Recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the most popular MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role-playing game) in videogame history, World of Warcraft is everywhere — from episodes of South Park and The Simpsons, to online series like Watch the Guild, accolades and awards from game critics, and prime-time commercials with Mr. T. Inevitably, such a cultural phenomenon triggers deeper questions. When does an assumed identity become real? Does the Corrupted Blood epidemic warn us of future public health catastrophes? What are the dangers when real life is invaded by events in the game? What can our own world learn from Azeroth’s blend of primitivism and high-tech? In these lively essays, a specially commissioned guild of philosophers, including Yara Mitsuishi, Monica Evans, Tim Christopher, and Anna Janssen, tackles these and other complex questions arising from WoW.
World of Warcraft and Philosophy
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About the Author
Luke Cuddy is editor of The Legend of Zelda and Philosophy. He teaches philosophy at Southwestern College and MiraCosta College in San Diego. His website is http://neo-philosophy.com/. John Nordlinger is Senior Research Program Manager at Microsoft Research. He has written about ethical and educational issues surrounding Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games and other videogames.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Required Reading for the Thoughtful Gamer,
This review is from: World of Warcraft and Philosophy: Wrath of the Philosopher King (Popular Culture and Philosophy) (Paperback)
This book has been way too long in coming. Over twelve million people are now playing World of Warcraft, and another couple hundred thousand play Everquest2 and other similar games. All those wanderers of Azeroth, Norrath, and other decadent fantasy realms can now apply their arcane knowledge and MMOG experience to the equally arcane realm of Philosophy. This book features a great group of authors (both philosophers and gamers) and an equally impressive selection of articles that span the range of ethics to epistemology. Mayhem meets Metaphysics. Political philosophy is introduced through guild leadership insights. And it all goes down easily because this strange juxtaposition is leavened by a steady flow of humor. Interesting and quirky references abound, from Plato and his metaphorical cave to Adam Smith's description of the economics of cyberspace. Even Nietzsche makes a super appearance.
Monica Evans introduces us to the lore of World of Warcraft, discussing misdeeds and other noteworthy misadventures. Plato and Kant are introduced innocently and unobtrusively, yet I could feel the gentle increase of my intellect by at least +2! Another highlight is Miquel Sicart's Warrior angst and consequent in-depth philosophical discussion of game play, game community, and game ethics. Again, I felt a nice increase in INT +2! You could even call it a sexy read, as the ethical implications of flirting and role play are explored in the most unlikely places. OMG! I just got a boost in charisma +1! This book makes the game itself more fun. After settling in to read for a bit, I rejoined my guild and found myself considering many things I hadn't previously pondered. Is the rogue really female and does it matter? How much real money is that epic loot worth? Does the game play affect our real personas? What linguistic influences will carry over into RL? What's the etymological root for noob? Tank? Or griefer? How long before folks are going to the doctor to report that their health bar is low? A true delight for the thoughtful gamer! Belongs in a spot on the book shelf between Plato's Republic and Neil Stephenson's Snow Crash.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Who Are You?" said the Caterpillar,
By Dr. Hartmann (seattle. wa) - See all my reviews
This review is from: World of Warcraft and Philosophy: Wrath of the Philosopher King (Popular Culture and Philosophy) (Paperback)
Outstanding! This collection of savvy essays on World of Warcraft lures the reader into a Wonderland of Virtual Philosophy. You might cease leveling your toon and start musing about questions that a WoW Caterpillar might ask. Are you an Avatar or a Creator? And does it matter?
