World of Warcraft: A Religion?

[MarsProbe]

Nah, this is just nonsense. As has been said, there is no element of belief or faith in World of Warcraft. Community, ethics, culture and emotion now - while these are things you would expect to find within religion, the same could easily be said within any other sufficiently civilised social grouping. That alone doesn't form a religion.

Also, have to comment on this:

Though a virtual space like WoW is ultimately not real, Zijderveld would say that that very fact makes it even more like a religion. Religion is based in illusions and fictions, but the important part is that even though people may know it's not real, they experience it that way.

Afraid I just can't buy that. For those who follow a particular faith, then it is highly improbable that they view their beliefs as "illusion and fiction". One of the main facets of religion after all is believing something to be true, regardless of whether there is little or no actual proof of it. If I was looking for illusion and fiction, I suppose I could go read a work of fiction (surprisingly enough).

Have certainly never had anything close to a religious experience while playing WoW anyway...

 

[Deleric]

I don't know how anyone could forget that its not real... Yes, it was a lore created by Blizzard to be as realistic and immersive as possible, but you still have to remember it's not real. Like other people has said, there's no faith in it.

 

[Jursa]

All hail Lord Arthas!

 

[Archereus]

I don?t know, you could consider wow as some thing like a sect, or a cult or some thing along the lines of that sort of thing. But a full out religion...I would highly doubt that could be true. Another key aspect of religion is organization. Every thing of the religions are organized and set a specific way for a reason, that?s why there is church and get together and such. In WOW there is really no rule of, don?t play WoW for how ever length of time and your considered a heretic...I don?t believe in this at all

 

[mooncalf]

Hehe, funny parallels... Today I treat such a statement as a sociological novelty. However tomorrow, or six years down the track, who knows what MMO will have eventuated and what connection people will feel with it. I don't think this kind of metareligion is a new phenomenon, but it will be a grand adventure to see it's many facets explored in discussion and debate.

 

[mattttherman3]

Damn, this is deep, I don't worship video games, but religion gets mixed up in them for sure, that Halo wedding for one. Definately agree with the fiction and illusion part of the article.

 

[WolfMage]

I think WoW lacks a key thing that all religions should have...

Belief and Faith, I don't really see how belief and faith can enter into World of Warcraft.

In all honesty though I wonder if anyone can prove me wrong on that...Is there belief and faith in Warcraft?

It's the faith that WoW is the one true MMORPG to rule them all.
And also like a religion, it's followers argue vehemently about their belief that it's better than all others.
World of Warcraft, the new Christianity!
No, no, no...
...Sorry.

 

[GothmogII]

I'm sorry, I could only get half-way through the article before my eyes rolled so fast that they created a vortex that crushed my head. I'm typing this from the parallel universe I've been re-incarnated in where this kind of idiocy doesn't exist.

On a more serious note...I still think the idea is stupid, not that technology can't influence people in this kind of way, but that the people it does affect are generally several sticks shy of a campfire. Yes...you don't Ninja loot, you don't steal someone else's node. To do so is just being a rude arse. Simple politeness and the sense of 'getting along' is all that is guiding these things.


Also, is it me, or does this all smack of making crap? up?

 

[sheomad]

Interesting stuff if man creates something that is enjoyable in every way,will be mans own destruction.

 

[MontyGommo]

I believe in the RNG, and have faith that through determination and perseverance, the RNG will honour me with some phat loots

All hail RNG, the mightiest of gods!

 

[Valiance]

I think WoW lacks a key thing that all religions should have...

Belief and Faith, I don't really see how belief and faith can enter into World of Warcraft.

In all honesty though I wonder if anyone can prove me wrong on that...Is there belief and faith in Warcraft?

I would say yes, having played it to the point where once you learn how terribly flawed the game mechanics are, and how a random number generator determines combat more than your actual skill, you start doing these leap of faith jumps like

"Man, I can take this out. The stars just need to align and this, that, and this need to hit and get a critical strike. Also, if my (generic passive ability that gives me a 5% chance to swing again) hits, then I have another great shot at this!"

I believe in the RNG, and have faith that through determination and perseverance, the RNG will honour me with some phat loots

All hail RNG, the mightiest of gods!

Never mind, beat me to it.

...

I suppose there's some "belief" in whether or not you find the arena system balanced (DEAR GOD NOT WARRIOR/DRUID AGAIN PLEASE), whether you believe in your faction's ability to dominate the other, how you handle yourself when things go bad...

Etc, etc. A lot of it relies on the player himself though instead of his character.

 

[thenumberthirteen]

Of course it's a religion it's like Scientology.

Everyone's obsessed with levelling up, extremely defensive to critics, ruins lives, breaks up families, there is no way to reach the end, they use celebrities to endorse it, it's based on a half baked fantasy story, and they rake in money hand over fist.

 

[Scorched_Cascade]

Of course it's a religion it's like Scientology.

Everyone's obsessed with levelling up, extremely defensive to critics, ruins lives, breaks up families, there is no way to reach the end, they use celebrities to endorse it, it's based on a half baked fantasy story, and they rake in money hand over fist.

Gold star!

Also the RNG is the one true lord; convert or die!

 

[Genta8]

WoW is simply an addiction, not a religion. Next they'll be calling beer a religion...

 

[Phantom2595]

...Doesn't that make the Escapist a religion as well?

Now that would be ironic given all the atheists.

Actually, I believe atheism counts as a religion.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

...Doesn't that make the Escapist a religion as well?

Now that would be ironic given all the atheists.

Actually, I believe atheism counts as a religion.

Oooh, and there goes that can of worms. Duck and cover.

 

[Ultrarandom]

WoW is simply an addiction, not a religion. Next they'll be calling beer a religion...

I myself am an Alcoholist and will not stand for this kind of insult.

On topic: No it should not be a religion, this guy is probably obsessed with the game and wants it to be real.

 

[Zer_]

The only difference between Religion and WoW is the World of WarCraft players know that WoW is fictional.

 

[Neosage]

I think WoW lacks a key thing that all religions should have...

Belief and Faith, I don't really see how belief and faith can enter into World of Warcraft.

In all honesty though I wonder if anyone can prove me wrong on that...Is there belief and faith in Warcraft?

Faith that you get good loot? Belief that you chose the right class?

 

[Anton P. Nym]

I kid thee not, but last month I heard about a course in the University of Montreal on the religious nature of Canadiens hockey fandom [http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/25/sports/hockey/25canadiens.html?ref=sports]. So this is getting wide-spread in academic circles.

Hmm. Maybe they're right, and we're replacing old rituals/dogma with newer ones. Then again, fifteen hundred years ago Constantinople's religious and political communities identified themselves according to the colours of the charioteers they backed [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippodrome_of_Constantinople]... this might not be so new.

-- Steve