Hello all,

I have a 10 year old who want to play WoW. I know what it is, but I am a little outside of my comfort zone as it is a non console experience.

I do try and watch what my son plays and super violent gory games are off limits. But I do allow Lord of the Rings type stuff and other T-rated games if not to harsh.

Is this something anyone here has experience with? What are the on going costs? I see some of the subscription options, but do you have to buy the game too?
His game time is limited to an hour a night and a little more on the weekend, (I am an ogre I know) is this enough play time to get anything out of it? He is also only here 1/2 the time and the other 1/2 at his moms and he wouldn't have access there.

I am a little concerned about the online stuff as you never know what will be said out there.

I do appreciate any thoughts from here, some of my questions aren't really covered on their website.
Thank you in advance.

The game itself is most likely suitable, however you cannot regulate the actions of other players. If you don't want your 10 year old exposed to swearing, possible sexual references or any of 1,000 other things that people can type into a dialogue box then don't give it to them. Other people will be other people, and you can experience the worst in an online world, and you cannot control it.

I would not recommend WOW. It is very addictive and he can easily spend all his time getting drawn deeper and deeper into the experience. It will also consume all of his on-line time. You should encourage him to use the internet to explore some of his interests and to gain knowledge. Playing on line is fun - no doubt. I just believe at 10, there are better ways to enrich his life.

My kids play a lot of console games (some on line). But they spread their interests over a wide variety of games (rock band, fighting games, first person shooters, sports, etc. From people I know, once you get into WOW, there is not much time for anything else.

I would strongly recommend a game like Starcraft for your son. You can play online as well. A real thinking game - lots of strategy.

10 is too young, there are a lot of crazy people in the WOW realm like an other poster said, and unless your going to sit by him every minute hes on the computer its not really a good idea. Its a T rated game so let him enjoy his youth a few more years.
Lots of awesome games for kids, if he really enjoys war craft get him the war craft 3 or star craft. these games have been re-released a while back for the modern PC.
This way no worries about creeps on the outside. Though can be some scary story lines or cut scenes if your son is sensitive to those kind of things.

By no means I am ranting badly about this game. I am sure it is very good. but...

I had a cousin in Calgary who I though had a good head on his shoulders until mid november when he committed suicide by strangulation.

I found out that he played Warcraft and was supposedly immersed in the game.

I do not know all the details and;
I will not say that playing this game is/was a contributing factor by any means but I can say for a fact he killed himself and he did play Warcraft. Were there other pressures? Of course!

Would I play it? Yes, but I am over thirty years old and believe I have much life experience.

RIP Dallan

I'm going to have to say "no" on this one.... but I'll add a reason that hasn't been mentioned yet.

You indicate that he gets an hour of gaming time per weeknight and a bit more on weekends. This is definitely not enough time to get involved in WoW -- especially given that it costs around $15/month or so. I could easily see this getting to a point where he starts demanding to play more because he "has to finish this one quest or raid!"

This, combined with the facts stated above about the actions of other players, would prompt me to deny this request.

It REALLY depends on kid for suiciding, etc. after playing game.
If your kid can control yourself, then it doesn't matter, but --

great insights everyone. I was wondering about the amount of time he gets gaming would be an issue, that's why I mentioned it.

I think there is enough here for me to say no. I agree, lots of time in the future for that stuff.

Have a great day eveyone and thank you.

Yeah, I suggest waiting until he is 13/14. My friend's son is 14 and he just started playing it and is able to handle things much better than a 10 year old would.
One thing to remember, aside from the swearing (which is a non-issue with the profanity filter) a lot of the people on there are hardcore and many are extremely mean to newbs.
I wouldn't want to subject my 10 year old to that.

Now, back to Northrend, I'm 2 bars away from lvl 74 and have to get my butt in gear. :p

I have a friend that plays it with his young son and they love it and that seems like great way to spend time together imo but to allow him to play it alone? I'd have to agree with the majority and say no. The internet in general brings out the worst in people sadly.

Here's a test, sign up for a free account, log onto a server...any server and ask in general chat "I am new to the game, anyone have any advice for someone just starting out?". From there count the insults and count the helpful comments. Smart money is on the insults outweighing the friendly advice.

I play WoW, I'm in a guild full of people I know and I don't associate with any of the other 5000 people on my server in the least. If it's something I can't do with my friends I don't do it at all.

If you do decide to to play with or allow him to play I would think it would be best to pick a RPPVE server. Not sure if that's exactly how it displays in your choices but it means Role Playing Player VS Environment. I have never played on a "PVE" server but I would wager a guess "PVP" (Player VS Player) servers are probably much more abusive. There is a subset of the population that thrives on causing grief to other people and they can only flourish on a PVP server.

The problem with WoW is that it is so immersive...it's not like playing a "regular" game for an hour and then shutting it off. People wrap their lives up in this thing, get involved in forums, chat rooms, etc. Our families experience has been that there are creepy, freaky people out there.

My WoW experience with my son has been terrible, and is causing a lot of stress in my family right now as he has became addicted, affecting his grades, job and "real world" friends.

Please...if you do decide to let him play, monitor him very closely and ensure that he keeps a balanced set of activities on and off the computer.

I used to play another game called 'EverQuest' and the amount of immature people in the game was actually astonishing to say the least, I can only assume that WOW would be the same.

Ya I have seen what MMOs in general can do to people. I played WoW, DAoC, and a bunch of others over the past 10 years. Stopped playing them all together last year.

The built content in WoW is fine for a 10 year old but, I would say the majority of players in WoW are not 10 years old. So lots of stupid stuff happens that can not be controlled by Blizzard.

