As expected, the game is a touched-up version of the original massively multiplayer game in its most refined form, around the "Drums of War" update from August 2006. That means no world-altering expansions or other major game mechanics that have appeared since then. While you'll lose some of the creature comforts of the up-to-date WoW, you'll also lose some of the complexity. Just be ready to focus mostly on monster-slaying at first, since some of the player-versus-player elements will arrive on a gradual basis.

If you'd rather mark the occasion using the current version of the game, you'll have plenty of options. Blizzard is heralding WoW's 15th birthday with upcoming in-game events, including a 25-player raid that represents a "greatest hits" of the title's bosses over the years. There's also a $100 15th Anniversary Collector's Edition of the game that arrives in October that will include in-game mount bonuses, a 10-inch Ragnaros statue, a pin, a mousepad and some art prints. Yes, that's a lot to shell out -- this is more for dedicated fans than anyone else.