<s>
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
(	O
WoW	B-Protocol
)	O
is	O
a	O
massively	B-Protocol
multiplayer	I-Protocol
online	I-Protocol
role-playing	I-Protocol
game	I-Protocol
(	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
)	O
released	O
in	O
2004	O
by	O
Blizzard	O
Entertainment	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Set	O
in	O
the	O
Warcraft	B-Application
fantasy	B-Application
universe	O
,	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
takes	O
place	O
within	O
the	O
world	O
of	O
Azeroth	O
,	O
approximately	O
four	O
years	O
after	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
the	O
previous	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
,	O
Warcraft	B-Application
III	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Frozen	I-Application
Throne	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
announced	O
in	O
2001	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
10th	O
anniversary	O
of	O
the	O
Warcraft	B-Application
franchise	O
on	O
November	O
23	O
,	O
2004	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
launch	O
,	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
has	O
had	O
nine	O
major	O
expansion	O
packs	O
:	O
The	B-Application
Burning	I-Application
Crusade	I-Application
(	O
2007	O
)	O
,	O
Wrath	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
the	I-Protocol
Lich	I-Protocol
King	I-Protocol
(	O
2008	O
)	O
,	O
Cataclysm	B-Protocol
(	O
2010	O
)	O
,	O
Mists	B-Application
of	I-Application
Pandaria	I-Application
(	O
2012	O
)	O
,	O
Warlords	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Draenor	I-Protocol
(	O
2014	O
)	O
,	O
Legion	B-Protocol
(	O
2016	O
)	O
,	O
Battle	B-Protocol
for	I-Protocol
Azeroth	I-Protocol
(	O
2018	O
)	O
,	O
Shadowlands	B-Protocol
(	O
2020	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
Dragonflight	B-Protocol
(	O
2022	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Similar	O
to	O
other	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
,	O
the	O
game	O
allows	O
players	O
to	O
create	O
a	O
character	O
avatar	B-Application
and	O
explore	O
an	O
open	O
game	O
world	O
in	O
third	O
-	O
or	O
first-person	O
view	O
,	O
exploring	O
the	O
landscape	O
,	O
fighting	O
various	O
monsters	O
,	O
completing	O
quests	O
,	O
and	O
interacting	O
with	O
non-player	O
characters	O
(	O
NPCs	O
)	O
or	O
other	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
primarily	O
focuses	O
on	O
character	O
progression	O
,	O
in	O
which	O
players	O
earn	O
experience	O
points	O
to	O
level	O
up	O
their	O
character	O
to	O
make	O
them	O
more	O
powerful	O
and	O
buy	O
and	O
sell	O
items	O
using	O
in-game	B-Application
currency	O
to	O
acquire	O
better	O
equipment	O
,	O
among	O
other	O
game	O
systems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
was	O
a	O
major	O
critical	O
and	O
commercial	O
success	O
upon	O
its	O
original	O
release	O
in	O
2004	O
and	O
quickly	O
became	O
the	O
most	O
popular	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
of	O
all	O
time	O
,	O
reaching	O
a	O
peak	O
of	O
12	O
million	O
subscribers	O
in	O
2010	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
had	O
over	O
one	O
hundred	O
million	O
registered	O
accounts	O
by	O
2014	O
and	O
by	O
2017	O
,	O
had	O
grossed	O
over	O
in	O
revenue	O
,	O
making	O
it	B-General_Concept
one	O
of	O
the	O
highest-grossing	O
video	O
game	O
franchises	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
has	O
been	O
cited	O
by	O
gaming	O
journalists	O
as	O
the	O
greatest	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
of	O
all	O
time	O
and	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
greatest	O
video	O
games	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
and	O
has	O
also	O
been	O
noted	O
for	O
its	O
long	O
lifespan	O
,	O
continuing	O
to	O
receive	O
developer	O
support	O
and	O
expansion	O
packs	O
over	O
15	O
years	O
since	O
its	O
initial	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2019	O
,	O
a	O
vanilla	B-General_Concept
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
titled	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
Classic	I-Protocol
was	O
launched	O
,	O
allowing	O
players	O
to	O
experience	O
the	O
base	O
game	O
before	O
any	O
of	O
its	O
expansions	O
launched	O
,	O
with	O
versions	O
of	O
Classic	O
for	O
the	O
second	O
and	O
third	O
expansions	O
being	O
released	O
subsequently	O
,	O
with	O
minor	O
changes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2022	O
,	O
Blizzard	O
and	O
NetEase	O
cancelled	O
an	O
unannounced	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
mobile	O
spin-off	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
with	O
other	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
,	O
players	O
control	O
a	O
character	O
avatar	B-Application
within	O
a	O
game	O
world	O
in	O
third	O
-	O
or	O
first-person	O
view	O
,	O
exploring	O
the	O
landscape	O
,	O
fighting	O
various	O
monsters	O
,	O
completing	O
quests	O
,	O
and	O
interacting	O
with	O
non-player	O
characters	O
(	O
NPCs	O
)	O
or	O
other	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Also	O
similar	O
to	O
other	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
,	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
requires	O
the	O
player	O
to	O
pay	O
for	O
a	O
subscription	O
by	O
using	O
a	O
credit	O
or	O
debit	O
card	O
,	O
using	O
prepaid	O
Blizzard	O
game	O
cards	O
or	O
using	O
a	O
WoW	B-Protocol
Token	O
purchased	O
in-game	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
enter	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
must	O
select	O
a	O
server	B-Application
,	O
referred	O
to	O
in-game	B-Application
as	O
a	O
'	O
realm	O
 '	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Before	O
the	O
introduction	O
of	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
's	O
seventh	O
expansion	O
"	O
Battle	B-Protocol
for	I-Protocol
Azeroth	I-Protocol
"	O
,	O
both	O
"	O
Normal	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
RP	O
"	O
servers	O
were	O
each	O
divided	O
into	O
two	O
separate	O
categories	O
:	O
PvE	O
servers	O
and	O
PvP	O
servers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
has	O
since	O
been	O
removed	O
after	O
the	O
implementation	O
of	O
the	O
"	O
War	O
Mode	O
"	O
option	O
,	O
which	O
allows	O
any	O
player	O
(	O
of	O
level	O
20	O
and	O
higher	O
)	O
on	O
any	O
server	B-Application
to	O
determine	O
whether	O
they	O
want	O
to	O
actively	O
participate	O
in	O
PvP	O
combat	O
or	O
not	O
,	O
by	O
enabling	O
War	O
Mode	O
in	O
two	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
capital	O
cities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Realms	O
are	O
also	O
categorized	O
by	O
language	O
,	O
with	O
in-game	B-Application
support	O
in	O
the	O
language	O
