 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
World of Warcraft
- Windows, Mac
- Price: $49.99
- Genre: Role Playing
Common Sense Media says
Become a hero in an enormous online fantasy world.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this game is incredibly fun to play and spectacular in terms of its beauty and creativity, but it requires adult involvement to be a positive and safe experience for teens. There is violence, some of it bloody, references to alcohol, and occasionally subtle sexual innuendo. Most importantly, parents need to know that this game is conducted online and may involve chatting with unknown players. Also, parents should set time limits for gameplay: With endless exploration and no clearly defined levels, it is easy to get hooked.
What's it about?
The plot of WORLD OF WARCRAFT (WoW) is more of a series of mini-stories than one overarching tale, but there is a common storyline that runs throughout the game. The world of Azeroth is divided into two factions: "The Alliance," consisting of humans, night-elves, dwarves and gnomes, and "The Horde," consisting of orcs, tauren, trolls and the undead. A very fragile peace exists between these two factions, and it is not uncommon for battles to break out. Much of the game involves a more micro-story approach, with players working on small individual quests, which may or may not be related to the overall plot; the player's primary concern is to develop his character's skills, abilities and fighting talent as quickly and as efficiently as possible.
Is it any good?
There may be times that players will practically forget about the gameplay and simply gawk at the spectacular world Blizzard has created. From natural beauty to unique and wondrous cities, WoW offers an amazing fictitious world. With all of the exploration available, players will begin to realize that the game is essentially "unconquerable." There is practically an endless amount of quests to conquer, magical items to find, and new enemies to defeat.
WoW is an incredible game: Well-written quests, beautiful scenery and a staggeringly large world to explore make it a ton of fun to play. Nevertheless, it requires adult involvement to be a good and safe experience for teen players. Violence, references to alcohol use, and the unpredictability of an online environment are all good reasons for parents to regularly check in as their older kids play. However, managed properly, the experience may prove to be a rewarding adventure for all involved.
Online interaction: This game is conducted online and may involve chatting with unknown players.
Explore, discuss, enjoy
Families can talk about how this game can be addictive and that guidelines will probably be necessary. Parents should check in regularly with their kids by asking: Who are you playing with? What have others said to you? Is there anything that has made you uncomfortable? Parents might also want to ask what their kids like about this game.
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- Teens & kids
Adult
February 24, 2009
AGE
This game ruins lives
This game is one of the most beautifully designed and intricate games ever designed. The game play in here is extremely immersive-it cannot be understood how much it is without you actually sitting down and playing this game.
I have played this game on and off for approximately 5 years. The players who play this game call it WoWCrack because it is the most addictive game you will most likely ever encounter.
This game as a previous poster stated will ruin your lives bc kids (and adults) will play this game for hours on end and spend there time away from the game thinking about the game and their "character/s".
No young child should be subjected to this type of alternate reality since it will ruin their desire to do normal activities such as watching tv, homework, hanging out with friends, playing sports, doing chores, or any other normal activity.
This game should not be played with anyone who is healthy or has a family and friends. This game should only be played by those that are seriously ill-that it affects their everyday normal active lifestyle, for the elderly, or for those that are truly hermits.
If I sound upset about this game, I am upset bc many people that I know in this fantasy world of Azeroth have ruined families and relationships that revolve completely around this game.
If you don't want your loved ones to spend 8+ hours on a daily basis playing a game in an alternate fantasy world then do not let them play this game-ever.
Good Luck and hope that you make the right decision...
One last thing this is a very very very difficult game to walk away from and quit.
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Teen, 15 years old
July 6, 2011
AGE
12+ FTW!
Teaches kids how to manage money, can get to know older, kind "guild" members. A lot of people cuss on there, so make sure your kids know your opinion on this. Alcohol is involved, especially as dwarves lol.
What other families should know:
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Kid, 10 years old
July 22, 2009
AGE
awesome game
the best game. even the bad stuff is not really that bad, not an issue. yeah you can drink alcohol but your screen gets all blurry and you can't walk or talk straight. so really i don't if i'm going to actually play. it's a cool game that a lot of people can play, my family all plays together.
What other families should know:
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Teen, 15 years old
April 9, 2008
AGE
Bleeh. I've seen so many obsessed people!
