Back in November, our sister site in Australia delivered a gripping three-part read on one anonymous gamer's decision to walk away from World of Warcraft - and then re-enter, this time with a powerleveled character. The surrender of his dignity begins, as so many things do these days, by whipping out a credit card and trusting that you won't live to regret it, or be outed for your purchase. As I've said, weekends are made for think pieces, and watching someone else take the fall for risky behavior you may have considered is always train-wreck fascinating. So in that interest, here it is.
Even if you've never played WoW, it's a well written narrative, covering the moral implications and the actual risks of paying someone in a sweatshop to play a game so you can enjoy features and abilities you didn't earn. And the conclusion could pass for any awkward reminder of a purely transactional relationship with another person. And if you do play and you're considering powerleveling, it's a great explanation of what to expect.
And I'm not sure what our policy is, but Kotaku AU ran a disclaimer that, just to cover the bases, should be repeated here.
Disclaimer: Kotaku AU does not advocate the use of powerlevelling services, or the use of any service that violates the Terms of Use or End User License Agreements (EULA) of any game. If you decide to indulge in any such service, you do so at your own risk.
Pros And Cons Of WoW Powerlevelling, Part 1
Pros And Cons Of WoW Powerlevelling, Part 2
Pros And Cons Of WoW Powerlevelling, Part 3