Over five million people from around the globe currently play World of Warcraft, making it a common target of study. Yet, while most articles have focused on its ludological features, few have bothered to take a closer look at the unique linguistics present within the community of the game. Within World of Warcraft, a new, dynamic “language of power” is being formed: alienating outsiders, while allowing those within the gameworld to more efficiently perform in the game. World of Warcraft forces players to interact with each other, making communication a vital part of the game. If players do not communicate, they cannot make
their characters more powerful – the equivalent of “winning” World of Warcraft. This focus on communication in a hypercompetitive space has evolved a special, unique language within the gameworld: one that consists of a combination of novel deictic symbols, “standard” English, and jargon.
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