available	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
can	O
make	O
new	O
characters	O
on	O
all	O
realms	O
within	O
the	O
region	O
,	O
and	O
it	B-General_Concept
is	O
also	O
possible	O
to	O
move	O
already	O
established	O
characters	O
between	O
realms	O
for	O
a	O
fee	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
create	O
a	O
new	O
character	O
,	O
in	O
keeping	O
with	O
the	O
storyline	O
of	O
previous	O
Warcraft	B-Application
games	O
,	O
players	O
must	O
choose	O
between	O
the	O
opposing	O
factions	O
of	O
the	O
Alliance	O
or	O
the	O
Horde	O
;	O
Pandaren	O
,	O
which	O
were	O
added	O
in	O
Mists	B-Application
of	I-Application
Pandaria	I-Application
,	O
do	O
not	O
commit	O
to	O
a	O
faction	O
until	O
after	O
the	O
starting	O
zone	O
is	O
completed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
must	O
select	O
the	O
class	O
for	O
the	O
character	O
,	O
with	O
choices	O
such	O
as	O
mages	O
,	O
warriors	B-Protocol
,	O
and	O
priests	O
available	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Much	O
of	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
play	O
involves	O
the	O
completion	O
of	O
quests	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Quests	O
usually	O
reward	O
the	O
player	O
with	O
some	O
combination	O
of	O
experience	O
points	O
,	O
items	O
,	O
and	O
in-game	B-Application
money	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	B-General_Concept
is	O
through	O
quests	O
that	O
much	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
story	O
is	O
told	O
,	O
both	O
through	O
the	O
quest	O
's	O
text	O
and	O
through	O
scripted	O
NPC	O
actions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
uses	O
a	O
"	O
rested	O
bonus	O
"	O
system	O
,	O
increasing	O
the	O
rate	O
that	O
a	O
character	O
can	O
gain	O
experience	O
points	O
after	O
the	O
player	O
has	O
spent	O
time	O
away	O
from	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
a	O
character	O
dies	O
,	O
it	B-General_Concept
becomes	O
a	O
ghost	O
—	O
or	O
wisp	O
for	O
Night	O
Elf	O
characters	O
—	O
at	O
a	O
nearby	O
graveyard	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
If	O
a	O
character	O
is	O
past	O
level	O
ten	O
and	O
they	O
resurrect	O
at	O
a	O
graveyard	O
,	O
the	O
items	O
equipped	O
by	O
the	O
character	O
degrade	O
,	O
requiring	O
in-game	B-Application
money	O
and	O
a	O
specialist	O
NPC	O
to	O
repair	O
them	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
the	O
spirit	O
healer	O
revives	O
a	O
character	O
,	O
items	O
equipped	O
by	O
the	O
character	O
at	O
that	O
time	O
are	O
further	O
degraded	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
character	O
is	O
significantly	O
weakened	O
by	O
what	O
is	O
in-game	B-Application
called	O
"	O
resurrection	O
sickness	O
"	O
for	O
up	O
to	O
ten	O
minutes	O
,	O
depending	O
on	O
the	O
character	O
's	O
level	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
contains	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
mechanisms	O
for	O
player	O
versus	O
player	O
(	O
PvP	O
)	O
play	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
both	O
server	B-Application
types	O
,	O
there	O
are	O
special	O
areas	O
of	O
the	O
world	O
where	O
free-for-all	O
combat	O
is	O
permitted	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Battlegrounds	B-Protocol
,	O
for	O
example	O
,	O
are	O
similar	O
to	O
dungeons	O
:	O
only	O
a	O
set	O
number	O
of	O
characters	O
can	O
enter	O
a	O
single	O
battleground	O
,	O
but	O
additional	O
copies	O
of	O
the	O
battleground	O
can	O
be	O
made	O
to	O
accommodate	O
additional	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Competing	O
in	O
battlegrounds	B-Protocol
rewards	O
the	O
character	O
with	O
tokens	O
and	O
honor	O
points	O
that	O
can	O
be	O
used	O
to	O
buy	O
armor	O
,	O
weapons	O
,	O
and	O
other	O
general	O
items	O
that	O
can	O
aid	O
a	O
player	O
in	O
many	O
areas	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
is	O
set	O
in	O
the	O
same	O
universe	O
as	O
the	O
Warcraft	B-Application
series	O
of	O
real-time	O
strategy	O
games	O
and	O
has	O
a	O
similar	O
art	O
direction	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
contains	O
elements	O
from	O
fantasy	B-Application
,	O
steampunk	O
,	O
and	O
science	O
fiction	O
,	O
including	O
gryphons	O
,	O
dragons	O
,	O
elves	O
,	O
steam-powered	O
automata	O
,	O
zombies	O
,	O
werewolves	O
,	O
other	O
horror	O
monsters	O
,	O
time	O
travel	O
,	O
spaceships	O
,	O
and	O
alien	O
worlds	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
takes	O
place	O
in	O
a	O
3D	O
representation	O
of	O
the	O
Warcraft	B-Application
universe	O
that	O
players	O
can	O
interact	O
with	O
through	O
their	O
characters	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Four	O
separate	O
expansions	O
later	O
added	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
playable	O
area	O
the	O
realms	O
of	O
Outland	O
and	O
Draenor	O
and	O
the	O
continents	O
of	O
Northrend	O
and	O
Pandaria	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Each	O
character	O
has	O
access	O
to	O
personal	O
bank	O
storage	O
with	O
the	O
option	O
to	O
purchase	O
additional	O
storage	O
space	O
using	O
in-game	B-Application
gold	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Auction	O
houses	O
are	O
available	O
for	O
players	O
to	O
buy	O
and	O
sell	O
items	O
to	O
others	O
in	O
a	O
similar	O
way	O
to	O
online	O
auction	O
sites	O
such	O
as	O
eBay	B-Application
.	I-Application
</s>
<s>
Mailboxes	O
are	O
used	O
to	O
collect	O
items	O
won	O
at	O
auction	O
,	O
and	O
to	O
send	O
messages	O
,	O
items	O
,	O
and	O
in-game	B-Application
money	O
to	O
other	O
characters	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
of	O
the	O
challenges	O
in	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
require	O
players	O
to	O
group	O
together	O
to	O
complete	O
them	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
requires	O
a	O
subscription	O
to	O
allow	O
continued	O
play	O
,	O
with	O
options	O
to	O
pay	O
in	O
one-month	O
,	O
three-month	O
,	O
or	O
six-month	O
blocks	O
,	O
and	O
time	O
cards	O
of	O
varying	O
lengths	O
available	O
from	O
retailers	O
,	O
or	O
purchasing	O
a	O
"	O
WoW	B-Protocol
Token	O
"	O
using	O
in-game	B-Application
currency	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
the	O
game	O
client	O
is	O
the	O
same	O
regardless	O
of	O
the	O
version	O
of	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
the	O
user	O
owns	O
,	O
the	O
option	O
to	O
purchase	O
expansions	O
online	O
was	O
added	O
as	O
it	B-General_Concept
allows	O
for	O
a	O
quick	O
upgrade	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
is	O
also	O
available	O
as	O
a	O
free	O
Starter	O
Edition	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
free	O
to	O
play	O
for	O
an	O
unlimited	O
amount	O
