World of Warcraft Community Magazine Issue 1 | Page 66

ARTICLE

66 // World of Warcraft Community Magazine

WOW AND THE
WIDER CULTURE

By Ian Plumpton

There are not many people who haven’t heard of World of Warcraft. At it’s peak it has had over 12 million
accounts active, but many, many more people know about it or think they know about it than that.

E

ven my parents know

language that has spread to many

The problem comes when people

about it. It has been

other games and genres and

need large amounts of gold to buy

a phenomenon of the gaming

many people may not even realise

rare or valuable items but either

industry and is the watchword for

they have WoW to thank for it.

can’t or won’t spend the time to earn

online gaming. The re were highly

World of Warcraft has certainly

the currency for themselves. Cue

successful games before it and there

had it’s share of news coverage over

the gold farmers. Because players

have been since, but every title in

the near 10 years since it’s release.

can transfer in game currency to

the genre is inevitably measured

One of the main stories centred

other players’ characters, people

up against it. It is the yardstick that

around the game’s currency system.

who have lots of gold can transfer

all MMOs are scrutinised with. It’s

Warcraft uses a system of copper,

it to those who don’t. Some less

no surprise then that it has had far

silver and gold which players earn

scrupulous people decided they

reaching influence beyond gaming

from questing and killing mobs and

could make a business out of this,

and has had both controversy and

from selling items they make or find.

in spite of being in contravention

parody, exultation and criticism in

This, in itself is a great system and

of Blizzard’s terms and conditions

other media formats. It has spawned

one that many other games adopt.

for use of WoW, by selling gold

The GameOn Magazine