Gamers

In September 2005, 4 million players were infected with a virus in the online realm of “World of Warcraft.” Quarantine areas were circumvented by infected players, cities became uninhabitable and were abandoned, and players avoided large groups. The game never recovered. Blizzard, the game’s creator, had to reset the game to eliminate the outbreak.

Since then, this scenario has been studied by various groups including the CDC (Center of Disease Control), to determine how a real epidemic would spread. I was inspired to post this article, because almost two years later, I heard a BBC report on it. An August 22, 2007 yahoo news search for ‘Warcraft virus’, returned 30 articles for the month of August 2007. One of my favorite headlines from that search was ‘Nerd Plague to Save the World.’

So, the next time you are being nagged by your spouse or significant other to stop playing your games, remind them the important role you are ‘playing’ in saving their lives and the lives of the human race.