All Things Considered, October 5, 2005 · A recent outbreak of a "plague" in a popular online game has scientists considering how the virtual world may provide clues to what people would do in real-world pandemics. In the role-playing game World of Warcraft, a "corrupted blood" spell killed characters and affected players in unexpected ways.

5-minute segment on NPR about the phenomenon of MMORPGs -- specifically about Worlds of Warcraft.

'Virtual' Virus Sheds Light on Real-World Behavior