Wow Factor: An Insider's Look at the Real Skills Developed in the Virtual World of Warcraft ~ Paperback ~ Kirk L Wankel

Every day players develop valuable skills in the virtual World of Warcraft. The raid leader that helped your guild complete the latest expansion could be training to become the next great CEO. The player cornering the gem market on the Auction House is preparing for a career as a Wall Street commodities broker. WoW Factor is a light-hearted and insightful look at the experiences and skills that define successful World of Warcraft players and their real-world alter egos. From battlefields to boardrooms, WoW Factor is an entertaining journey, transporting the World of Warcraft player out of the virtual world and into the real one. As a father of four young-adult men, WoW Factor has enabled me to appreciate how their experiences compare to the world I grew up in. WoW Factor is a must-read for any parent, friend or spouse looking to understand the computer-gamer in their life and the skills and experiences they are developing. Greg Rude, National Sales Manager, Honeywell Analytics It is so hard to convey leadership skills and experience to a prospective employer. WoW Factor helped me realize the wealth of experience I had at my fingertips as a World of Warcraft raid leader. The first thing I did after reading the book was update my resume and so should you. Christian Stueber, Construction Manager and World of Warcraft Raid Leader General description: From the military to Fortune 500 corporations, virtual simulations are extensively used to develop critical skills for real-world application. What if World of Warcraft was considered a different type of virtual simulation: one that brings over eleven million people together to train and develop the skills necessary to succeed in business and in life? WoW Factor delves into World of Warcraft, not as a game, but as a development tool. It analyzes the skills and experience that gamers develop through the game that translate to the real world. The book is a bridge for gamers, their friends, family, and the business community to understand the skills and experience developed in World of Warcraft along with their real-world application. Leadership skills, character traits, marketing, finance, economics, compensation, gaming/life balance and sexism are all tackled by the book. From lazy customers to underperforming co-workers, poor team-players to brilliant leaders, the book explains how World of Warcraft mirrors the corporate world with the same challenges, pitfalls, lessons, and experiences. The book takes a light-hearted approach to the subject matter. It connects examples from the real world and World of Warcraft, through a strong narrative approach, which enables the reader to relate to the World of Warcraft player and the skills and experience they are generating from their time spent online.