28, 2005 January 15, 2007 70 Blood elves (horde)

Draenei (Alliance)

- Outland 16 8th 2 - 1 Jewelery cutting Flying mounts, arena battles, instance finder, guild bank
Wrath of the Lich King August 3, 2007 November 13, 2008 80 - Death knight Northrend 16 9 1 Winter millennium 2 Inscription Success system, destructible buildings, siege weapons, cross-realm instance finder
Cataclysm August 21, 2009 December 7, 2010 85 Goblins (horde)

Worgen (Alliance)

- Rework of everything before The Burning Crusade

published areas

14th 6th 1 Tol Barad 3 archeology Forging, transmogrification system, void storage, raid finder, darkmoon island
Mists of Pandaria October 21, 2011 September 25, 2012 90 Pandaren monk Pandaria 9 5 1 - 4th - Pet battles, challenge mode for dungeons, account-wide items, spanning realms, battle tag, scenarios, battle guild, trial by fire, flexible raid system
Warlords of Draenor November 8, 2013 November 13, 2014 100 Visual revision of all before

Cataclysm appeared races

- Draenor 8th 3 - Ashran - - Garrison and Shipyard, Character Upgrade System, Mythical Dungeons, WoW Brand, Bonus Events, Adventure Guide, Twitter Integration
legion August 6, 2015 August 30, 2016 110 - Demon Hunter The Broken Isles 13 5 - - - - Artifact weapons, class-specific order halls and followers, revised PvP progression system, improved transmogrification system, world quests, revised legendary item system
Battle for Azeroth 3rd November 2017 August 14, 2018 120 Horde: High Mountain Tauren, Nightborne, Mag'har Orcs, Zandalari Trolls

Alliance: Void Elves, Lightforged Draenei, Dark Iron Dwarfs, Kul Tirans

- Kul Tiras, Zandalar 10 3 2 - 1 - War fronts, heart of Azeroth, pillage of unexplored islands, communities
Shadowlands 1st November 2019 In development 60 (Existing characters at level 120 will be downgraded to 50) Revise cosmetic design options - Shadowlands 8th 1 - - - - Infinite dungeon, pacts, revised levels, revised character creation, new character adjustments, new starting area (The Exile) for new players

World of Warcraft Classic

With access to private servers on which earlier patches from Classic , The Burning Crusade or Wrath of the Lich King run, the voices became louder that there should be an official game from the game developer that offers earlier versions. This was often vehemently rejected by Blizzard and referred to the innovations that would have significantly improved the game over time. After the largest private server Nostalrius was closed on April 10, 2016 due to legal disputes with Blizzard, the World of Warcraft community reacted very negatively. Then Blizzard promised to talk to the operators of Nostalrius . Even after these discussions, the game developer was of the opinion that there would be no servers with earlier versions. At Blizzcon 2016 , a fan asked if Blizzard had changed their mind - Blizzard replied that it was neither under discussion nor in development.

At Blizzcon 2017 , surprisingly, an announcement of World of Warcraft Classic followed , which was highly acclaimed. This was justified with the increased desire of the World of Warcraft community. The game developer's most important decision was initially which version of the game to focus on. Blizzard chose Patch 1.12: Drums of War as the basis because this version represents the most complete of all classic gaming experiences. The game had to be adapted to the changed technical framework.

At Blizzcon 2018 , it was announced that the game would be released in summer 2019. The game was released on August 27, 2019.

Licensed book publications

Web links

Commons : World of Warcraft  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

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