WoW .vs. Real Life (in wow Memorium)

World of Warcraft is an online game that is great fun (I can send you a free week if you want). It is made by a company called Blizzard which is based in Irvine California. They have far and away the most popular massively, multilayer, online game with over 11 million subscribers. The game is littered with references to sci-fi and pop culture. Some blatant some obscure all of which are designed for someone to stumble across like an easter egg hunt.

One of the more touching inclusions are in game memorials of real life folks. For Instance:

Crusader Bridenbrad the Argent Crusader dying of the plague in Icecrown is based off of a real person, Bradford C. Bridenbecker, who died of cancer in 2007. A La Habra City manager who did not let Cancer stop his work for the people of that city. His brother works at Blizzard.

Ahab Wheathoof and his dog Kyle are the creation of Ezra Chatterton, a young player with cancer who got to spend a day at Blizzard headquarters thanks to the Make A Wish Foundation. He got to create these two NPCs, voice Ahab, and create the quest Kyle's Gone Missing! to go with them, among other things. He passed away in October of 2008 when his tumor, which had been in remission, came back.

Caylee Dak and her pet Dusky in Shattrath City was the character of Dak Krause, who passed away from leukemia on August 22, 2007. She ends the quest Alicia's Poem.

In Hillsbrad there is Rousch, the character of Anthony Ray Stark (yes, real name) who passed away in 2005 in a scuba accident. He has no quest, but he stands in front of a grave marker and will /kneel and /salute it from time to time. He is friendly to both factions.

Koiter is a slightly more complicated memorial. While NPC Koiter uses the Spirit Healer model, behind him is a memorial in a small subzone called the Shrine of the Fallen Warrior in the northern Barrens. Atop the structure is an orc that is a copy of Michel Koiter's character from the WoW beta. He died in 2004 of unknown causes.

Captain Armando Ossex is a member of the Stormpike Guard in Alterac Mountains. He is a memorial to a deceased player who loved playing Alterac Valley.

Again in Hillsbrad is a Decorated Headstone dedicated to Jesse Morales, a Blizzard employee who passed away while WoW was still under development. There was no other information.