Swine Flu Infects World of Warcraft

[James Raynor]

I like it when games have outbreaks and world events. to bad this isn't as conntagious.
on a side note: SWINE FLU WILL DESTRYOY THE WOR- oh wait its not that deadly? never mind.

Not deadly yet.

 

[Durango Is Law]

As it has been previously stated, the debuff was part of the game before news of the epidemic. This wasn't blizzard's attempt at pop culture, just a coincidence.

This is Reythur's response to the matter in WoW's customer service forums.

"I would like to apologize for any distress that this has caused you. I can assure you that this was not placed in the game to reference, or mock anything that may have happened. This spell has been in the game for quite sometime now; well before the current situation presented itself.

I realize that this would seem to be creating a mockery of the situation, but again, I assure you that was not the intention.

Should you wish to see a change to the creature spell, please feel free to post on our Suggestions forum regarding the matter.

You have my sincerest condolences for your loss."

http://forums.worldofwarcraft.com/thread.html?topicId=16888488772&sid=1&pageNo=1

This debuff will most likely be renamed in 3.1.2 IMO.

 

[Samah]

Too bad there isn't a Madagascar in WoW.

Like GM Island?
Or maybe the Alliance base in Alterac Valley... stupid bridge.

 

[Jman1236]

Man what were the odds of this happening.

 

[supermaster1337]

Also it's important to note that it caused several otherwise healthy adults to die in Mexico, when The Flu typically only kills the very young, very old, or the very sick.

Given the reaction of our "Friends" in China with SARS (under-reporting, denial of "responsibility" it seemed for a while) I can also see how WHO jumped the gun a bit, and why the Media was so "enthusiastic" other than the attention they generated.

My major concern is that with all the jokes and such about it people won't take it seriously if something even worse comes along.

I'm also a bit concerned that this virus was engineered given some descriptions of it. I could see either China or someone in The Middle East (perhaps comissioning the development from others) using it to test response systems in North America. Our weak border with Mexico being one of the easiest ways into the US, and infecting Mexico being one way to "hopefully" spread an infection into the US given their lesser security.

This is also presumably how someone would be most likely to get a suitcase nuke into the US. Get through weaker Mexican security, have someone who can pass as Mexican at least for the US (Arab with the right colored skin, or a mexican recruited intelligence agent) enter through worker/illegal immigrant channels and then set off the bomb in a major city.

One of the reasons why the border crackdowns aren't as crazy as some liberals would have you believe.

Another discussion though I guess.

The WoW comments are cute, but I think people aren't taking this one seriously enough. Because of the threat itself, not nessicarly because of the Swine Flu (which itself might become a bigger problem if the virus mutates, or if this was the first stage in a biological attack).

1, swine flu not a big deal
2. you just gave terrorist ideas to get into the country lol
3. sure there are conspiracys but none of them are even logical.

 

[URfan]

lol thats funny


OO
O
O

 

[Aquashy]

If it is a coincidence, it's the most tragically hilarious coincidence ever.

Not because a bunch of people died from it, but because Blizzard just inadvertently pissed off many people directly affected by the disease.

 

[URfan]

im on probation?!?! but still i mean tis kinda kool world of warcraft got swine flu first