WoW. Fun but falls short on integrity and balance.

Author's Rating:

Pros: Dynamic graphics and smooth gameplay.  Massive customer base, no shortage of players.

Cons: High monthly online fees.  Emphasis on graphics and glam not consistency, player equality and balance.

The Bottom Line: 
Fun game for kids.  Not recommended for the serious adult gamer who expects attainable goals for their time, money and dedication.

Author's Review
   This is a very fun game to play, the graphics and smooth gameplay are unparalled in my 10+ years of MMORPG gameplay.  The monthly fees are quite expensive compared to other games of this genre. If you are purchasing it for your children I would recommend drawing up a contract with them regarding gameplay and the obligations they have to their benefactor/s (parents paying the bills) to keep the online service active.   
  This game is extremely addictive and the vast majority of players especially children quickly begin to ignore their obligations regarding homework, sports, family and social activities.  I have been a Guild Master in the game directing a guild with over 300 members, from all walks of life.  Many or most of them being under 15 years old.  I have seen the addictive element of this game as others of this genre literally destroy lives, so monitor you childrens gameplay, many of the elements of this game require a player with Guild Obligations to be online for 2, and in some cases 5 hours straight.  Set goals and restrictions for yourself as player, and especially for your children.
  The success of this game basically speaks for itself.  To the best of my knowledge this is the only MMORPG that is considered somewhat of a BlueChip stock for the european conglomerate that owns its stock rights.  I know it is the only game who's stock I see repeatedly mentioned on North American television and newspaper articles regarding it's continued favorable stock stability over the years. 
  This brings a worldwide aspect to the game which is very fun, playing with people and making cyber friends with people all over the globe.  There is a rare drawback to this insomuch that people with malicious, rascist and ignorant attitudes are rarely if ever weeded out by the game adminstrators.  There are language filters, I would recommend your children have them turned on when they play this game.  Monitor your childrens gameplay to see what quality of people they are cyber socializing with.
  I would not recommend this game for the serious orthodox adult MMORPG player, used to a game developement team, sworn to game integrity and balance.  Or to those who are accustomed to ingame administrators knowledgeable about the game, answering and dealing with ingame problems in a knowledgeable and timely fashion. 
  One of the major faults of this game to the orthodox player is its constant change in character abilites, gear and items added to the game then removed, quest goals and other acheivements altered or removed from the game entirely.  For example one could spend a year striving to attain a specific level of faction, in order to enter a specific instance or obtain a specific crafting pattern, only to log on one day and find the prerequisite for obtaining your goal has been removed from the game,  anyone can now obtain it with enough money or simply after having attained a high enough level.  These changes also affect gear, upon which this game is based. 
  The developers in this regard also fail to the orthodox gamer who expects a certain level of integrity and consistency.  Gear once obtainable to the player who wants to copy another succesful player's gear setup will regularly find that gear or items once obtainable are no longer obtainable and there is no equivalent.  This is extremely frustrating for those who merge themselves in the PvP (player versus player) aspect of this game.
  One of the major allures to the game is its developers goal to dynamic gameplay. Upgrades and patches to the game implementing new abilites, graphics and items alter the game performane and fluidity of the game.  The minimum requirements listed to play the game on the box when you first purchase it are constantly creating problems for players as new patches and upgrades are introduced affecting the smoothness and quality of the graphics sound and gameplay.
  All in all is a very enjoyable game to play, as an orthodox adult MMORPG gameplayer I give it a 6 out of 10.  Before purchasing the game, I recommend reading the World of Warcraft customer service and technical support forums to find out if your computer, video and sound cards will allow you to enjoy the fulness of the game.