of	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
player	O
may	O
spend	O
real	O
money	O
( $20	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
and	O
differing	O
amounts	O
in	O
other	O
regions	O
)	O
on	O
a	O
WoW	B-Protocol
Token	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
sold	O
on	O
the	O
auction	O
house	O
for	O
the	O
in-game	B-Application
currency	O
,	O
gold	O
,	O
that	O
initially	O
could	O
only	O
be	O
used	O
to	O
add	O
30	O
days	O
of	O
playtime	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Once	O
a	O
player	O
buys	O
a	O
token	O
on	O
the	O
auction	O
house	O
,	O
it	B-General_Concept
is	O
account	O
bound	O
and	O
cannot	O
be	O
resold	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
of	O
February	O
2017	O
,	O
the	O
WoW	B-Protocol
Token	O
can	O
also	O
be	O
exchanged	O
for	O
$15	O
in	O
Battle.net	O
balance	O
that	O
can	O
be	O
used	O
as	O
credit	O
for	O
purchases	O
in	O
most	O
of	O
Blizzard	O
's	O
games	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
in	O
Destiny	B-Application
2	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	B-General_Concept
is	O
possible	O
to	O
set	O
a	O
daily	O
limit	O
,	O
a	O
weekly	O
limit	O
,	O
or	O
to	O
specify	O
an	O
allowed	O
playing	O
schedule	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
order	O
to	O
control	O
these	O
settings	O
,	O
it	B-General_Concept
is	O
necessary	O
to	O
log	O
in	O
with	O
different	O
credentials	O
than	O
are	O
used	O
just	O
to	O
enter	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	B-General_Concept
is	O
also	O
possible	O
to	O
receive	O
statistics	O
on	O
the	O
time	O
spent	O
playing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Intent	O
on	O
seizing	O
the	O
entire	O
area	O
for	O
his	O
own	O
,	O
he	O
recruited	O
the	O
remaining	O
Dark	O
Horde	O
,	O
a	O
rogue	B-Protocol
army	O
that	O
embraced	O
the	O
demonic	O
bloodlust	O
of	O
the	O
old	O
Horde	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nefarian	O
created	O
the	O
twisted	O
chromatic	O
dragons	O
and	O
a	O
legion	B-Protocol
of	O
other	O
aberrations	O
in	O
his	O
bid	O
to	O
form	O
an	O
army	O
powerful	O
enough	O
to	O
control	O
Azeroth	O
and	O
continue	O
the	O
legacy	O
of	O
his	O
infamous	O
father	O
,	O
Deathwing	O
the	O
Destroyer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Years	O
ago	O
,	O
in	O
the	O
ruined	O
temple	O
of	O
Atal'Hakkar	O
,	O
loyal	O
priests	O
of	O
the	O
Blood	O
God	O
Hakkar	O
the	O
Soulflayer	O
attempted	O
to	O
summon	O
the	O
wrathful	O
deity	O
's	O
avatar	B-Application
into	O
the	O
world	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
was	O
first	O
announced	O
by	O
Blizzard	O
at	O
the	O
ECTS	O
trade	O
show	O
in	O
September	O
2001	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
3D	O
graphics	O
in	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
use	O
elements	O
of	O
the	O
proprietary	O
graphics	O
engine	O
originally	O
used	O
in	O
Warcraft	B-Application
III	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
runs	O
natively	O
on	O
both	O
Mac	B-Device
and	O
Windows	B-Application
platforms	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Boxed	O
copies	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
use	O
a	O
hybrid	B-Application
CD	I-Application
to	O
install	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
eliminating	O
the	O
need	O
for	O
separate	O
Mac	B-Device
and	O
Windows	B-Application
retail	O
products	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
allows	O
all	O
users	O
to	O
play	O
together	O
,	O
regardless	O
of	O
their	O
operating	B-General_Concept
system	I-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
there	O
is	O
no	O
official	O
version	O
for	O
any	O
other	O
platform	O
,	O
support	O
for	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
is	O
present	O
in	O
Windows	B-Application
API	B-Application
implementations	O
Wine	B-Application
and	O
CrossOver	B-Operating_System
allowing	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
be	O
played	O
under	O
Linux	B-Application
and	O
FreeBSD	B-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
a	O
native	O
Linux	B-Application
client	O
is	O
neither	O
released	O
nor	O
announced	O
by	O
Blizzard	O
,	O
in	O
January	O
2011	O
IT	B-General_Concept
journalist	O
Michael	O
Larabel	O
indicated	O
in	O
a	O
Phoronix	O
article	O
that	O
an	O
internal	O
Linux	B-Application
client	O
might	O
exist	O
but	O
is	O
not	O
released	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
non-standardization	O
of	O
the	O
Linux	B-Application
distro	I-Application
ecosystem	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
,	O
Canada	O
,	O
and	O
Europe	O
,	O
Blizzard	O
distributes	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
via	O
retail	B-Application
software	I-Application
packages	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Australia	O
,	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
,	O
and	O
many	O
European	O
countries	O
,	O
video	O
game	O
stores	O
commonly	O
stock	O
the	O
trial	O
version	O
of	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
in	O
DVD	O
form	O
,	O
which	O
includes	O
the	O
game	O
and	O
20	O
levels	O
of	O
gameplay	O
,	O
after	O
which	O
the	O
player	O
would	O
have	O
to	O
upgrade	O
to	O
a	O
retail	O
account	O
by	O
supplying	O
a	O
valid	O
credit	O
card	O
,	O
or	O
purchasing	O
a	O
game	O
card	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
a	O
retail	O
copy	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Brazil	O
,	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
was	O
released	O
on	O
December	O
6	O
,	O
2011	O
,	O
via	O
BattleNet	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Chinese	O
government	O
and	O
NetEase	O
,	O
the	O
licensee	O
for	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
in	O
China	O
,	O
have	O
imposed	O
a	O
modification	O
on	O
Chinese	O
versions	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
which	O
places	O
flesh	O
on	O
bare-boned	O
skeletons	O
and	O
transforms	O
dead	O
character	O
corpses	O
into	O
tidy	O
graves	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
changes	O
were	O
imposed	O
by	O
the	O
Chinese	O
government	O
in	O
an	O
attempt	O
to	O
"	O
promote	O
a	O
healthy	O
and	O
harmonious	O
online	O
game	O
environment	O
"	O
in	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Chinese	O
government	O
delayed	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
the	B-Protocol
Wrath	I-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
the	I-Protocol
Lich	I-Protocol
King	I-Protocol
expansion	O
,	O
due	O
to	O
what	O
it	B-General_Concept
deemed	O
objectionable	O
content	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
NetEase	O
took	O
over	O
licensing	O
of	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
from	O
