Over the past decade, I can't think of another video game that has been as widespread as World of Warcraft. The community it has established over the past few years is unprecedented. With a fan base this large, we should know everything about them, right? Wrong. Here are five things you didn't really know about World of Warcraft.
1. PHYSICAL COPIES OF WORLD OF WARCRAFT THAT HAVE BEEN SOLD
In 2014, 14 million physical copies of World of Warcraft were sold. That number is probably even higher now, and that doesn't take into account digital downloads. If you do the math, given that the game was launched in 2004, it's selling an average of over a million copies a year.
2. WORLD OF WARCRAFT LINES OF CODE
Blizzard's team revealed the number of lines of code it took to create their number one hit. It took them a whopping 5.5 million lines of code. As someone who has done a lot of computer programming, I can tell you that 5.5 million lines of code would melt your brain.
3. THE SQUARE MILES OF AZEROTH
Players who have played World of Warcraft have spent countless hours traversing the kingdoms of Azeroth. But just how big is the territory you're traversing? The answer, in approximate actual size, is 80 square miles.
4. THE WIKI PAGES
A few years ago, World of Warcraft had over 99,800 wiki pages. This made it the largest game wiki page on the Internet, and it gives you an idea of the size of their community.
5. WORLD OF WARCRAFT CAN IMPROVE MENTAL AGILITY
North Carolina State University conducted a study that showed that playing this game improved cognitive function in older adults. The age range was between 60 and 77, and I guess now is the time for seniors to play this game!