History of World of Warcraft

							Title:
History of World of Warcraft

Word Count:
803

Summary:
A look at the rise of the most popu
lar massively multiplayer online ro
le-playing game ever.


Keywords:
world of warcraft history, wow histo
ry


Article Body:
World of Warcraft stands as the gre
atest game in the popular Warcraft
series

World of Warcraft has been an extra
ordinary success since its launch i
n November 2004. It has impressed g
ame critics and has captivated mill
ions of players, who adore the worl
d that the game has created. It is
no longer just a game but is now a
genuine phenomenon, and one that sh
ows no signs of abating. It is one
of the key games of recent times, a
nd stands as a landmark title for o
nline gaming.

World of Warcraft’s appeal lies in
that it has created a truly engagin
g online world. This massively mult
iplayer online role-playing game is
 set in the world of Azeroth, a fan
tastic land that is filled with her
oes and monsters and many other cre
atures. The game’s strength is that
 it functions as an experience, as
a world that exists on its own term
s that you may visit and explore as
 you please.

World of Warcraft is the 4th title
in the series of Warcraft games, wh
ich have been entertaining people f
or over a decade. The series began
in 1994 with the game Warcraft: Orc
s and Humans, a real time strategy
game set in Azeroth. This was a fin
e title, and a good introduction to
 the series, but in truth the franc
hise was just getting started. The
best was still to come.

Indeed, it wasn’t until 1995 and th
e release of the second game, Warcr
aft 2: Tides of Darkness, that the
series really found its voice. Warc
raft 2 was a masterpiece, and it im
proved on the original in every sen
se. The game had beautiful graphics
, epic storytelling and fascinating
, absorbing gameplay. The high stan
dards of the series continued in 20
02, with the release of Warcraft 3:
 Reign of Chaos. This was another c
lassic and a remarkable game in its
 own right. The predecessors of Wor
ld of Warcraft were all superb.

Blizzard Entertainment published al
l of the Warcraft titles, and the g
ames attracted a huge following. Wh
en Blizzard announced that there wa
s going to be a 4th game in the ser
ies, it was natural that people wer
e interested. This interest intensi
fied when it emerged that the new W
arcraft title was going to be an on
line multiplayer game. World of War
craft would make Azeroth more inter
active and redefine it as an experi
ence.

The fans of the series had high exp
ectations for World of Warcraft, as
 it promised to be a terrific and i
nnovative new title. Blizzard held
a beta test for the game in March 2
004, and gave selected players a pr
eview. Those who played it were ver
y impressed and it received great r
eviews. The anticipation for the ga
me’s release grew stronger as 2004
went on.

World of Warcraft was officially la
unched in North America on Tuesday
the 23rd of November 2004. It was w
ell received by critics. The launch
 was a major success, and it achiev
ed huge sales on its first day of r
elease. Blizzard estimated that 240
,000 copies were sold in the first
day alone. These were record number
s for a game of this genre and so W
orld of Warcraft became the fastest
-selling online game in history. It
 was a smash hit.

World of Warcraft sustained this su
ccess; in fact, the popularity of t
he game began to snowball. It reall
y took off and caught the public im
agination, with more and more peopl
e becoming enthralled with it. 2005
 saw the game explode into a global
 obsession. In February it was laun
ched in Europe and in June it was l
aunched in China, with other countr
ies following suit. It proved hugel
y popular everywhere it was release
d, and by 2005’s close it had more
than five million subscribers world
wide.

World of Warcraft has evolved since
 its initial release. There have be
en a number of updates for the game
, and the universe of Azeroth has g
rown. Blizzard have made improvemen
ts, fixed any problems, and have wo
rked to make the game user-friendly
. They have also expanded the game,
 by adding sections like Blackwing
Lair, for example, the dungeon lair
 of Nefarion, one of the villains i
n the game.

In June 2005, Blizzard added major
player versus player content in the
 form of two special battlegrounds,
 Alterac Valley and Warsong Gulch.
Alterac Valley allows players to en
gage in battles of 40 on 40 people,
 while Warsong Gulch offers new cha
llenges, like stealing your opponen
t’s flag from their camp. These bat
tlegrounds are the most substantial
 update to World of Warcraft since
it was released.

Now, in 2006, World of Warcraft is
as popular as ever. An expansion, t
itled The Burning Crusade, is set f
or release this year, and should ex
pand the world of Azeroth even furt
her. World of Warcraft has become t
he pinnacle of the Warcraft series,
 and is a magnificent and distincti
ve game.

Read more about the game at <A HREF
="http://www.world-of-warcraft-gold
.com">World of Warcraft Gold</A> Pr
ice List Guide. http://www.world-of
-warcraft-gold.com