Unleashed: Nerd Crack

So far, the effects haven't been seen. But soon the various computer systems that make our modern life possible will start to fail; and things we once took for granted will become just a memory. Using a banking machine, booking an airline ticket, paying your phone bill -- it will no longer be possible. But the internet will still work. Because otherwise the geeks that let all the other stuff fall apart wouldn't be able to play the game that now occupies all their time.

World of Warcraft was released by Blizzard Entertainment a couple of days ago and has already sold out -- over a quarter of a million copies. More on on the way, but I imagine they're staggering the release so the servers the game runs on can adjust. WoW is a MMORPG, a Massively Multiplayer On-line Role Playing Game, the first created by Blizzard. Most of the games of this type have flopped (with the exception on Everquest) but Blizzard will undoubtably make it work. In over fifteen years as a company, they've released only a handful of games -- and all of them have been hits. Their success is due to the intense play-testing they do. WoW has been in production for more than three years -- most of it to polish and balance the game in ways that most players wouldn't even notice. They're not in the business of cranking out derivative crap. They create games that are simple to get into, but which have tremendous depth that continues to offer rewards to the more obsessive types of players. And after playing their games for a while, most people become obsessive types of players.

I'm going to try to avoid getting sucked into this game. I know it's futile, but I have to try. I'll fail of course, and will wind up with the rest of the nerds chasing after virtual adventure and treasure. I haven't got a chance.