WoW Case Study 1

Analysis Paper and Case Study for 3 Games

Gary Sullivan

Towson University
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Game Summaries

World of Warcraft (2004) - Blizzard Entertainment

World of Warcraft is the sequel to the popular RTS game Warcraft 3 (2002). It is the 4th

entry in the Warcraft franchise, and abandoned the series roots as a real time strategy game in

order to become the most popular massively multiplayer online (MMO) game ever created.

World of Warcraft is over 15 years old and is still being enjoyed by millions of people around

the world today. Set in the fictional realm of “Azeroth” WoW is primarily an RPG where players

choose a class, and adventure throughout the world completing quests, defeating dungeons, and

fighting other players.

The graphics have been updated over time, but compared to many modern games it looks

somewhat dated. They have utilized a more cartoony style to mitigate this however. There are

somewhat high amount of social interaction between players, joining groups and guilds to

progress their goals in game. Many people utilize out of game communication resources like

Discord to chat with their party and guild members. There is an expansive tutorial system that

introduces new players slowly to the world, and the story is often lauded as one of the more

interesting ones in fantasy series. There are a variety of challenges in the game that require

player skill, with some dungeons and raids having several difficulty levels to choose from.

Overall, this game for me scores a 25/30.

DOTA 2 (2013) - Valve Software

DOTA 2 is another sequel game, actually somewhat closely related to the previous. The

original DOTA was a mod created by a player in the Warcraft 3 custom game editor. Valve hired

the man working on the mod and developed the sequel on their own engine to create one of the
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most popular franchises in a new genre of games. Dota is an incredibly complicated game that

involves 2 teams of 5 fighting to destroy the base of the enemy team. You fight monsters, other

players, and work with teammates to do so it requires a large amount of teamwork and

cooperation to succeed before the enemy team does. There are 110 heroes to choose to play as,

so no game is ever the same since every player picks a different hero.

Dota is graphically impressive, with many visuals for spells and attacks being somewhat

flashy and impressive, there is no loss in performance. Social interaction is a core part of DOTA,

as you absolutely have to work together with your team in order to win. Many complaints online

about people’s woes with the game stem from poor communication and teamwork with others in

matches. There is both voice and text chat available, as well as a communication wheel for quick

chat options. The tutorial system is expanding, but at this time it’s not great. DOTA is likely not

only the most mechanically complex game you’ll ever play, but also the one with the most

information to remember. Each hero in DOTA has 4-5 abilities, with multiple levels and talents

that change how they function. So remembering what each hero you might be playing against

does is already a huge task. Throw into that the 100+ items, interactions between multiple

heroes, and learning how the map works makes for an extremely frustrating new player

experience, which honestly leads to pretty poor player retention. There are some skill based

player options, including playing entirely against AI Bots, playing from a limited pool of “new

player” friendly heroes, etc. Overall I score DOTA 2 at a 23/30.

Scythe (2016) - Stonemaier Games

Scythe is a traditional board game, one that I played and recently purchased a copy of for

myself to play. Scythe is a economic based fight for resources game, set in an alternate history
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1920’s Europe. Players goal is to conquer and hold territory, recruit soldiers and workers, harvest

and spend resources, and create giant mechs! Scythe is for 2-5 players, and takes around 2 hours

to play. Each player starts in a different location as one of 5 Eastern European themed factions,

and must use the resources at their disposal to achieve their stated goals. Each player has

differing costs to develop machinery, to create buildings, and at which they harvest certain

resources. Playing to your factions strengths is the way to victory in Scythe! There is combat,

decision making, and strategy aplenty in this newly released game.

Graphically (using graphics as a loose term for the games visuals) I have to give Scythe

full marks. It is a bleak Eastern Europe themed dystopia and it hits home on all the important

marks visually. I love playing as the Russian themed faction and having my player character be

riding a bear. Social interaction is key component of any board game, and Scythe is no

exception. Making deals, alliances, and betraying those alliances are all things I have seen

happen in games of Scythe. I can’t tell you how many times I have seen players close to victory,

only for someone to steal their oil or other critical resource right as they were about to build the

structure they needed to win. Tutorial and learning wise, it depends. We had a really tough time

the first game or two figuring out all the mechanics because the paper instructions are SO

detailed, like 80 pages to read before you even start. I recently played the digital adaptation of

Scythe and that did a much better job streamlining the game mechanics into a new player

friendly way. Finally, as far as skill is concerned there’s definitely a skill based component of

Scythe. Players are often forced into making decisions about what resources to produce, how

much strength to dedicate to a combat encounter, and what to prioritize as you can only move a

certain amount each turn. Overall, Scythe gets a 21/30 for me.
WoW Case Study 5

World of Warcraft Case Study

Games as a method for delivering educational content has been a topic with a surprising

amount of studies done about it in recent years. Many researchers have suggested that online

games can also have significant benefits attached to them as well. Brown and Bell state that

many games include a “complex social organization and strong social bonds between players.”

