by Ashley Shankle

Created on: January 25, 2009

Some may feel that calling it a "replacement for life" is too strong, but for many who have broken free from the claws of World of Warcraft, that is exactly what it feels like.

There are quite a few people who do not get sucked into Blizzard's mystical virtual world. They don't feel the need to fill some sot of gap within themselves, or they actually see that the goal-reaching inside the game means nothing in real life. The dangerous part of World of Warcraft is simple to pinpoint: It is easy to get into, and even easier to get lost into.

It's easy to get lost in the game when nothing in the real world seems worth trying for. Afterall, in WoW you have quests to complete, players to compete against, and others like yourself to team up with. It really can feel like another life.

I haven't intensively played WoW in around 3 years, but the feelings towards the game are very fresh in my mind. The way it felt when I finally hit a level I'd been trying to hit all day was fantastic - but completing quests, getting equipment I needed, downing the boss at the end of an instance, and kicking butt in PVP felt that way too. Everything felt good, and it was meant to feel that way.

MMORPGs have been around for years, so what's the big deal about World of Warcraft? World of Warcraft, as an MMO, is a quality game. It implements all of the most basic things from previous MMOs and blends them together in a way that really seems to fit. You don't really feel like you're playing a game, you feel like you are in the game. That's all fine and well in games that aren't so immersive and require so much time and effort to really accomplished something. In WoW you spend weeks getting to endgame, and even then you have to grind to get decent gear. And after that? You need to PVP grind. During all of this there are holidays, which have their own specific quests that can give you limited items. The cycle never ends.

Those who never really get into the game and have healthy social lives usually don't get so deep into the burning gut of World of Warcraft. They don't understand that feeling you get when you make relationships in-game or the ultimate satisfaction you feel when you finally hit that final level. It's all alien to them. The true risk is to those who do not have healthy social lives, those who do put in all that effort and hope and time towards reaching the endgame.

It's very easy to get into the game for almost anybody, but it's very hard to get out. To leave after a long time means that there are habits to break, people to leave, and a whole world to quit exploring. Quitting really feels like you are leaving a whole life behind that could go on forever. If that doesn't define what a replacement life is, then I can't even imagine what could go further than that.

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