Luke Cuddy's and John Nordlinger's World of Warcraft and Philosophy provides surprising insights that will delight the brains of gamers and non-gamers alike. Before I was saved by World of Warcraft and Philosophy, I had considered attending a 12-Step meeting for my addiction to MMORPGs. Now, after reading this delicious book, I've morphed from Slacker to Philosopher! I'm contemplating the philosophical puzzels and social polticking that the developers have begun incorporating in WoW. So why would a gamer want to think about philosophy and ethics and stuff? Considering that the storyline of most MMORPGs concerns the eternal war between Good and Evil, smart gaming makes sense. Anyway, maybe hardcore gamers want to get in touch with their Inner Heroes (or Villains). I wonder if one of my personal heroes, Joseph Campbell, author of The Hero with One Thousand Faces, would approve? When I taught game design, I used Campbell's classic as a textbook as MMORPGs seemed to follow the prototype of the Hero's Journey. However, unlike film and literature, MMORPGs give the Hero infinite choices to make as he or she progresses to the ultimate levels of Uber. Choices that require players to use their Free Will. Professor Monica Evans suggests that WoW players must often decide whether to choose Evil over Good and that the developers of the game are writing more content to force players to "think" ethically. For example, when faced with a decision whether to torture a human NPC or give up some phat quest booty, what should a Good player do? (And while the torture was never described nor rendered, the idea of torturing a human--rather than just killing one--was enough to make players pause and start a Blog on the subject.) Does it make a difference that the NPC your Avatar has just tortured will respawn in 12 seconds completely healed and a perfect victim for the next player? That's for you to decide. After all, underneath our heroic or heinous Avatars, WoW players are, for the most part, human beings. Perhaps we'll learn to embrace our "Inner Shadow" by playing MMORPGs. Perhaps we'll decide whoever gets the best toys, weapons, most discoveries, etc. "wins" the game. Whatever! After reading this book, I think most gamers may realize that there's more to gaming than owning the best armor, mounts, weapons, or whatever won't make WoW more fun if we put Greed before Need and are blasted by everyone on the server. Whatever your gaming style, BUY THIS BOOK! At the very least, you'll never feel guilty playing Wow again! It's philosophy! Your Avatar is a window to your soul, leveling is a ladder to knowing thyself, and there's nothing more important than that...says lots of Philosophers! Besides, playing WoW (and other MMORPGs) is a great place to meet people from around the globe. World of Warcraft and Philosophy book is an absolute must read for gamers!
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great read for any WoW player; it's refreshing to see our game taken so seriously,
This review is from: World of Warcraft and Philosophy: Wrath of the Philosopher King (Popular Culture and Philosophy) (Paperback)
World of Warcraft and Philosophy was a very enjoyable read. Each chapter examines a different issue in WoW, like ninja looting, the Winterspring funeral massacre, and the famous Onyxia wipe, from various philosophical perspectives, including Nihilism and Deontology. Thus, not only will you learn more about WoW (I didn't know about the Gnome Tea Party until after reading the book), but you'll learn more about philosophy too, a fantastic subject. I feel it's important to mention that this book examines WoW from a philosophical perspective, not the other way around. What's great about the book is that it uses World of Warcraft to explain these concepts in terms that are easy to understand, so you are guaranteed to walk away a bit smarter. You may not always agree with what the authors of the chapters say, but they lay our their arguments well enough that you can formulate a logical rebuttal if you do disagree.
Still, the first section of the book is a bit of a chore, and that can turn off readers who might otherwise be interested in the book. The two good chapters include one that examines how ethics change when we enter WoW and one that looks at WoW as a response to Nihilism, i.e. life's meaninglessness. However, another chapter is simply a script of a skit in which a raid boss cries in front of a tax specialist because she is being taxed on her drops and can't afford to pay. Although it can be thought provoking, the chapter only glances over its topic and never actually says anything about it. Another chapter talks about the philosophy of movement, but it often feels like it is over-examining every issue it looks at, and it is such an overview that it can never elaborate on what it is saying, eventually being reduced to recommendations of what to read if you are interested in the topic. The book gets its act together as it goes on, though, and gets much better. If you are reading this review, then you probably play WoW, so you may want to know if the book's chapters contain a tedious amount of detail and explanation about things that aren't obvious to non-players but that we would already know. Thankfully, the book seems to contain just the right amount: enough to explain the concepts discussed without explaining it so much as to bore players who are familiar with the game. The explanations of philosophy also contain a similar amount of exposition, enough to explain the concepts without boring those who already understand them. In this regard, the whole book is, for the most part, very well written. The book is not without its flaws, though. One of its most obvious flaws in the aforementioned first section. The other large flaw is that the book just ends. Though World of Warcraft and Philosophy contains a good introductory section, after the last chapter (about metaphysics and how it impacts WoW) ends, that's it. No conclusion, no last words; it simply goes right into the brief biographies of the various authors of the chapters of the book. It feels like a very empty way to end what is otherwise a great book. I suppose if you know that is how it will end, then it won't disappoint you as much as it disappointing me. If you play WoW and enjoy philosophy, even a little bit, you should pick up this book. Even if you don't enjoy philosophy, maybe this is the book you need to really appreciate it. Either way, I highly recommend you give it a go. At the very least, it will make you sound more intelligent when you are conversing with your guildmates over vent after another wipe.
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