The Warcraft Civilization: Social Science in a Virtual World (The MIT Press) (The Warcraft Civilization)

by William Sims Bainbridge

An exploration of the popular online role-playing game World of Warcraft as a virtual prototype of the real human future.

World of Warcraft is more than a game. There is no ultimate goal, no winning hand, no princess to be rescued. WoW is an immersive virtual world in which characters must cope in a dangerous environment, assume identities, struggle to understand and communicate, learn to use technology, and compete for dwindling resources. Beyond the fantasy and science fiction details, as many have noted, it's not entirely unlike today's world. In The Warcraft Civilization, sociologist William Sims Bainbridge goes further, arguing that WoW can be seen not only as an allegory of today but also as a virtual prototype of tomorrow, of a real human future in which tribe-like groups will engage in combat over declining natural resources, build temporary alliances on the basis of mutual self-interest, and seek a set of values that transcend the need for war.

What makes WoW an especially good place to look for insights about Western civilization, Bainbridge says, is that it bridges past and future. It is founded on Western cultural tradition, yet aimed toward the virtual worlds we could create in times to come.

• ISBN10: 0262013703
• ISBN13: 9780262013703
• Publish Date: 31 March 2010 (first published 1 January 2010)
• Publish Status: Transferred
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: MIT Press Ltd
• Imprint: MIT Press
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 256
• Language: English
• URL: http://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262013703

Reviews

[celinenyx]

I was under the impression this book would discuss the wonderful digital communities that are formed in World of Warcraft from a sociological perspective. Instead, this book is a ridiculously detailed discussion of Warcraft lore and the author's roleplaying.