The9	O
in	O
June	O
2009	O
following	O
the	O
expiration	O
of	O
The9	O
's	O
contract	O
,	O
and	O
were	O
able	O
to	O
secure	O
a	O
launch	O
for	O
Wrath	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
the	I-Protocol
Lich	I-Protocol
King	I-Protocol
on	O
August	O
31	O
,	O
2010	O
,	O
nearly	O
two	O
years	O
after	O
its	O
Western	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Protocol
World	I-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
launcher	O
(	O
referred	O
to	O
in	O
press	O
releases	O
and	O
the	O
menu	O
bar	O
as	O
the	O
"	O
Blizzard	O
Launcher	O
"	O
)	O
is	O
a	O
program	O
designed	O
to	O
act	O
as	O
a	O
starting	O
point	O
for	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	B-General_Concept
provides	O
a	O
way	O
to	O
launch	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
and	O
starts	O
the	O
Blizzard	O
updater	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	B-General_Concept
was	O
first	O
included	O
with	O
the	O
version	O
1.8.3	O
patch	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Features	O
of	O
the	O
launcher	O
include	O
news	O
and	O
updates	O
for	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
players	O
,	O
access	O
to	O
World	O
of	O
Warcrafts	O
support	O
website	O
,	O
access	O
to	O
the	O
test	O
version	O
of	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
when	O
it	B-General_Concept
is	O
available	O
to	O
test	O
upcoming	O
patches	O
,	O
updates	O
to	O
Warden	O
,	O
and	O
updates	O
to	O
the	O
updater	O
itself	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Patch	O
1.9.3	O
added	O
native	O
support	O
for	O
Intel-powered	B-Device
Macs	I-Device
,	O
making	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
a	O
universal	B-Operating_System
application	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
a	O
result	O
of	O
this	O
,	O
the	O
minimum	O
supported	O
Mac	B-Application
OS	I-Application
X	O
version	O
has	O
been	O
changed	O
to	O
10.3.9	O
;	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
version	O
1.9.3	O
and	O
later	O
will	O
not	O
launch	O
on	O
older	O
versions	O
of	O
Mac	B-Application
OS	I-Application
X	O
.	O
PowerPC	B-Architecture
architecture	O
Macs	B-Device
are	O
no	O
longer	O
supported	O
since	O
version	O
4.0.1	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
version	O
1.12.0	O
the	O
requirements	O
for	O
Windows	B-Application
were	O
increased	O
from	O
requiring	O
256MB	O
to	O
512MB	O
of	O
RAM	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Official	O
Windows	B-Device
98	I-Device
technical	O
support	O
was	O
dropped	O
,	O
but	O
the	O
game	O
continued	O
to	O
run	O
there	O
until	O
version	O
2.2.3	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Before	O
Mists	B-Application
of	I-Application
Pandaria	I-Application
in	O
2012	O
,	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
officially	O
dropped	O
support	O
for	O
Windows	B-Application
2000	I-Application
,	O
followed	O
by	O
Windows	B-Application
XP	I-Application
and	O
Vista	B-Application
in	O
October	O
2017	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
all	O
32-bit	O
support	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Starting	O
with	O
4.3	O
,	O
players	O
could	O
try	O
out	O
an	O
experimental	O
64-bit	B-Device
version	O
of	O
the	O
client	O
,	O
which	O
required	O
manual	O
downloading	O
and	O
copying	O
files	O
into	O
the	O
installation	O
folder	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
5.0	O
,	O
the	O
64-bit	B-Device
client	O
is	O
automatically	O
installed	O
,	O
and	O
used	O
by	O
default	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
World	O
IPv6	B-Protocol
Day	O
,	O
the	O
client	O
and	O
most	O
of	O
the	O
servers	O
support	O
IPv6	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nine	O
expansions	O
have	O
been	O
released	O
:	O
The	B-Application
Burning	I-Application
Crusade	I-Application
,	O
released	O
in	O
January	O
2007	O
;	O
Wrath	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
the	I-Protocol
Lich	I-Protocol
King	I-Protocol
,	O
released	O
in	O
November	O
2008	O
;	O
Cataclysm	B-Protocol
,	O
released	O
in	O
December	O
2010	O
;	O
Mists	B-Application
of	I-Application
Pandaria	I-Application
,	O
released	O
in	O
September	O
2012	O
;	O
Warlords	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Draenor	I-Protocol
,	O
released	O
in	O
November	O
2014	O
;	O
Legion	B-Protocol
,	O
released	O
in	O
August	O
2016	O
;	O
Battle	B-Protocol
for	I-Protocol
Azeroth	I-Protocol
,	O
released	O
in	O
August	O
2018	O
;	O
Shadowlands	B-Protocol
,	O
released	O
in	O
November	O
2020	O
;	O
and	O
Dragonflight	B-Protocol
,	O
released	O
in	O
November	O
2022	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
June	O
28	O
,	O
2011	O
,	O
The	B-Application
Burning	I-Application
Crusade	I-Application
expansion	O
was	O
automatically	O
applied	O
to	O
all	O
previous	O
Warcraft	B-Application
accounts	O
at	O
no	O
cost	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
September	O
19	O
,	O
2012	O
,	O
the	O
same	O
thing	O
was	O
done	O
with	O
the	B-Protocol
Wrath	I-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
the	I-Protocol
Lich	I-Protocol
King	I-Protocol
expansion	O
,	O
and	O
on	O
October	O
15	O
,	O
2013	O
,	O
the	O
Cataclysm	B-Protocol
expansion	O
was	O
also	O
applied	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
October	O
15	O
,	O
2014	O
,	O
Mists	B-Application
of	I-Application
Pandaria	I-Application
was	O
applied	O
to	O
all	O
accounts	O
following	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Warlords	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
May	O
17	O
,	O
2016	O
,	O
Warlords	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Draenor	I-Protocol
was	O
applied	O
to	O
all	O
accounts	O
to	O
coincide	O
with	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
the	O
Warcraft	B-Application
movie	O
that	O
gives	O
a	O
30-day	O
trial	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
All	O
The	B-Application
Burning	I-Application
Crusade	I-Application
,	O
Wrath	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
the	I-Protocol
Lich	I-Protocol
King	I-Protocol
,	O
Cataclysm	B-Protocol
,	O
Mists	B-Application
of	I-Application
Pandaria	I-Application
and	O
Warlords	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Draenor	I-Protocol
content	O
is	O
now	O
effectively	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
game	O
,	O
with	O
all	O
new	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
accounts	O
automatically	O
including	O
these	O
expansions	O
upon	O
creation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
of	O
the	O
pre-patch	O
release	O
of	O
Battle	B-Protocol
for	I-Protocol
Azeroth	I-Protocol
in	O
July	O
2018	O
,	O
all	O
expansions	O
up	O
to	O
Legion	B-Protocol
are	O
included	O
in	O
the	O
