World of Warcraft: Difference between revisions

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| Official Website = https://worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com/

| Logo =World of Warcraft 2002.webp

}}'''~~[[wikipedia:World_of_Warcraft~~|World of Warcraft]] (WoW)''' is a massively multiplayer online game maintained by [[Activision Blizzard]]. Despite the product's critical acclaim since the 2000s, the treatment of the product has had a historically negative trend, facing anti-consumer affairs at the request of its publisher.

}}

'''{{Wplink|World of Warcraft}}''' (colloquially referred to as '''WoW''') is a massively multiplayer online game maintained by [[Activision Blizzard]]. Despite the product's critical acclaim since the 2000s, the treatment of the product has had a historically negative trend, facing anti-consumer affairs at the request of its publisher.

==Consumer impact summary==

*'''Forced arbitration:''' Blizzard's [[EULA|End User License Agreement]] contains clauses that [[forced arbitration|mandate arbitration]] and waives the user's right to [[class action]].<ref>{{Cite web |author= |title=Blizzard End User License Agreement |url=https://www.blizzard.com/en-us/legal/fba4d00f-c7e4-4883-b8b9-1b4500a402ea/blizzard-end-user-license-agreement |website=Blizzard Entertainment |date=1 Jun 2018 |access-date=17 Oct 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180919091644/https://www.blizzard.com/en-us/legal/fba4d00f-c7e4-4883-b8b9-1b4500a402ea/blizzard-end-user-license-agreement  |archive-date=19 Sep 2018}}</ref>

*'''Ownership:''' Per the EULA, it is stated that the end user is only sold a ''license'' and does not own their copy of the video game.

==Incidents==

This is a list of all consumer protection incidents related to this product. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{PAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].

===Warden anti-cheat (2005)===

In 2005, it came to light that Blizzard Entertainment was utilizing an in-house anti-cheat program when the video game company filed an infringement lawsuit against MDY Industries, LLC, who sold a {{Wplink|Video game bot|botting program}} called {{Wplink|Glider (bot)|Glider}}. The legal filings were the first time that Blizzard acknowledged both the anti-cheat's existence and its official name (Warden). The {{Wplink|Electronic Frontier Foundation}} (EFF) denounced Warden as [[spyware]] due to the lack of transparency and concerns over the privacy and retention of collected data.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ward |first=Mark |title=Warcraft game maker in spying row |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4385050.stm |website=BBC News |date=31 Oct 2005 |access-date=17 Oct 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051103043944/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4385050.stm |archive-date=3 Nov 2005}}</ref>

Further reading: [https://warcraft.wiki.gg/wiki/Warden_(software) Warcraft Wiki: Warden (software)], ''{{Wplink|MDY_Industries,_LLC_v._Blizzard_Entertainment,_Inc.}}''

===Real ID (July 2010)===

@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 | Official Website = https://worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com/
 | Logo =World of Warcraft 2002.webp
-}}'''[[wikipedia:World_of_Warcraft|World of Warcraft]] (WoW)''' is a massively multiplayer online game maintained by [[Activision Blizzard]]. Despite the product's critical acclaim since the 2000s, the treatment of the product has had a historically negative trend, facing anti-consumer affairs at the request of its publisher.
+}}
+'''{{Wplink|World of Warcraft}}''' (colloquially referred to as '''WoW''') is a massively multiplayer online game maintained by [[Activision Blizzard]]. Despite the product's critical acclaim since the 2000s, the treatment of the product has had a historically negative trend, facing anti-consumer affairs at the request of its publisher.
+==Consumer impact summary==
+*'''Forced arbitration:''' Blizzard's [[EULA|End User License Agreement]] contains clauses that [[forced arbitration|mandate arbitration]] and waives the user's right to [[class action]].<ref>{{Cite web |author= |title=Blizzard End User License Agreement |url=https://www.blizzard.com/en-us/legal/fba4d00f-c7e4-4883-b8b9-1b4500a402ea/blizzard-end-user-license-agreement |website=Blizzard Entertainment |date=1 Jun 2018 |access-date=17 Oct 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180919091644/https://www.blizzard.com/en-us/legal/fba4d00f-c7e4-4883-b8b9-1b4500a402ea/blizzard-end-user-license-agreement <!-- Oldest archived version. --> |archive-date=19 Sep 2018}}</ref>
+*'''Ownership:''' Per the EULA, it is stated that the end user is only sold a ''license'' and does not own their copy of the video game.
 ==Incidents==
 This is a list of all consumer protection incidents related to this product. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{PAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].
+===Warden anti-cheat (2005)===
+In 2005, it came to light that Blizzard Entertainment was utilizing an in-house anti-cheat program when the video game company filed an infringement lawsuit against MDY Industries, LLC, who sold a {{Wplink|Video game bot|botting program}} called {{Wplink|Glider (bot)|Glider}}. The legal filings were the first time that Blizzard acknowledged both the anti-cheat's existence and its official name (Warden). The {{Wplink|Electronic Frontier Foundation}} (EFF) denounced Warden as [[spyware]] due to the lack of transparency and concerns over the privacy and retention of collected data.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ward |first=Mark |title=Warcraft game maker in spying row |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4385050.stm |website=BBC News |date=31 Oct 2005 |access-date=17 Oct 2025 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051103043944/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4385050.stm |archive-date=3 Nov 2005}}</ref>
+Further reading: [https://warcraft.wiki.gg/wiki/Warden_(software) Warcraft Wiki: Warden (software)], ''{{Wplink|MDY_Industries,_LLC_v._Blizzard_Entertainment,_Inc.}}''
 ===Real ID (July 2010)===