Gaming 14/2

Video Game Study

Today I have chosen World of Warcraft, as my favourite video game. World of Warcraft is a MMORPG released in 2004 by Blizzard Entertainment, and as of nov 2017, the 7th expansion was announced at Blizzcon.

Being an mmo, you have many ways to level and explore the environment, so it takes a long time before it gets repetitive. However Blizzard has timed each expansion release nicely, when the subscribers are just starting to lose interest they release a new one.  As an added bonus, there are many other real people online with you, that you can talk to and play with.

The character that attracts me the most is the npc Sylvanas Windrunner. Her story starts with a power crazy Prince Arthas killing her and resurrecting her as a banshee queen, hoping that she will serve him.  Instead she vows eternal revenge and spends her time trying to free the enslaved undead from his mental grasp. The resulting army is called the Forsaken, chaotic and slightly evil, but loyal to their queen.  Her development over the expansions leads to her eventually becoming warchief of the Horde faction, with the players help. She is a badass warrior babe with supernatural powers, that struggles with the dark choices she has to make in order achieve her goals. I think this aspect of her character is what makes her relatable and realistic to the player.

Sourced from http://wowwiki.wikia.com/wiki/Sylvanas_Windrunner

Ultimately, I think the writers have done a wonderful job creating the stories. They flow really well from lore, into the mmo. Also, even though the conflicts are not in our reality, I think they translate well enough to create that sense of empathy in the players that interact with the game.