(Brown, 2004). A large percentage of games created in modern times are designed around the

idea of making players consistently want to log in and play their game, many times not offering a

final “Completed” screen or end boss, but rather a continuing loop of adding new content to keep

players engaged and coming back for more. No game is a better example of this in my mind then

the illustrious World of Warcraft. Released in 2004, this cycle has been at work ever since the

games first expansion in 2007, and has no end in sight. How can designers create a game that has

millions of dedicated fans that persist over 15 years, but educational games are so boring you

can’t name one that’s come out in that same time span? This case study sets out to assess what

makes World of Warcraft such a game, and the implications that information can have in the

field of educational games in the future.

Method

Participants

The total sample consisted of 8 individuals, all male and aged 22-40. Participants

volunteered to complete the survey and were not compensated for their time.

Procedure
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Participants were selected for prior and current experience with “World of Warcraft”. All

participants acknowledge at least 4 years of gameplay at minimum, with many much higher.

Participants were provided with the rubric found at the end of this paper, and a series of short

answer questions. The rubric included a variety of categories to assess the games strengths and

weaknesses, including visuals, complexity, communication/teamwork, and replayability. The

short answer questions served to gather information on the feasibility of the game as a method

for learning.

Dependent Measures. The categories assessed by the rubric served as the dependent

measures for this case study. The first category measured was the impression of player’s view on

the game’s graphics and visuals. Deckhard and Chang (2013) suggest that high fidelity graphics

and visual effects are some of the most important features when it comes to engaging teen

learners. Several people who participated in the survey cite graphics as one of the potential

reasons they would not recommend someone to start playing World of Warcraft. The next

category assessed is complexity, or how well the participants believed the game did at rewarding

players for making smart decisions, and differentiating levels of skill. Nardi and Harris (2006)

argue this very concept for World of Warcraft, suggesting WoW is an interesting and engaging

model for learning complex skills. This is a concept very at home in education, as making

lessons complex enough to foment learning, while at the same time being engaging enough to get

the learners to want to participate is the struggle of every high school teacher. Next, participants

are asked to rate replayability, or their willingness to engage in playing the game repeatedly over

multiple sessions and remain engaged with it. Griesbach (2011) contends that replayability is a

key factors that game players and consumers consider when deciding whether to dedicate time to

learning a new game. Next, participants are asked to rate interaction and communication as a
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function of the game and its community. Nardi and Harris (2006) again use World of Warcraft as

an example of how gamers form online friendships, and how users of all ages interact while in

the game world with each other. This is perhaps one of the greatest examples of social gameplay

available online today. I have made a variety of personal relationships with people online met

through this exact game so this point is especially poignant. The following category is

story/tutorial, and asks participants how well the game’s narrative and tutorial system goes

towards helping players learn game mechanics and provide transparency into game systems. This

category provides information on how well players succeed given certain baseline tools. This has

implications within the education sphere as well, given the need for tutorial-ization of most tools

for new learners. There are a variety of ways to utilize a similar system for English Language

Leaners and other groups. Finally, the last category was whether the game has a skill based or

learning focus. Participants are asked to consider whether the game has appropriate level

challenges, that encourage critical thinking, teamwork, etc. Frasca (2001) argues that using

human avatars in games can enhance critical thinking, leading to improvements in social conflict

while still remaining fun. I think World of Warcraft and it’s narrative is a great example of this

exact idea through the struggles of the named characters and their story followed throughout the

game.

Results

The results of the survey indicate that the highest rated category by players is skill

based/learning focus with an average of 4.8. Other categories included Complexity at 4, Graphics

at 2.8, Replayability at 3.6, Interactions/Communication at 4.2, and Story/Tutorial at 2.2.

Aggregated scoring between results puts the overall score of the game at 21.6/30. The short

answer questions at the end of the survey indicate that ALL the players have some complaints
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they would like to see addressed, but the vast majority have spent literal years playing and intend

to continue to do so into the future. The majority agreed there is both important skills to be

learned from playing, as well as opportunities for future learning present within the game.

Discussion

The results to me are not surprising. They suggest that World of Warcraft is dated

graphically but provides so much raw content that people are constantly willing to engage with

the game on an almost daily basis. The constant evolving gameplay that builds on itself each

time there is an iteration in the games story keeps the majority of the participants ready and

willing to continue paying to play the game. The replayability and skill differentiation are what

makes the game this way from the majority of responses received. Participants reported they

enjoyed being recognized as players with above average/high level skills due to in game gear and

achievement titles. Players consistently reported that they feel the game has a skill based/learning

focus. Several participants mention the use of a “time trial” based in game mode as evidence of

such. In follow up questions, participants frequently make reference to real life applicable and

interpersonal skills they feel they have developed as a result of playing. Some players indicated

they would like to see additional options for customization available to make their characters

more representative of real life, while others felt the exact opposite.