base	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
fifth	O
expansion	O
,	O
Warlords	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Draenor	I-Protocol
,	O
was	O
announced	O
at	O
BlizzCon	O
2013	O
on	O
November	O
8	O
,	O
2013	O
,	O
and	O
entered	O
beta	O
on	O
June	O
27	O
,	O
2014	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Warlords	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Draenor	I-Protocol
was	O
released	O
on	O
November	O
13	O
,	O
2014	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
August	O
6	O
,	O
2015	O
,	O
Blizzard	O
announced	O
the	O
sixth	O
expansion	O
,	O
Legion	B-Protocol
,	O
at	O
Gamescom	O
2015	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
November	O
2015	O
,	O
the	O
Legion	B-Protocol
alpha	O
testing	O
started	O
and	O
in	O
April	O
2016	O
the	O
beta	O
test	O
started	O
;	O
the	O
Legion	B-Protocol
expansion	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
August	O
30	O
,	O
2016	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
seventh	O
expansion	O
,	O
Battle	B-Protocol
for	I-Protocol
Azeroth	I-Protocol
,	O
was	O
released	O
worldwide	O
on	O
August	O
13	O
and	O
14	O
(	O
depending	O
on	O
location	O
)	O
2018	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
eighth	O
expansion	O
,	O
Shadowlands	B-Protocol
,	O
was	O
announced	O
on	O
November	O
1	O
,	O
2019	O
,	O
and	O
released	O
on	O
November	O
23	O
,	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
ninth	O
expansion	O
,	O
Dragonflight	B-Protocol
,	O
was	O
announced	O
on	O
April	O
19	O
,	O
2022	O
and	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
November	O
28	O
,	O
2022	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Almost	O
all	O
of	O
the	O
music	O
in	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
is	O
orchestral	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
wide	O
variety	O
of	O
classical	O
and	O
folk	O
instruments	O
in	O
harmony	O
,	O
often	O
playing	O
widely	O
transformative	O
,	O
non-repetitive	O
melodies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
soundtrack	O
for	O
the	O
original	O
release	O
of	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
was	O
composed	O
and	O
arranged	O
by	O
Jason	O
Hayes	O
,	O
Tracy	O
W	O
.	O
Bush	O
,	O
Derek	O
Duke	O
,	O
and	O
Glenn	O
Stafford	O
and	O
conducted	O
by	O
Eímear	O
Noone	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	B-General_Concept
is	O
sold	O
separately	O
on	O
one	O
CD	O
in	O
the	O
MP3	O
format	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
January	O
12	O
,	O
2011	O
,	O
Alfred	O
Publishing	O
produced	O
a	O
sheet	O
music	O
series	O
for	O
vocalists	O
,	O
pianists	O
,	O
strings	O
,	O
and	O
other	O
instruments	O
,	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
Sheet	O
Music	O
Anthology	O
in	O
solo	O
and	O
accompaniment	O
formats	O
with	O
CD	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
received	O
very	O
positive	O
reviews	O
upon	O
release	O
,	O
following	O
a	O
period	O
of	O
high	O
anticipation	O
before	O
launch	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
some	O
previous	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
,	O
a	O
player	O
would	O
suffer	O
a	O
high	O
penalty	O
for	O
character	O
death	O
;	O
in	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
,	O
a	O
player	O
is	O
able	O
to	O
recover	O
and	O
start	O
playing	O
quickly	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	B-General_Concept
was	O
felt	O
that	O
the	O
range	O
of	O
quests	O
removed	O
the	O
need	O
for	O
a	O
player	O
to	O
"	O
grind	O
"	O
,	O
or	O
carry	O
out	O
repetitive	O
tasks	O
,	O
to	O
advance	O
their	O
character	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
critics	O
mentioned	O
that	O
the	O
lack	O
of	O
quests	O
that	O
required	O
players	O
to	O
group	O
up	O
made	O
the	O
game	O
feel	O
as	O
if	O
it	B-General_Concept
were	O
designed	O
for	O
solo	O
play	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Upon	O
release	O
,	O
a	O
small	O
number	O
of	O
quests	O
had	O
software	B-Error_Name
bugs	I-Error_Name
that	O
made	O
them	O
impossible	O
to	O
complete	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
found	O
it	B-General_Concept
difficult	O
to	O
become	O
lost	O
,	O
and	O
each	O
area	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
world	O
had	O
a	O
distinct	O
look	O
that	O
blended	O
from	O
one	O
to	O
the	O
next	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Critics	O
described	O
the	O
environment	O
as	O
"	O
a	O
careful	O
blend	O
of	O
cartoon	O
,	O
fantasy	B-Application
art	O
,	O
and	O
realism	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
found	O
to	O
run	O
smoothly	O
on	O
a	O
range	O
of	O
computer	O
systems	O
,	O
although	O
some	O
described	O
it	B-General_Concept
as	O
basic	O
,	O
and	O
mentioned	O
that	O
the	O
bloom	O
light	O
rendering	O
effect	O
can	O
blur	O
things	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
assigning	O
music	O
to	O
different	O
areas	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
world	O
,	O
reviewers	O
felt	O
that	O
the	O
fantasy	B-Application
style	O
added	O
to	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
immersion	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
the	O
replay	O
value	O
was	O
increased	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
won	O
several	O
awards	O
from	O
critics	O
upon	O
release	O
,	O
including	O
Editor	O
's	O
Choice	O
awards	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
,	O
it	B-General_Concept
won	O
several	O
annual	O
awards	O
from	O
the	O
media	O
,	O
being	O
described	O
as	O
the	O
best	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
role-playing	O
and	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
genres	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
also	O
awarded	O
Best	O
Mac	B-Application
OS	I-Application
X	O
Entertainment	O
Product	O
at	O
the	O
2005	O
Apple	O
Design	O
Awards	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Computer	O
Games	O
Magazine	O
named	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
the	O
best	O
computer	O
game	O
of	O
2004	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
magazine	O
's	O
Steve	O
Bauman	O
described	O
his	O
"	O
feeling	O
that	O
Blizzard	O
has	O
analyzed	O
every	O
element	O
of	O
every	O
existing	O
game	O
,	O
pulled	O
out	O
the	O
best	O
ones	O
,	O
and	O
then	O
lovingly	O
lavished	O
an	O
absurd	O
amount	O
of	O
attention	O
to	O
their	O
implementation.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
It	B-General_Concept
also	O
won	O
the	O
magazine	O
's	O
"	O
Best	O
Art	O
Direction	O
"	O
,	O
"	O
Best	O
Original	O
Music	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
Best	O
Interface	O
"	O
awards	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
was	O
