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| | | World of Warcraft is a popular massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) for PCs and Macs. Developed by Blizzard Entertainment, World of Warcraft was released in the U.S. and Canada on November 23, 2004. It is the world's leading subscription-based MMORPG, with more than 8.5 million players worldwide. | | |
| Typical costs: | - $20 new for the game installation discs. Available at game stores such as EB Games and GameStop and computer and electronics stores such as CompUSA and Best Buy.
- After installing the game, you will need to purchase an online subscription to play. The account grants you access to the World of Warcraft virtual online world. The software package includes one free month of game play, which lets you try out the game. To continue playing after this month, you will need to purchase a subscription with a major credit card. There are three packages available: a month-to-month package at $15 per month; a three-month plan at $14 per month (total $41.97); or a six-month plan at $13 per month (total $77.94). The three-month and six-month plan must be paid in full.
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| What should be included: | - Game installation discs (Windows/Mac compatible), game manual, 1 free month of game play.
- Operating System requirements: Windows 2000 or Windows XP; Mac OS X 10.3.9 or higher.
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| Additional costs: | - Although it's a violation of the Terms of Use, the The NY Times reports that some players spend real dollars to get World of Warcraft gold, so they can buy "the fanciest sword or the most potent charm" online. According to GoldPricer.com and 4GoldMoney.com 100 World of Warcraft gold usually runs $11-$23 depending on the realm and faction, and according to GamerPrice.com, players charge $190-$320 to powerlevel from level 1 to level 60. But Nick Yee, a PhD student at Stanford studying "immersive virtual reality," cites that many players are "vehemently against the sale of virtual goods for real life money."
- Strategy guides such as the "World of Warcraft Strategy Collection" by BradyGames, a bundle of three different guides, can assist you with game playing and strategies. The guide can be purchased at booksellers such as Amazon.com for around $33.
- $25 per character to utilize the character transfer feature, which allows you to move characters to other realms and also from one account to another. While not commonly used, players may utilize this feature if they want to transfer their character from one game server to another.
- An expansion pack for the game was recently released on January 16, 2007: "World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade," on Amazon.com for $30. The expansion pack introduces new realms to explore as well as new characters. More information on "The Burning Crusade" can be found at the World of Warcraft website.
- Gameplay requires high-speed internet access.
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| Discounts: | |
| Shopping for world of warcraft: | - Try out a 10-day free download demo of the game at Worldofwarcraft.com. You'll receive a 10-day access to the World of Warcraft online virtual world.
- There is also hard-to-find "World of Warcraft Burning Crusade Collector's Edition" available. The Collector's Edition includes a behind-the-scenes DVD, a hardcover art book, an exclusive in-game pet, a World of Warcraft Trading Card Game starter deck plus exclusive cards, mouse pad, and a soundtrack CD.
- Because the game and its expansion packs are about the same price at local stores and online, you can save on shipping costs by purchasing the product at a local store.
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Article updated April 2007 |
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