OK, ITS A GOOD GAME. Don't bite my head of YET! Anyway, I personally dislike wow simply because of the fact that it TAKES OVER LYVEZ! xD Seriously, if you introduce
an 11 year old to this, they won't wanna do anything else... Then just sit back and
watch as they turn into an unhealthy dweeb with no social life. LOL. Harsh i know, but its the truth.
There are 50 YEAR OLDS on this game.
Find a more constructive past time for your kids or at least limit play time to an hour a day. Ps, I speak from experience. My next door neighbour eats drinks and SLEEPS wow. Its pretty painful to watch sometimes, cus he's a great kid. :( DONT LET THIS GAME TAKE OVER YOUR LIFE. CHOOSE REAL LIFE OVER REALITY! GET SOME REAL LIFE FRIENDS!
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Parent of 7 and 8 year old
September 5, 2010
AGE
Good for older kids, not for tweens
As an adult, I play World Of Warcraft Online (WOW). This game does involve several different chat capabilities from 1 to 1 chat to 1 to infinate chat. Your child can have safe filters turned on, but that does not filter out any sexual, racial comments made by players in the game. Some young kids will even join "guilds" which are groups for online players to help each other out. Some of these guilds have sexual explicit chatting that goes on. My approach to this game would be to play it online with my child so that I can explain anything that pops up from the game. Age I recommenrd is 16, but it depends on the maturity/independance of yuor child.
What other families should know:
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Adult
October 22, 2010
AGE
Fantastic RPG
Seriously LOVE wow. Great game play. Wow has everything a good mmorpg needs. The online community is BY FAR the best in any game i've played. Since there are millions of players there is bound to be swearing and other inappropriate comments made. That is why i gave it 16+ for a review. Other than that, there is no downside. There is the possibility for becoming addicted to it thought, but that could be controlled by the parent. Seriously fun game though. 15$ a month can get spendy, but if you need a way to justify it, think of it this way. you could, a) pay 15$ for unlimited playtime for a month OR b) spend 20$ on a cheap game that'll last you a week, and not only will it not last, but it will stay the same (generally). W.o.w. is constantly being updated, therefore you have completely different experiences each time you play.
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Kid, 9 years old
April 8, 2010
AGE
Perfect for children 7+!!
15+? No way! If you feel comfortable with fighting monsters, than this game is for you.
Education: Children can learn how to save and spend money. Instead of one type of money, you have gold, silver, and copper. You can also learn about auction and trade.
Positive messages: Sure there are some cuss words, but if you are under 13, its best to join a family guild (a guild is like a club) The older members there will be glad to help you and are kind. I know my guild is!
Good role models: Sure, you can get drunk, but if you are, your avatar's vision is blurry, and you say things wrong. Example: If you become drunk, and you say "is", sometimes you say "ish" and sometimes you hiccup! Teaching you not to be drunk.
Easy to play: The game has easy instructions and helpful tips at first. Also, the holiday games are easy too.
Safety: There is a settings section for parents to filter words and such.
What other families should know:
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Adult
April 9, 2008
AGE
Caution: Addicting
I think this game is appropriate for 13 years old and up. Only big negatives: very addicting, so be aware of this and restrict game play accordingly. Use of parent filters is a plus. Secondly, since chat is a big part of the game, you child will be viewing what others have to say...the good and bad. Most players seem to be teens, however you should pop in and read what your child is reading and how he/she is being "talked" to. Make your own character and try it out too. See if you approve. Overall, good game, kids "meet" other kids from different parts of the world. They learn cooperative play, and really sharpen those typing skills. Just be involved with them and check in a lot. Limit the length of game play time.
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Kid, 10 years old
April 19, 2011
AGE
Ehh OOOKKK for tweens.......
My Mom says it's demonic and I kinnda agree. I really don't think it's that bad. My mom only lets me play LOTRO because the books were written by a Christan.
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Kid, 11 years old
February 24, 2011
AGE
i used to watch my brother play this all the time. Never phased me.
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| Platforms: | Windows, Mac |
| Available online? | Not available online |
| Genre: | Role Playing |
| Developer: | Blizzard Entertainment |
| Release date: | November 22, 2004 |
| Price: | $49.99 |
| ESRB rating: | T for (Mac, Windows) |
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