Based on the participant responses, it is my opinion that World of Warcraft and games

like it provide a platform for communication and learning, and if this kind of environment could

be imported into an educational setting, students would report increased engagement, willingness

to keep playing, and development of crucial skills.

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Rubric Assessment for World of Warcraft

Please complete the following survey to the best of your knowledge. Choose any option 1-5 by
making a marking or placing an X in the column you feel accurately represents the game chosen. At the
bottom, please answer the follow up questions to the best of your knowledge.

Criteria Poor Be Average Ab Very

(1) low Avg. (3) ove Avg. Good (5)
(2) (4)
Graphics – The The The
game looks game looks graphics look
Graphical poor. It average. It fits very good. They
fidelity, creative appears dated with the game, are modern and
style, appeal / or old. The but it may be done well. They
aesthetics graphics do not out of date. fit the game,
fit the They don’t and serve to
gameplay. They detract from my enhance my
make me enjoy enjoyment. enjoyment
the game less. while playing.
Complexity The The The
game is not game is average game is very
The game complex. The in complexity. complex.
is complex, it solutions to Some problems Systems are
rewards players for problems are have complex designed to
making smart simple and solutions, but reward
decisions and require little some do not. invested,
thinking. There are thought. There You may be able creative
multiple levels of are not to differentiate thinking when
skill involved. multiple skill skilled players, solving
levels. but not always. problems.
Differentiating There are a
players is not multitude of
possible. skills levels on
display.
Replayabili The The The
ty game is not game is game is
replayable, or replayable in replayable in all
The game is exactly the some aspects, aspects. It has
has a wealth of same each time but not all. been designed
content, and it is replayed. I Playing it in a way to
provides many have little multiple times keep me
different interest in provides new playing by
opportunities to returning to experiences offering infinite
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try new things. play this game sometimes. I am replayability.

Keeps me multiple times. somewhat There are
interested in interested in always new
returning. playing again. things to do
and most
experiences are
new.
Interaction There There is There is
/ Communication is little to no some a lot of
The game communication communication communication
involves with others in between players in this game.
communicating this game. It in this game. Players
with others to involves no You may frequently work
achieve goals. cooperation to occasionally together to
Working together solves puzzles work together solve problems
cooperatively is or problems, to overcome and it is
encouraged. and goals are obstacles, but it designed with
single player is not the this in mind.
oriented. overall focus for
the game.
Story / The The The
Tutorial game does not game teaches game fully
The game teach you you most explains each
has an overarching anything, and mechanics, but and every
narrative, and expects you to leaves some mechanic, and
teaches you how figure out most unexplained. incorporates
to achieve success. mechanics on There is some tips, tooltips,
your own. It is narrative to the and in game
confusing and game, but it is help with
not easy to only mildly anything I need.
achieve interesting and I The narrative is
success. There do not engage interesting and
is little with it more keeps me
narrative to than I need to. engaged with
engage me. the mechanics.
Skill based The There is Skill is a
/ Learning focus game is a level of skill requirement to
completely needed to beat beat the
There are random, with some toughest
challenges that no focus on challenges. challenges of
encourage critical player skill. Any Critical thinking the game.
thinking, strategy, challenge provides a Cooperation,
cooperation, or found can be satisfying level team work, and
team play beaten with of progress critical thinking
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enough time when are mandatory

spent, attempting new in order to
regardless of things. overcome.
player skill or Cooperation is
team work. encouraged but
not required.

Additional Questions:

1. Are there any problems with the game that you would want resolved from the game’s
creator? If so, explain.

2. How long have you been playing this game? Do you feel like your experience is average?

3. Would you recommend this game to others? Why?

4. Do you feel that you are learning anything while playing this game? If so, what?

5. Do you feel like this game could be used as an example of how learning through games can be
possible?
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References

Brown, B. and Bell, M. CSCW at play: 'There' as a collaborative virtual environment.

Proceedings CSCW 2004, ACM Press, New York, 350--359.

Deater-Deckard, Kirby & Chang, Mido & Evans, Michael. (2013). Engagement States

and Learning from Educational Games. New directions for child and adolescent development.

2013.

Frasca, G. (2001) Rethinking agency and immersion: video games as a means of

consciousness-raising, Digital Creativity, 12:3, 167-174

Griesbach, D.J., Leith, J.D., Shaffer, T., & Frattesi, T.R. (2011). Replayability of Video

Games.