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Blizzard Entertainment has announced that a children's book based on World of Warcraft is in the works. Called "Snowfight", the book will be available for preorder in the near future and fans will be able to purchase a copy at this year's Blizzcon (and after, of course).
When you consider that the games in the Warcraft franchise come with a PEGI 12 rating it's worth thinking about why Blizzard is producing content for a far younger audience than can (or should) be playing its game. One potential explanation is the cynical "indoctrination of the young with a view to future audience acquisition". Although subscriber figures are still healthy, the World of Warcraft player base is undeniably shrinking and it's easy to connect the dots. Get children conversant with the Alliance vs Horde dynamic and money will surely follow.
Read the full report at Wired.co.uk.
Comments
Not surprised.
I am surprised the Movie is still in pre-production though.
There is the potential of being more succesful than Avatar (think about the sexy female elves.........)
I guess it's no difference than moms and dads wanting to share their love for the stuff they grew up enjoying with their little ones. This is the reason we have seen movies based on old toy IPs, cartoons and comic book heroes. It's the very reason I'm taking my family to go see Pacific Rim this Monday. I LOVED watching Godzilla movies when I was growing up.
But will it really bring families closer together or segregate them in separate rooms all donning headsets and squabbling over loot drops? Don't mind that last bit, it's the pessimist in me raising it's little head.
"Small minds talk about people, average minds talk about events, great minds talk about ideas."
bet it goes something like this,
Once apon a time, a great blizzard swept the lands and made people rise to the challenge to survive but towards the end the storm grew weak and all was lost including your money.
The end.
---------
no sig
Did any of you read the article at all? The first quote I read about the reason behind this screams of some psychologist exploiting peoples addiction.
""Parents will be buying the books, so it feels more like a way of helping parents of young children, who may have been playing for the whole life of their child, to connect WoW to their family lives -- to keep them emotionally engaged with the game world," games expert Daniel Nye Griffiths told Wired.co.uk."
In what world is making money off of parents helping them? Because they had a kid and are still addicted to the game so need their fix through a child story book?
But the orange is the true kicker. They want everyone and their kids to be emotionally engaged with the game world regardless if they are playing it or not. This is nothing more than another money grab plus way to get people addicted to playing WoW. They don't want people just playing the game at this point, they want their customers thinking of nothing else other than their game.
Name one business that doesn't advertise in order to get you to think about their product and thereby buy it? What do you think all of those commercials on TV are for? Entertainment? ROFL!
Marvel and DC have been doing this for years through comics, cartoons, movies, video games, graphic novels, toys, cloths...this is nothing new, its business.
You obviously never watched Saturday morning cartoons. That race has started long before Blizzard's latest endeavor to throw their hat in the ring. Do you honestly think people who have been playing WoW for 9 years will start introducing it to their kids through this book? I have a feeling it has ALREADY been introduced and this will serve as nothing more than a feather in the cap.
Example: My wife and I started playing WoW near the beginning. My kids were 11 and 7. They've ALWAYS watched me play video games ever since birth. So when we introduced them to WoW it was only because they were excited to have a chance to try out something mom and dad played. My wife and I took this oppurtunity of their interest and turn it into a learning experience about online activities.
"Small minds talk about people, average minds talk about events, great minds talk about ideas."
Smile
I took out most of what I thought was unimportant bout your post concerning mine, and wanted to bold that what you did was good parenting, and it had nothing to do with Blizzard providing you with teachings on how to be a good parent. What I highlight just shows your a good parent, or at least doing the best you can with what you know.
But is has nothing to do with what I pointed out. Blizzard is trying to act as if creating a children's book on WoW is helpful to parenting and not just a cash grab. That is in no way shape or form helpful to parenting. You should know this as being a decent parent (going off of what you just typed).
Everyone else just seemed to white knight it up and not actually read my post. It had nothing to do about what Blizzard is actually doing but the fact that they bold face Lie about why they are making the WoW children books.
Wait they're writing a book about WoW for children?
...So its just a book about WoW then? ZING!!!
Of course its a cash grab, all businesses are in it for the money. But who are you to say it isnt helpful? Theres prolly lots of parents who happen to be WoW fans and want to get their kids into the IP and at the same time try to get their kids interested into reading books. Just because you dont see something as helpful doesnt mean it isnt to others even if its just in a small way.
Trust me, I don't think any parent hopes to find any real helpful parenting in the actual book. It's blatantly obvious this is a cash grab, just like most books at this level aimed at kids. The people who have been playing WoW for 9 years have been exposing their children to it for 9 freakin years! That's why I included that spiel in my first paragraph:
You obviously never watched Saturday morning cartoons. That race has started long before Blizzard's latest endeavor to throw their hat in the ring. Do you honestly think people who have been playing WoW for 9 years will start introducing it to their kids through this book? I have a feeling it has ALREADY been introduced and this will serve as nothing more than a feather in the cap.
But if you need further proof just follow this link and scroll down. Make sure you read the comments and look at all those pics the parents have posted. Here
"Small minds talk about people, average minds talk about events, great minds talk about ideas."
Sounds like standard business practices to me... seriously, lol, your use of language in this post casts an over-dramatization of what's happening. Just because something is a way to make more money does not mean it is a money grab...
The Dr. Seuss Killer!
(Harr Harr)
In all seriousness though, I'm unsure how I feel about this; I have no kids, so I guess I'm kind of indifferent. Though, it does seem a bit sleazy.
"going into arguments with idiots is a lost cause, it requires you to stoop down to their level and you can't win"
But the even more interesting question is if Leeroy Jenkins will be in the book.
But ultimately this is just another stupid thing from a company to sell to gullible fools.
I have not read the comments but I feel it's full of the usually Blizzard haters.... am I right.
On topic you got to follow the money, ANY OTHER developer would not sure why Blizzard always getting the shitty end of stick. hey ho on with life.
Got to get them interested early before they consider other more up to date and better looking mmo's, it's actually a pretty good strategy. Wonder if they will count them as subscribers too, lol.
Glad you didn't assume a new and more graphically impressive MMO = a better MMO. And Yes if someone is paying the $15 per month for the subscription they will be counted, if they're playing a trial account or let their sub expire they wont be counted, as it's always been.