recognized	O
at	O
the	O
2005	O
Spike	O
TV	O
Video	O
Game	O
Awards	O
where	O
it	B-General_Concept
won	O
Best	O
PC	O
Game	O
,	O
Best	O
Multiplayer	O
Game	O
,	O
Best	O
RPG	O
,	O
and	O
Most	O
Addictive	O
Game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2008	O
,	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
was	O
honoured	O
—	O
along	O
with	O
Neverwinter	B-Application
Nights	I-Application
and	O
EverQuest	B-Protocol
—	O
at	O
the	O
59th	O
Annual	O
Technology	O
&	O
Engineering	O
Emmy	O
Awards	O
for	O
advancing	O
the	O
art	O
form	O
of	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GameSpot	O
named	O
it	B-General_Concept
the	O
best	O
massively	O
multiplayer	O
game	O
of	O
2004	O
,	O
and	O
nominated	O
it	B-General_Concept
for	O
the	O
publication	O
's	O
"	O
Best	O
Graphics	O
,	O
Artistic	O
"	O
award	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2009	O
,	O
Game	O
Informer	O
ranked	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
11th	O
on	O
their	O
list	O
of	O
"	O
The	O
Top	O
200	O
Games	O
of	O
All	O
Time	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2015	O
,	O
The	O
Strong	O
National	O
Museum	O
of	O
Play	O
inducted	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
to	O
its	O
World	O
Video	O
Game	O
Hall	O
of	O
Fame	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
was	O
the	O
best-selling	O
PC	O
game	O
of	O
2005	O
and	O
2006	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
,	O
it	B-General_Concept
sold	O
1.4	O
million	O
copies	O
(	O
$68.1	O
million	O
)	O
by	O
August	O
2006	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	B-General_Concept
was	O
the	O
country	O
's	O
third	O
best-selling	O
computer	O
game	O
between	O
January	O
2000	O
and	O
August	O
2006	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
January	O
22	O
,	O
2008	O
,	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
had	O
more	O
than	O
10	O
million	O
subscribers	O
worldwide	O
,	O
with	O
more	O
than	O
2	O
million	O
subscribers	O
in	O
Europe	O
,	O
more	O
than	O
2.5	O
million	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
,	O
and	O
about	O
5.5	O
million	O
in	O
Asia	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
May	O
7	O
,	O
2015	O
,	O
it	B-General_Concept
was	O
announced	O
that	O
there	O
were	O
7.1	O
million	O
active	O
subscriptions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Less	O
than	O
two	O
months	O
after	O
beginning	O
operation	O
of	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
in	O
China	O
on	O
September	O
19	O
,	O
2009	O
,	O
NetEase	O
was	O
ordered	O
to	O
immediately	O
stop	O
charging	O
players	O
and	O
to	O
cease	O
accepting	O
registrations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
press	O
estimate	O
indicated	O
that	O
if	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
were	O
shut	O
down	O
in	O
China	O
,	O
the	O
loss	O
of	O
subscribers	O
would	O
have	O
caused	O
Activision	O
Blizzard	O
's	O
earnings	O
to	O
fall	O
from	O
65	O
cents	O
per	O
share	O
to	O
60	O
cents	O
per	O
share	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
April	O
2008	O
,	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
was	O
estimated	O
to	O
hold	O
62	O
percent	O
of	O
the	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
subscription	O
market	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
has	O
grossed	O
in	O
revenue	O
,	O
making	O
it	B-General_Concept
one	O
of	O
the	O
highest-grossing	O
video	O
games	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
,	O
along	O
with	O
Space	B-Application
Invaders	I-Application
,	O
Pac-Man	B-Application
and	O
Street	B-Application
Fighter	I-Application
II	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
early	O
2012	O
,	O
Blizzard	O
started	O
its	O
own	O
series	O
of	O
tournaments	O
for	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
and	O
StarCraft	B-Application
II	I-Application
,	O
known	O
as	O
the	O
Battle.net	O
World	O
Championship	O
Series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
September	O
2006	O
,	O
reports	O
emerged	O
of	O
spoof	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
game	O
advice	O
websites	O
that	O
contained	O
malware	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Vulnerable	O
computers	O
would	O
be	O
infected	O
through	O
their	O
web	B-Application
browsers	I-Application
,	O
downloading	O
a	O
program	O
that	O
would	O
then	O
relay	O
back	O
account	O
information	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Security	O
researcher	O
group	O
Symantec	O
released	O
a	O
report	O
stating	O
that	O
a	O
compromised	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
account	O
was	O
worth	O
US$10	O
on	O
the	O
black	O
market	O
,	O
compared	O
to	O
US$6	O
to	O
US$12	O
for	O
a	O
compromised	O
computer	O
(	O
correct	O
as	O
of	O
March	O
2007	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
February	O
2008	O
,	O
phishing	O
emails	O
were	O
distributed	O
requesting	O
that	O
users	O
validate	O
their	O
account	O
information	O
using	O
a	O
fake	O
version	O
of	O
the	B-Protocol
World	I-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
account	O
management	O
pages	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Blizzard	O
makes	O
use	O
of	O
a	O
system	O
known	O
as	O
Warden	O
on	O
the	O
Windows	B-Application
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
detect	O
third-party	B-General_Concept
programs	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
botting	B-Protocol
software	O
,	O
allowing	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
to	O
be	O
played	O
unattended	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Warden	O
uses	O
techniques	O
similar	O
to	O
anti-virus	B-Application
software	I-Application
to	O
analyze	O
other	O
running	O
software	O
on	O
the	O
players	O
 '	O
PCs	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
file	B-Application
system	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
unlike	O
most	O
anti-virus	B-Application
software	I-Application
,	O
it	B-General_Concept
sends	O
a	O
portion	O
of	O
this	O
information	O
back	O
to	O
Blizzard	O
,	O
which	O
caused	O
privacy	O
advocates	O
to	O
accuse	O
it	B-General_Concept
of	O
being	O
spyware	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
example	O
of	O
the	O
information	O
Warden	O
collects	O
is	O
the	O
title	O
of	O
every	O
window	O
open	O
on	O
the	O
system	O
while	O
WoW	B-Protocol
is	O
running	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
the	O
other	O
hand	O
,	O
many	O
gamers	O
responded	O
positively	O
to	O
the	O
development	O
,	O
stating	O
that	O
they	O
supported	O
the	O
technology	O
if	O
it	B-General_Concept
resulted	O
in	O
fewer	O
cases	O
of	O
cheating	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Donnelly	O
was	O
