World of Warcraft Merchandise
Towards the end of the 1990s and the beginning of the 2000s, a genre emerged among the various types of computer and video games that has become practically indispensable today. We are, of course, talking about so-called MMORPGs ("Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games"). Numerous players from all over the world log into the respective online role-playing game via the internet and create their character within a fantasy universe, using a classic pen-&-paper style. They then head out into virtual worlds alongside many other companions to experience thrilling adventures.
At the beginning of 2005, a game was finally released that would not only change the MMORPG genre but revolutionize it for times to come. An online RPG by the name of "World of Warcraft". The plot takes place in the Warcraft universe, and the story continues the events from its predecessor, "Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne." However, that predecessor is not an online role-playing game, but rather the third installment in a series of real-time strategy games. Broadly speaking, World of Warcraft does not differ significantly from other representatives of the genre—at least regarding the basic game mechanics. At the start, the player creates a character, initially choosing between two factions. In the early days of the game, there were four playable races available per faction. After choosing a faction and race, a class must then be selected. Finally, the player chooses the character's appearance (based on personal preference), and the adventure in the game world of "Azeroth" can begin.
As previously explained, WoW does not look vastly different from other MMORPGs at first glance. The processes and game principles are generally the same, yet there are several reasons why World of Warcraft specifically took off in the online role-playing world like no other game of its kind before it.
Before the release of WoW, there had not been too many representatives of the genre. Games like "Ultima Online," "Lineage," or "Everquest" were the names associated with MMOs in earlier times. Back then, however, this type of game usually served a much smaller target audience than would be the case today. Online role-playing games were mostly popular only among hardcore role-players—those whose focus in computer games already lay on RPGs and the like. Furthermore, these games were not designed to be particularly beginner-friendly. There were hardly any tutorials, and help in the form of articles or videos from the internet was virtually non-existent back then. In MMORPGs, one never had the feeling of being properly guided as a newcomer. The gameplay itself was also largely characterized by extensive "grinding"—that is, mindlessly killing one enemy after another over a long period of time.
But in February 2005, World of Warcraft was released: an online role-playing game that not only introduced newcomers to the MMORPG genre for the first time but also set new standards on numerous other levels. While the game does not function entirely without grinding, the component of it is significantly lower compared to previously released online RPGs. Additionally, World of Warcraft does a great job of taking every newcomer by the hand with the game's first quests. They explain the procedures of the tasks to be completed (quests) to the player and show everyone how the character evolves during the course of the game in a very accessible way. Aside from that, the comparatively well-known "Warcraft" brand also contributed significantly to the fact that WoW was able to stand out from other genre representatives at the time.
As is usual in this genre, every player can create their very own character during character creation, with whom they wish to travel through the world of Azeroth. Upon the release of World of Warcraft, there were a total of nine classes and eight races (divided into two factions) to choose from.
One faction is the so-called "Alliance." This is an alliance consisting of Humans, Dwarves, Gnomes, and Night Elves.
The other faction is referred to as the "Horde." Another alliance between different peoples such as Orcs, Trolls, Tauren, and Undead.
In general, the Alliance is often called the "good" faction, although it is not actually possible to distinguish between "good" and "evil" in a blanket manner for the respective factions. As soon as the player chooses a character from the Alliance faction, all other players or characters of that faction are friendly, or at least not hostile, toward the player. The same, of course, applies to the other faction.
After choosing a race, the player can choose from a handful of playable classes. These differ in some cases significantly from one another by the way they are played. With a Warrior or a Rogue, for example, it is hardly possible to conduct battles from a distance. In contrast, there are classes such as Mages or Warlocks, for whom anything other than ranged combat does not make much sense. In World of Warcraft, there were a total of the following nine classes to choose from at the game's release: Warrior, Rogue, Mage, Warlock, Priest, Paladin (only playable on the Alliance side), Shaman (only playable on the Horde side), Druid (only playable as a Night Elf or Tauren), or Hunter.
However, not every one of these classes can be played with every race. For example, the Rogue class is not playable as a Tauren. Similarly, the Mage class is not available for Night Elves.
If you want to show your loyalty to your faction in real life as well, a cap with a proud "Alliance" symbol might be just the thing for you. Or a T-shirt on which the well-known motto "For the Horde!" is clearly visible, so that everyone in the real world can see which faction your heart beats for. You can find these and other interesting fan items related to World of Warcraft in our extensive online shop.
Are you an enthusiastic World of Warcraft player and can't get enough of Azeroth? Then take a look at our online shop. Here you will find not only all kinds of merch and fan items for the popular role-playing game, but also a large amount of other things that make a WoW fan's heart beat faster.
In the Yvolve shop—a true paradise for all kinds of gamers, nerds, and geeks—you will find a large selection of fan items for WoW as well as for many other games. Merchandise for movies, series, and manga is also waiting to be discovered in our shop. Our merch selection consists largely of T-shirts, caps, mugs, posters, figures, notebooks, lamps, bags, various types of clothing, decor, accessories, gifts, as well as other gaming accessories.
