When I picked this book up in the bookstore I thought that it was going to be a real hassle to read it, but I did enjoy it. I don’t think that I am going to start playing WoW anytime soon, but I definitely now have a greater appreciation and understanding of the game, and video games in general.

I think the most important think that I learned about with Nardi’s book was the ability of video games to bring people together socially. A few of our readings have touched on this, but reading this book really gave me an idea about the nature of those conversations. As Nardi explained, WoW has so many different variables, and so many different different settings and features, that it would be hard to play the game and not engage others socially. The fact that Blizzard does not explain the basic mechanics of the game would stimulate conversation, as would the open mod scene, character/implement options, and countless other aspects of the game.

Nardi also got in depth about the extents that video game relationships can go to. When reading about the woman who considered leaving her husband so that she could pursue a romantic interest from WoW, I couldn’t help but think “who in the hell are these people?” I think that video games definitely stimulate healthy social interactions, but meeting someone on WoW and wanting to ditch your husband run away with them is a pretty bizarre idea in my mind.

I also thought that Nardi’s exploration of addiction to WoW was interesting, and spot on. I am of the opinion that the kids she quoted, who were quitting WoW to refocus on schoolwork, would have been doing something other than WoW if they were unable to play it. I did not play WoW in high school, but I definitely found other excuses to not do my schoolwork, speaking of which.. Nardi’s discussion of WoW players who smoked marijuana and drank alcohol during gameplay, although short, was very interesting.