included	O
in	O
the	O
suit	O
as	O
the	O
creator	O
of	O
MMO	B-Protocol
Glider	I-Protocol
,	O
software	O
that	O
can	O
automatically	O
play	O
many	O
tasks	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Blizzard	O
claimed	O
the	O
software	O
is	O
an	O
infringement	O
of	O
its	O
copyright	O
and	O
software	O
license	O
agreement	O
,	O
stating	O
that	O
"	O
Glider	B-Protocol
use	O
severely	O
harms	O
the	O
WoW	B-Protocol
gaming	O
experience	O
for	O
other	O
players	O
by	O
altering	O
the	O
balance	O
of	O
play	O
,	O
disrupting	O
the	O
social	O
and	O
immersive	O
aspects	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
and	O
undermining	O
the	O
in-game	B-Application
economy.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
to	O
playing	O
the	O
game	O
itself	O
and	O
conversing	O
on	O
discussion	O
forums	O
provided	O
by	O
Blizzard	O
,	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
players	O
often	O
participate	O
in	O
the	O
virtual	B-Architecture
community	I-Architecture
in	O
creative	O
ways	O
,	O
including	O
fan	O
artwork	O
and	O
comic	O
strip	O
style	O
storytelling	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
October	O
7	O
,	O
2010	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
reached	O
a	O
subscriber	O
base	O
of	O
over	O
12	O
million	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2012	O
,	O
senior	O
producer	O
John	O
Lagrave	O
told	O
Eurogamer	O
that	O
the	O
drop	O
in	O
subscriptions	O
may	O
have	O
also	O
been	O
attributed	O
to	O
the	O
recent	O
release	O
of	O
BioWare	O
's	O
Star	B-Protocol
Wars	I-Protocol
:	I-Protocol
The	I-Protocol
Old	I-Protocol
Republic	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
with	O
other	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
,	O
companies	O
have	O
emerged	O
offering	O
to	O
sell	O
virtual	O
gold	O
and	O
associated	O
services	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
practice	O
of	O
amassing	O
gold	O
and	O
in-game	B-Application
items	O
for	O
financial	O
profit	O
is	O
frequently	O
referred	O
to	O
as	O
gold	B-Protocol
farming	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
Blizzard	O
started	O
offering	O
free	O
trial	O
gameplay	O
accounts	O
,	O
players	O
noticed	O
an	O
increase	O
in	O
spam	O
from	O
bots	B-Protocol
advertising	O
these	O
services	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additionally	O
,	O
trial	O
accounts	O
are	O
prevented	O
from	O
speaking	O
in	O
the	O
public	O
chat	O
channels	O
(	O
although	O
they	O
may	O
speak	O
to	O
players	O
within	O
range	O
or	O
whisper	O
to	O
other	O
players	O
that	O
have	O
first	O
whispered	O
to	O
them	O
)	O
,	O
participating	O
in	O
in-game	B-Application
trades	O
,	O
and	O
using	O
the	O
Auction	O
House	O
and	O
the	O
mail	O
feature	O
,	O
among	O
other	O
limitations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
February	O
2008	O
,	O
the	O
parties	O
filed	O
a	O
consent	O
decree	O
in	O
which	O
in	O
Game	O
Dollar	O
agreed	O
to	O
refrain	O
from	O
using	O
any	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
chat	O
or	O
communication	O
to	O
advertise	O
any	O
business	O
or	O
sell	O
any	O
services	O
relating	O
to	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
June	O
2007	O
,	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
player	O
Antonio	O
Hernandez	O
filed	O
a	O
class	O
action	O
lawsuit	O
against	O
IGE	O
for	O
interfering	O
with	O
the	O
intended	O
use	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
characters	O
progress	O
in	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
and	O
take	O
on	O
some	O
of	O
the	O
toughest	O
challenges	O
,	O
many	O
of	O
the	O
rewards	O
received	O
are	O
bound	O
to	O
that	O
character	O
and	O
cannot	O
be	O
traded	O
,	O
generating	O
a	O
market	O
for	O
the	O
trading	O
of	O
accounts	O
with	O
well-equipped	O
characters	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
highest	O
noted	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
account	O
trade	O
was	O
for	O
£5000	O
( €7000	O
,	O
US$	O
9,900	O
)	O
in	O
early	O
September	O
2007	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
practice	O
of	O
buying	O
or	O
selling	O
gold	O
in	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
has	O
generated	O
significant	O
controversy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
April	O
2015	O
,	O
introduced	O
a	O
means	O
to	O
sell	O
in-game	B-Application
gold	O
for	O
real	O
money	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
player	O
may	O
spend	O
$20	O
on	O
a	O
one-month	O
"	O
game	O
time	O
token	O
"	O
that	O
can	O
be	O
sold	O
for	O
in-game	B-Application
gold	O
on	O
the	O
auction	O
house	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
December	O
2015	O
,	O
Blizzard	O
sold	O
an	O
in-game	B-Application
battle	O
pet	O
named	O
Brightpaw	O
for	O
$10	O
with	O
all	O
proceeds	O
going	O
to	O
the	O
Make-A-Wish	O
Foundation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
December	O
2016	O
,	O
Blizzard	O
again	O
sold	O
a	O
battle	O
pet	O
named	O
Mischief	O
for	O
$10	O
;	O
it	B-General_Concept
helped	O
raise	O
more	O
than	O
$2.5	O
million	O
for	O
Make-A-Wish	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Originally	O
this	O
malady	O
was	O
confined	O
within	O
the	O
Zul'Gurub	O
instance	O
,	O
but	O
it	B-General_Concept
made	O
its	O
way	O
into	O
the	O
outside	O
world	O
by	O
way	O
of	O
hunter	O
pets	O
or	O
warlock	O
minions	O
that	O
contracted	O
the	O
disease	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Corrupted	O
Blood	O
plague	O
so	O
closely	O
resembled	O
the	O
outbreak	O
of	O
real-world	O
epidemics	O
that	O
scientists	O
are	O
currently	O
looking	O
at	O
the	O
ways	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
or	O
other	O
massively	O
distributed	O
systems	O
can	O
model	O
human	O
behavior	O
during	O
outbreaks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
redefined	O
the	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
genre	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
original	O
talent	O
system	O
,	O
which	O
let	O
players	O
distribute	O
points	O
among	O
upgrades	O
,	O
saw	O
wide	O
adoption	O
,	O
including	O
by	O
Star	B-Protocol
Wars	I-Protocol
:	I-Protocol
The	I-Protocol
Old	I-Protocol
Republic	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
also	O
gave	O
structure	O
to	O
the	O
"	O
raid	O
"	O
group	O
activity	O
,	O
in	O
which	O
players	O
needed	O
a	O
specific	O
strategy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
not	O
the	O
first	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
to	O
lead	O
to	O
hundreds	O
of	O
hours	O
of	O
commitment	O
,	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
was	O
the	O
most	O
successful	O
one	O
in	O
its	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
"	O
Most	O
people	O
"	O
