Wowhead
Encyclopedia
Wowhead is a search database for the popular massively multiplayer online role-playing game
World of Warcraft
(WoW). The site first started out as a talent calculator
. It was in beta from April 4 to June 25, 2006, and the database was released on June 26, 2006. Wowhead functions as a user generated database
relying upon players of WoW themselves, though the information is uploaded automatically through a client side program
.
Client software is available for both the Windows and Mac platforms. Users can manually add comments to database items or discuss the items themselves in a moderated forum. Comments placed on database items are moderated by the community themselves, with members having the option to "down-rank" out-dated and useless posts to the point where they are purged, and "up-rank" posts of significance so that they are highlighted. The database is automatically cross referenced
by the software between items, non-player character
s and zones or dungeons
.
Wowhead garnered some attention when it was purchased by the ZAM Network, a subsidiary of Affinity Media which formerly owned real-money trading (RMT)
firm IGE
. The ZAM Network also owns other gaming and World of Warcraft information sites such as Thottbot
and Allakhazam
.
On July 22, 2009, Wowhead announced that it would be offering its members access to a Premium service for a recurring subscription in order to help support the project. The premium service offers enhanced usage of the website, removing ads, granting a wider range of forum privileges, and allowing paying members to skip to the front of the process queue for armory requests.
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game by Blizzard Entertainment. It is the fourth released game set in the fantasy Warcraft universe, which was first introduced by Warcraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994...
(WoW). The site first started out as a talent calculator
Talent calculator
A talent calculator, or skill calculator, is usually a website or rarely a computer program that can be used to calculate the effects of different routes of character advancement, each of which is often referred to as a talent build, skill build, or simply a build...
. It was in beta from April 4 to June 25, 2006, and the database was released on June 26, 2006. Wowhead functions as a user generated database
User-generated content
User generated content covers a range of media content available in a range of modern communications technologies. It entered mainstream usage during 2005 having arisen in web publishing and new media content production circles...
relying upon players of WoW themselves, though the information is uploaded automatically through a client side program
Executable
In computing, an executable file causes a computer "to perform indicated tasks according to encoded instructions," as opposed to a data file that must be parsed by a program to be meaningful. These instructions are traditionally machine code instructions for a physical CPU...
.
Client software is available for both the Windows and Mac platforms. Users can manually add comments to database items or discuss the items themselves in a moderated forum. Comments placed on database items are moderated by the community themselves, with members having the option to "down-rank" out-dated and useless posts to the point where they are purged, and "up-rank" posts of significance so that they are highlighted. The database is automatically cross referenced
Cross-reference
A cross-reference is an instance within a document which refers to related or synonymous information elsewhere, usually within the same work. To cross-reference or to cross-refer is to make such connections. The term "cross-reference" is often abbreviated as x-ref, xref, or, in computer science,...
by the software between items, non-player character
Non-player character
A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
s and zones or dungeons
Instance dungeon
In massively multiplayer online games, an instance is a special area, typically a dungeon, that generates a new copy of the location for each group, or for certain number of players, that enters the area. Instancing, the general term for the use of this technique, addresses several problems...
.
Wowhead garnered some attention when it was purchased by the ZAM Network, a subsidiary of Affinity Media which formerly owned real-money trading (RMT)
Virtual economy
A virtual economy is an emergent economy existing in a virtual persistent world, usually exchanging virtual goods in the context of an Internet game...
firm IGE
IGE
IGE was one of the largest services company buying and selling virtual currencies and accounts for MMORPG. During its peak time, it had offices in Los Angeles, China , and headquarters & customer service centre in Hong Kong. IGE was one of the main monopoly in virtual economy services, also known...
. The ZAM Network also owns other gaming and World of Warcraft information sites such as Thottbot
Thottbot
Thottbot is an unofficial World of Warcraft plug-in and database website. The plug-in, which is programmed in Lua, collects information while a person is playing the game— it records statistics such as the drop rates of items, locations of specific mobs, and quest information — users...
and Allakhazam
Allakhazam
Allakhazam's Magical Realm, part of the Zam Network, is a website providing forums, a wikibase and lookup services for several online RPGs, including Aion, Dark Age of Camelot, EVE Online, EverQuest, EverQuest II, Final Fantasy XI, Free Realms, Lord of the Rings Online, Runes of Magic, Star Wars...
.
On July 22, 2009, Wowhead announced that it would be offering its members access to a Premium service for a recurring subscription in order to help support the project. The premium service offers enhanced usage of the website, removing ads, granting a wider range of forum privileges, and allowing paying members to skip to the front of the process queue for armory requests.