My best opinion, play with him, and set limits in stone on how long and how often he/she can play. I know a few parents that have kids playing WoW, and they keep close tabs on them. Either by playing with them, or by keeping a close eye on how long they are playing and how often they are playing.

MMOs are not just simple games, they are virtual worlds, open to the same pit falls of our own reality; depression, harassment, and addiction being a few of them.

I'm not much to go on a rant...but...
I think it's questionable to even consider it. As mentioned by many others WOW is an immersible experience. I don't think a 10 year old....let alone some 18 year olds that are mature enough to understand the concept between fantasy and reality. A 10 year old doesn't have the mental capacity to distinguish between the two. Keep in mind, kids are extremely smart. Just because they can learn and recite information and "impress" you doesn't mean they can handle WOW......they lack a certain amount of self-control and 'street-smarts'.

It would be like allowing your 10 year old to go hang out with thousands of strangers....and pretend to kill things....with strangers....and spend more time with strangers...than family.

Just because something is available for them doesn't mean it's a good idea. And just because thousands of people (okay maybe hundreds of thousands) are doing it...doesn't mean it's a good idea.

No good could come of it.

Jeez....this worries me.

I don't think a 10 year old....let alone some 18 year olds that are mature enough to understand the concept between fantasy and reality. A 10 year old doesn't have the mental capacity to distinguish between the two.

I can see that this thread is going to off the rails very fast now.

Are you kidding? You are seriously suggesting that a 10 year old cannot distinguish between reality and fantasy? That most 18 year olds can't? Seriously? Perhaps that may be true of the company you keep -- in which case I think you should help them seek professional counseling -- but I can assure you that neither my 7 nor 9 year old children believe that Harry Potter can cast spells and ride brooms; They do not believe that WALL-E is recycling garbage on a distant planet; they do not believe that Webkinz live inside our computer monitor. They have more than a firm grasp on what is real in their lives, and what is fantasy within the TV and Movies they watch, the books they read, and the games they play.

It would be like allowing your 10 year old to go hang out with thousands of strangers....and pretend to kill things....with strangers....and spend more time with strangers...than family.

No, actually, it would be nothing like that at all. In fact I cannot believe that you even typed such a thing. In that situation they would be in the real world, with real strangers, killing living things. It's a ludicrous comparison.

Just because something is available for them doesn't mean it's a good idea.

Of course not. That's why we have rating systems for things like movies, TV, games etc -- to help parents decide whether something is appropriate for their child. That's why the OP sought the advice of those here that have kids and have played WOW. Most have them have indicated that perhaps 10 is a bit young for the online experience of the game (not the game itself!) and suggested playing the game with them.

And just because thousands of people (okay maybe hundreds of thousands) are doing it...doesn't mean it's a good idea.

Actually, it has surpassed 10 million world wide (http://www.massively.com/2008/01/22/world-of-warcraft-hits-10-million-players/).

No good could come of it.

Except perhaps spending some quality time with your 10 year old son playing video games?

Jeez....this worries me.

Posts like yours worry me. People who blame society's ills on video games, TV and movies worry me. I'm sure there are kids in the world who do have trouble with the lines of fantasy and reality, and for those kids perhaps WOW (or any role play behavior) may not be a good option. I'd also bet that their number is minuscule; fractions of a percent.

Our job as a parent is to parent; to help our kids grow mentally; to teach them right from wrong; to take responsibility for their actions as well as our own. That also means we have to respect them enough to give them the benefit of doubt sometimes, to trust that they've learned what we've taught them, and to believe in them; not treat them as feeble minded. Especially at 10 (or 18!).

Thanks for the insights all, we decided to pass on it for now.
I appreciate everyones opinions

have a great day everyone,

Our job as a parent is to parent; to help our kids grow mentally; to teach them right from wrong; to take responsibility for their actions as well as our own. That also means we have to respect them enough to give them the benefit of doubt sometimes, to trust that they've learned what we've taught them, and to believe in them; not treat them as feeble minded. Especially at 10 (or 18!).
When it comes down to it, the original question was whether or not to let a 10 year play WOW or not. Ultimately it's up to the parent. The parent came here for advice and to hear both sides of the story. Again, if the child plays or not, the outcome must be the responsibility of the parent, no-one else. The parent is responsible for their child. Another thing to think about: Look at the world today. Now, imagine if everyone took responsibility for their own child.

I had a cousin in Calgary who I though had a good head on his shoulders until mid november when he committed suicide by strangulation.

I found out that he played Warcraft and was supposedly immersed in the game.

I do not know all the details and;
I will not say that playing this game is/was a contributing factor by any means but I can say for a fact he killed himself and he did play Warcraft. Were there other pressures? Of course!

This reminds me of the scare with Dungeons & Dragons back in the 1980s. A D&D gamer committed suicide and some ultraconservative parents used this to form an organization focused on banning the game, citing its evil content and its tendency to induce suicide.

Research demonstrated later that the average suicide rate of D&D gamers was approximately half that of the general population. Either the type of person who liked D&D was less likely to commit suicide (which meant the game was harmless), or else D&D actually made people less likely to commit suicide (which meant the game was beneficial).

Warcraft is a very fun game, and it can be addictive to the wrong type of person (the same way that gambling, alcohol, sex, and other perfectly legitimate activities can become addictive). I don't recommend it for everybody - and I do think it's a little heavy for a 10-year-old. I don't think it's a problem in and of itself though. People who would get addicted to WoW would almost certainly become addicted to something else, would the opportunity present itself.

World Of Warcraft has a parental control feature where you can specify the hours for which the account can be logged into.

http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/faq/parentalcontrols.xml