A different "Second Life"

Since 2005 I've played a well known video game, which usually gets a bad rap for being "nerdy" and "obsessive" that can ruin marriages, ruin careers and in extreme cases cause death. This game is World of Warcraft. I've played on and off, usually stopping when school becomes more intense of if I get bored of the game. Sociologists, scientists and economists use the game to test millions of players in a virtual mega world.

The game is much like second life, only slightly less customizable and more focused on "gaming." The world is immense much like second life which would take days to see it all, allows you to create a custom avatar and essentially allow you to live in another magical world. With over ten million players (which pay $15/month), there are many different types of people in-game.

The world has been studied by scientists and economists. With a lively economy, users can sell objects they get in-game at auction and the entire economy is realistic. Using real money is restricted so it's not like Second Life in this way.

Scientists have studied the game when a software glitch allows users to infect one another by accident. This virtual disease somehow spread to the cities where it infected thousands of players, killing many (you can resurrect after a minute, no worries!). The world, although virtual, is realistic in a social sense. You can talk with your own voice to other players which is very popular, many relationships, thousands possibly, exist through this game.

Skeletons can be seen throughout one of the large cities on the ground during epidemic

Much like Second Life (only more game orientated), there are these events called "raids." These events involve anywhere between 10 and 40 people. The fun thing about the game is that you really don't know people in real life, only in the game. These always require users to use microphones to coordinate as they are very difficult to complete.

Doctors, lawyers, blue collar and white collar people collaborate on an objective, many times using complex strategies to defeat a "monster." Sometimes it takes a group months to master a maneuver, only to move onto the next one. It amazes me that 40 people from many backgrounds can work together in this virtual world, which in the end may reward players based on their rolling of the dice on player gear.

A small guild poses for a group photo. Some guilds have hundreds of very dedicated members.

One of the main things I like about the game is that you can join a group of people which form a "guild" or a clan. These guilds are much like organizations. There are websites, certain clothes, rules and labels (such as newcomer or veteran member). The downside is that if you want to "raid" you must dedicate time. Most guilds raid every night from 8-11pm. When I started in 2005, I used to play from 8PM to 4AM. Most of my friends that played sports did this as well, luckily it lasted only a few months.

The game is extremely beautiful and each area (which is typically very large) has its own theme and characteristics.

This game is a glimpse into another world, one that is full of players. The game itself is immensely detailed with cities, villages, dungeons and jungles. It's beautiful. The art really connects with technology to create this very lively world.