Bonnie Nardi’s new book My Life as Night Elf Priest about World of Warcraft is out by University of Michigan Press. You can look at the summary of her book and also download several of the chapters for free. The book gives a very detailed and positive account of what it means to be immersed in this game environment. The Night Elf is a character who heals people after they have died in battle. The book deconstructs persistent media stereotypes about game addiction and refers to play theory and aesthetics to explain the draw of WoW. I wish their would be more experiential books with images and an honest writer’s voice–it provides a breath of fresh air for soul-less academic writing.
WoW Druid Form, a character that shape-shifts
into different animals.