World of Warcraft makes some grand claims.

Those who successfully tap into the joys of the latest much-hyped computer game will apparently "achieve soaring levels of power, explore a vast continent," as well as battling with like-minded "heroes" to determine the fate of a place called Azeroth. And all without having to step outside the front door.

For those unable to tell the difference between a Scarab Lord and a Twilight Vanquisher, the pleasure of battling a virtual goblin is likely to remain a mystery, but with 11 million players worldwide World of Warcraft has become one of the computer gaming industry's biggest success stories.

At midnight on Wednesday the latest instalment went on sale, triggering a global rush for copies. So great the excitement, the man hoping to be the first in the UK to get his hands on Wrath of the Lich King after queuing for 18 hours outside HMV in Oxford Street collapsed with exhaustion the second the doors opened.

"In the world of gaming there is a certain cachet with being
the first to have a copy of a certain game," says Ben Hinchliffe, from the Computer Games Studio at the University of Huddersfield. "But there's more to World of Warcraft than just a successful marketing
drive. It's absolute and total escapism. You get to kill goblins, you get to perform magic. It's the 21st century equivalent of Dungeons and Dragons. This time you don't need books and die-cast models, all you need is a computer.

"The other difference is that because it's online you get to play with millions of other fans."

If the premise of World of Warcraft remains unclear, the opposition to the game will probably be more familiar.

Experts have expressed concerns about its addictive qualities. The most committed gamers can find themselves spending 14 to 16 hours immersed in the virtual world where everyday problems can be solved by casting a simple spell.

"When the game first came out four years ago, the company behind it was pretty canny," says Ben, who has seen a rise in the number of applicants for the university's computer design courses. "They offered free two- week trials and by the end of the fortnight players were already hooked. That's when they were hit with the subscription."

As well as paying £24.99 for the latest instalment, players have to have the original game, plus a copy of an earlier instalment and pay a monthly subscription of £8.99. All of which has netted developers Blizzard Entertainment a tidy profit.

"When you think of the millions who are signed up then someone, somewhere is making a lot of money," says Ben, who was one of those who took up the offer of a free trial.

"It is quietly addictive and I can easily see how people could switch the computer on and suddenly find they hadn't
moved for several hours.

"When I was playing I suddenly had a moment of clarity. I realised it was sucking my life away and decided that I had to stop."

With the games market increasingly competitive,
other companies are keen to replicate the success of World of Warcraft.

"In the past it was all about who could produce the best graphics, but I think we have now reached that pinnacle," adds Ben.

"Sometimes games just look too good compared to the slightly grimy real world and it may be that we start going the other way.

"Until developers perfect virtual reality whereby they can put gamers inside a computer world, they will continue to pursue games based around social networking."

Despite the concerns, even the cynics have been forced to admit that World of Warcraft does have its advantages. Academics studied what happened when a virtual plague was unleashed in the fantasy world in the hope of shedding light on how people behave in a crisis.

Breaking down geographical boundaries and linking like-minded people from across the world, romantics have pointed out its potential as a dating tool. Some, however, remain to be convinced.

"I doubt it," says Ben. "I'm not sure how many of the players are women. At best it's a 80:20 male female ratio and you don't need to be a betting man to know that's not great odds."