World of Warcraft and Philosophy

Book excerpt: "World of Warcraft is the most popular ever MMORPG (massively multiplayer online role playing game), with over twelve million subscribers and growing every day." "WoW is everywhere - from episodes of South Park and The Simpsons, to online series like Watch the Guild, accolades and awards from game critics, prime-time commercials with William Shatner and Mr. T., and even criminal and civil courts in the real world. People marry and divorce individuals they have met in the game, realworld financial markets thrive in virtual WoW property, parents have their kids 'treated' for Warcraft addiction, and real-world lawsuits, vendettas, and murders have been provoked by the game." "Since identities are known to be assumed, is it okay to totally misrepresent yourself in the game? Does the Corrupted Blood epidemic warn us of future public health catastrophes? How can it be wrong to steal something which doesn't exist or torture characters who don't feel pain? Is warfare really essential to the world of Warcraft? What can our own world learn from Azeroth's blend of primitivism and high-tech?" "A specially commissioned guild of philosophers tackle these and other hard questions in World of Warcraft and Philosophy." -- Book Cover.