,	O
wrote	O
Vice	O
in	O
2019	O
,	O
"	O
know	O
someone	O
who	O
's	O
said	O
they	O
were	O
'	O
addicted	O
 '	O
to	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
also	O
provided	O
hope	O
and	O
purpose	O
to	O
players	O
,	O
some	O
leading	O
to	O
in-person	O
romance	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Prior	O
to	O
running	O
Breitbart	O
News	O
and	O
joining	O
the	O
Trump	O
campaign	O
and	O
administration	O
,	O
Steve	O
Bannon	O
found	O
a	O
political	O
audience	O
in	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
was	O
involved	O
in	O
Internet	O
Gaming	O
Entertainment	O
,	O
a	O
company	O
that	O
employed	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
"	O
gold	B-Protocol
farmers	I-Protocol
"	O
whose	O
gold	O
would	O
be	O
resold	O
for	O
real	O
money	O
,	O
which	O
introduced	O
Bannon	O
to	O
what	O
he	O
saw	O
as	O
"	O
rootless	O
,	O
white	O
males	O
"	O
with	O
"	O
monster	O
power	O
"	O
even	O
prior	O
to	O
the	O
rise	O
of	O
Reddit	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Vitalik	O
Buterin	O
,	O
who	O
later	O
co-founded	O
the	O
cryptocurrency	O
Ethereum	B-Application
,	O
was	O
driven	O
to	O
pursue	O
decentralized	O
technologies	O
following	O
a	O
2010	O
patch	O
that	O
changed	O
his	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
avatar	B-Application
's	O
preferred	O
spell	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Requests	O
by	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
players	O
also	O
led	O
Microsoft	O
to	O
alter	O
how	O
hotkeys	O
work	O
in	O
their	O
Windows	B-Application
operating	I-Application
system	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
has	O
inspired	O
artists	O
to	O
satirize	O
it	B-General_Concept
and	O
acknowledge	O
its	O
mark	O
in	O
popular	O
culture	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
example	O
is	O
the	O
Emmy	O
Award-winning	O
South	B-Application
Park	I-Application
episode	O
"	O
Make	B-Protocol
Love	I-Protocol
,	I-Protocol
Not	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
has	O
inspired	O
three	O
board	O
games	O
:	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
:	O
The	O
Board	O
Game	O
(	O
including	O
Shadow	O
of	O
War	O
and	O
The	B-Application
Burning	I-Application
Crusade	I-Application
expansions	O
)	O
,	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
:	O
The	O
Adventure	O
Game	O
(	O
produced	O
by	O
Fantasy	B-Application
Flight	O
Games	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
edition	O
of	O
Trivial	O
Pursuit	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
August	O
2012	O
,	O
Megabloks	O
launched	O
a	O
licensed	O
line	O
of	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
'	O
building	O
block	O
 '	O
toys	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
game	O
scenes	O
,	O
scenarios	O
and	O
characters	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
March	O
2014	O
,	O
Hearthstone	B-Application
:	I-Application
Heroes	I-Application
of	I-Application
Warcraft	I-Application
was	O
released	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
a	O
free-to-play	O
digital	O
card	O
game	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
Warcraft	B-Application
universe	O
,	O
using	O
classes	O
similar	O
to	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
November	O
2007	O
,	O
DC	O
Comics	O
published	O
the	O
first	O
issue	O
of	O
the	B-Protocol
World	I-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
comic	O
under	O
their	O
WildStorm	O
imprint	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2015	O
,	O
Blizzard	O
released	O
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Storm	I-Application
,	O
a	O
crossover	B-Operating_System
multiplayer	O
online	O
battle	O
arena	O
video	O
game	O
,	O
in	O
which	O
players	O
can	O
control	O
over	O
35	O
heroes	O
from	O
Warcraft	B-Application
universe	O
such	O
as	O
Arthas	O
,	O
Gul'dan	O
,	O
Kel'thuzad	O
,	O
Malfurion	O
,	O
Ragnaros	O
,	O
Sylvanas	O
,	O
Thrall	O
and	O
Varian	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
features	O
a	O
Warcraft-themed	O
battleground	O
named	O
Alterac	O
Pass	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
number	O
of	O
Warcraft-themed	O
skins	O
have	O
been	O
introduced	O
for	O
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Storm	I-Application
in	O
the	O
“	O
Echoes	O
of	O
Alterac	O
”	O
event	O
in	O
June	O
2018	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Various	O
soundtracks	O
from	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
,	O
such	O
as	O
Obsidian	O
Sanctum	O
from	O
Wrath	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
the	I-Protocol
Lich	I-Protocol
King	I-Protocol
,	O
The	O
Wandering	O
Isle	O
from	O
Mists	B-Application
of	I-Application
Pandaria	I-Application
,	O
and	O
Stormwind	O
theme	O
,	O
are	O
present	O
as	O
background	O
music	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
mark	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Hearthstone	B-Application
,	O
Blizzard	O
released	O
the	O
Hearthsteed	O
mount	O
for	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Widely	O
advertised	O
on	O
various	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
websites	O
,	O
this	O
promotion	O
encourages	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
players	O
to	O
try	O
Hearthstone	B-Application
and	O
marked	O
the	O
first	O
significant	O
crossover	B-Operating_System
implemented	O
between	O
Blizzard	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
who	O
purchase	O
Warlords	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Draenor	I-Protocol
Collector	O
's	O
or	O
Digital	O
Deluxe	O
Edition	O
receive	O
an	O
Orc	O
themed	O
card	O
back	O
in	O
Hearthstone	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Storm	I-Application
players	O
who	O
reach	O
level	O
20	O
receive	O
the	O
Grave	O
Golem	O
battle	O
pet	O
in	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
and	O
after	O
reaching	O
level	O
100	O
in	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
receive	O
an	O
Ironside	O
Dire	O
Wolf	O
mount	O
in	O
Heroes	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Storm	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Starting	O
on	O
March	O
11	O
,	O
2016	O
,	O
players	O
who	O
level	O
a	O
character	O
to	O
20	O
in	O
WoW	B-Protocol
,	O
which	O
can	O
be	O
completed	O
with	O
the	O
free	O
starter	O
edition	O
,	O
earn	O
the	O
alternate	O
Paladin	B-Protocol
hero	O
Lady	O
Liadrin	O
in	O
Hearthstone	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
who	O
buy	O
Overwatch	B-Application
Origins	O
,	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
,	O
or	O
Collectors	O
Edition	O
are	O
given	O
the	O
Baby	O
Winston	O
battle	O
pet	O
in	O
WoW	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
