Dijital Oyunların Ekonomi Politiği: World of Warcraft Örneği

The game appears as an important part of human history from past to present. It can be said that game is a phenomenon that is integrated into culture in every sense. Everyone has played and continues to play games in some way. It is possible to see that games, like many other phenomena, evolve around technology and other developments. It can be said that the most striking example of this situation is digital games. Digital games appear in many subgenres. Role-playing games, which are a special type of digital games, constitute the most costly type of the digital game industry. However, role-playing games in general and online multiplayer role-playing games (MMORPG) in particular seem to be the most satisfying games in terms of cultural richness. These types of games, which allow millions of players to play at the same time, not only contain unique lifestyles, socialization opportunities and even unique subcultures, but also appear as a source of income. appear as games that have Today, within the scope of the gaming industry, which competes with cinema and even gradually leaves this sector behind, online multiplayer role-playing games constitute striking examples both in terms of the economic relations they involve and the economic system they are in. In this study, MMORPGs are considered both as cultural texts in which capitalist ideology and production relations are reproduced, and as cultural industry products that emerge in the context of digital capitalism's production relations. In the research, World of Warcraft, which is considered the most successful example of online role-playing games played by millions of people in a virtual environment, is examined from a political economic perspective. The aim of the research is to reveal the political economy structure of World of Warcraft. In this context, the industrial production process and in-game production relations of the game, which is a cultural commodity, will be examined.