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World of Warcraft is a game that seems to have been around forever and it is still just as popular as it always used to be. The game is still updated regularly and they are still receiving new players as well. At this point with how popular it still is today after how long the game has been out, one would think hat WOW will never die and I personally feel at this point, we may never see it die. What are your thoughts on WOW? Will we ever see it die?

Extremists from the far right including white supremacists and terrorists are exploiting the gaming environment and it is only increasing. They are using multiplayer games and even the use of mods in gaming and also creation type games like Roblox to create an environment to act out their terroristic ideologies. They are even using gaming-adjacent platforms forming chat groups and clans. Even game services like Steam and streaming services like Twitch is being used. This isn't about video games causing violence because that has been proven false. This is about how extremists are taking advantage of all these games and platforms with very little moderators or oversight. I don't play online and I don't use any video game services besides Playstation Store and this forum on VGR. So I don't know all the many forums, blogs, platforms, MMO games, or providers that are available or how they work. But there definitely is a lot of research going around these days due to the urgency of stopping the spread of these extremists especially how they target young people. Gamification is also a new term I haven't heard till now, but there seems to point to evidence how it's being used for terrorist violence especially at the terrorist attack at the mosque in New Zealand. Gamification actually is used in such a broad way by businesses and everything you can think of that can motivate people. It uses game based ideas like points, trophies, achievements, bonus, etc. to motivate them and influence their behavior. Gamification-Merriam Webster Dictionary: the process of adding games or gamelike elements to something (such as a task) so as to encourage participation. Verb: Easy-to-use Web- and mobile-based learning platforms … take the boredom out of long training sessions by gamifying the entire process. A training manual is replaced by an interactive game that allows participants to win awards and be acknowledged. Here is an article discussing The Role of Gamification in Radicalization Processes https://modus-zad.de/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/modus-working-paper-12021.pdf Extremist Use of Gaming (-Adjacent) Platforms https://gnet-research.org/2021/09/06/lets-talk-about-games-baby-extremist-use-of-gaming-adjacent-platforms/ The Anti Defamation League has also written a must read article. I recommend read this first: https://www.adl.org/resources/report/hate-no-game-hate-and-harassment-online-games-2022 From 2021-2022 Young People’s Exposure to White Supremacy Ages 13-17 has gone up--From 6% to 10% on a forum. From 11% to 14% in person. From 10% to 16% on an online game. From 17% to 26% on social media. The take home message is to be careful who you associate with out there while gaming and socializing on the many sites. There are terroristic predators out there seeking to bring you into their fold. They are very manipulative and promises you a sense of belonging while leading you into trouble. Don't be afraid to report people to the site's moderators and if someone seems a bit persistent on welcoming you while feeding you hate against others, then you should simply ignore them and report them.