World of Warcraft is a Multi Player Online Role Playing game. The objective is to complete tasks given to you by in-game characters. Because of the way it is designed... everybody is in the same world. Your son would be playing alongside anybody else playing on the same server. There are Parental controls on www.worldofwarcraft.com that enable a parent to limit time spent playing, or to restrict access to an account. Also, there is an in game chat filter to block out bad language. Blizzard Entertainment states in it's Terms of Use that no persons under a certain age should play the game. I strongly recommend checking the game's website for details. -WoW player

Here is a review on a site dedicated to helping parents choose games: http://www.gamerdad.com/detail.cfm?itemID=2213

be wary. this is also very addictive game.

Heres my question WOW can be very addicting game because it allows people to leave the physical world behind and play out their fantasy's also the parental controls are not that great. But if your child is sensible well behaved and has a decent head in his/her shoulders its a fun way to spend some time. But if your child is prone to sitting inside and gammin all day rather then some freash air. Get him a class at the local DOJO instead. pseaking as a former OVER WEIGHT COMPUER GEEK

Firstly, well done for seeking advice on this, it's good to be well-armed! ...... World of Warcraft is a fantasy role-playing game - I played it for a few months last year. The game itself is enjoyable and (in my opinion) does not contain any built-in content that would be inappropriate for a 12 year old. ...... In it, you can chat to any other players on the server you choose, so it comes with the same risks as any chatroom. I myself have teamed up on some quests with players who turned out to be close to your son's age (and most of them were better than me...) People generally mix together pretty healthily. ...... Make sure he knows not to reveal the wrong information, etc. Players in WoW group together, and typically talk within their group, so it is probable that your son would spend most of his time talking to his peers. Also, I might add, most chat tends to be game-related. ...... Something to be wary of: There is a monthly fee. ...... My recommendations: (1) Use the time limitations to prevent overplaying of the game - it can be addictive. (2) Watch him play, at least a bit, to set your mind at ease. (3) Talk to him about his adventures/quests and who he was grouping with. ...... Here is another useful site for parents who want to know more about a given game: http://www.whattheyplay.com/products/world-of-warcraft-for-pcmac/

Also - in the US, the official age rating for WoW (from the ESRB) is "Teen" (13+) while in Europe (from PEGI) it is 12+.

It all depends on what type of person your son is. If he has an addictive personality and gets worked up over small things, this may not be the best choice. It also takes a large investment in time to actually play the game. Basically he needs to put in over a week in actual play time before he'll get to the main part of the game. Another good point is if he has friends that play the game they will be able to play together. So if your child can manage his time well and can control himself this would be a good choice.