24/11/2009

International online gaming sensation World of Warcraft has reached its fifth birthday.

The MMORPG, made by Blizzard, has risen to huge prominence worldwide, amassing millions of users.

Mike Morhaime, the president and co-founder of Blizzard, said that it is pleased with the news, adding that it 'never expected the series would grow into a social and pop-culture phenomenon'.

'We've always simply made the games that we wanted to play ourselves and I hope that approach will continue to serve us well in the years to come,' he continued.

The true success of the game and its global popularity is often viewed with shock by many non-players.

World of Warcraft has been cited as the reason for many divorces and also blamed for the deaths of several gamers, some of who became so obsessed by playing it that they stopped eating and sleeping regularly.

The game has enjoyed two expansion packs so far, named the Burning Crusade and the Wrath of the Lich King, with more undoubtedly to come.