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Here is an ethnographer's in-depth look into World of Warcraft. From this site you can read the full book online, read an interview with the author, or listen to a podcast. The author "introduces us to her research strategy and the history, structure, and culture of Warcraft; argues for applying activity theory and theories of aesthetic experience to the study of gaming and play; and educates us on issues of gender, culture, and addiction as part of the play experience."

What one professor learned from playing World of Warcraft for 2,300 plus hours.

I stumbled across this story and couldn't help but post...

It's had a great run, but two things players complain about. 1) Expensive compared to other free games 2) It's just not fun anymore

This article discusses play in virtual worlds (focusing on World of Warcraft) with an emphasis both on the learning that takes place and the engagement. You'll have to log in with your Harvard ID to get the article, FYI. "Our observation showed that players are motivated by the game's scope, rules, and scenario to create and participate in virtual communities, and share their knowledge with others, while newcomers are encouraged to engage in collective actions, and develop their skill base. We also found that although current MMORPGs have not been designed as instructional tools, they provide an excellent fantasy environment for intrinsically motivating learning, where players can experience the elements of challenge, curiosity, and control [30]." "People engage in pervasive games that use the best of two worlds, the virtual and the physical, in order to offer to its players the sense of maximum enjoyment."

A study on game-based cognitive training and performance.

A Singapore history game will resemble World of Warcraft

Beyond the Game is a festival-acclaimed, award winning Dutch documentary by filmmaker Jos de Putter about the world of gaming. It is especially focused on Warcraft III.

Two players who met in the World of Warcraft virtual world, wound up falling in real-life love.

not clear this will lose votes for her, given how many adults are into fantasy gaming. Shows how bizarre the political process has become

This guide includes world of warcraft in school and other games like The World Peace Game..

One professor's take on why computer games should be used to assess students

This aricle introduces "World of Warcraft", a fantasy game that has become a worldwide hit.

This is an interesting article that speaks to the result of over-engagement. I wonder if this problem is specific to Korea and less so in other countries (if so, what is it about that environment that makes video games so addictive) or if it's only been studied in Korea but could be a similar problem in other parts of the world.

Interesting article about how certain features of video games (gaining experience points, forming guilds, etc.) are being incorporated in unexpected ways in our lives.

Do anything you can't do in the real world in the game. That's the reason why it is so engaging.