Oh I'm sure there's more than just four :p

But yeah I play and have since the beta - the game design forum I visit tends to attract alot of developers looking for people to look at game play and mechanics - so I've gotten to experience WoW, WoW:BC, LOTRO, GW, CoH, and CoV all in beta phases (hoping for Warhammer, Conan, or Fallen Earth next) but WoW is the only one I've stuck with as something to actual play with as a hobby.

Second Law: Virtual Disputes in the Real World
 

While I know very little about actually playing the games, I wrote my legal seminar paper on Virtual Reality Games & Real World Disputes. So much crazy stuff happens in these games. I focused mine on Second Life because I know most about it, but it's insane. Of course, I assume most people who play the game know about the guy in WoW who murdered his "friend" who stole his virtual sword. A CEO of a virtual bank (in everquest, i think) cashed out with something like a $100,00 dollars of other people's money. It's insane the things going on in these games....but so intriguing.

A surprising amount of conflict, and just plain crazy, from these 'virtual enviroments' does spill over into the 'real world' -both are real since you are interacting with them, just through a different medium, which I think alot of people tend to forget. They assume different social attitudes within the game/simulation enviroment that'll allow them to act out in ways they would never consider in actual person to person interactions mainly due to the aninimity granted through the creation of 'virtual personas'... only thing is though some people take it to extremes, or become so invested emotionally in the virtual world they make extremely poor choices when it comes to the real world.

A case in point is this:
http://www.qj.net/WoW-player-harrass...g/49/aid/91058

Guy was an a**hole in game to a woman - woman's husband gets mad and tells guy off in game - a**hole makes mistake of telling husband off and stupidly giving out his physical address - a**hole ends up getting badly beaten up by irrate husband and buddies...

As a lot of people have pointed out, a PvP server means you're gonna get camped. It's the point. It's also why I refuse to play on a PvP server. Call me a baby but I love being able to level without fear of gankage.

Make-A-Wish makes WoW dream a reality
 

I thought this was pretty cool. Glad to know that WoW's not just for weird people who prostitute themselves online.

10 year old becomes the first outsider to create a new character in World of Warcraft

That to me is awesome. Of course, I'm the one that trys to work Luddite into conversations and accuse my friends that don't want to play PhotoHunt at the bar of being agoraphobic Luddites.

Kitso
KS 361,000 points I've racked up on Nude-O, Find-O at various bars in South Dakota

Oh dear...this thread totally reminds me of my friend's freshman roommate who used to play WoW all day buck naked in the dorms.

No classes. No friends. Just WoW. Dude finally joined the army for some real-life WoW kind of action, but dang. If Mount Chick mounted anyone, it would've totally been that guy, haha.

So wrong on so many levels... but pretty much confirms my fears and mental image of some of the freaks you bump into playing MMOs.

Poopsock.