本研究參考了馬克．J．P．沃爾夫(Mark J.P. Wolf)的著作，從中了解虛擬世界和現實世界之間緊密連結的關係，並以此為基礎，進而去探索現實世界中的新自由主義是如何影響大型多人線上角色扮演遊戲「魔獸世界」。此外，鄭詩靈(Sealing Cheng) 和金恩容 (Eunjung Kim)將新自由主義歸類為三種矛盾，本研究藉由其中兩種矛盾來探究新自由主義如何從遊戲故事和遊戲內系統微妙地滲入到「魔獸世界」的虛擬世界。最後，分析兩種新自由主義的矛盾如何影響「魔獸世界」的虛擬世界之後，從中發現這兩種矛盾互相影響和依賴，並且不斷重覆循環著。;Through first applying to Mark J. P. Wolf’s work to understand the intimate referential relation between the virtual worlds and reality, this thesis aims to explore the inherited neoliberal ideology in reality that works its influence upon the Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG), World of Warcraft. The acknowledgement of the interrelation between the virtual worlds and reality further indicates the development of neoliberalism extending from the realm of reality to the virtual world of World of Warcraft. Moreover, via employing the two of neoliberal paradoxes by Sealing Cheng and Eunjung Kim—the paradox of amorality with morality and the depoliticization of social risks with hyper-politicization of national security, this thesis investigates how neoliberalism penetrates subtly into the virtual world, World of Warcraft, both through the game narrations and the in-game setting system; as a result, this analysis further shows how the work of paradoxical neoliberalism operates together in a relentless loop by depending on each other as foundation.
