Planet Earth would be taken over by the Lich King.

Some people would get disproportionately angry. Others would move on to other MMOs. Others would move on to other whatevers.
 
Not really all that exciting other than the slight media/gamer uproar for a week or so.

I would take another bite of this delicious burger I have.

" @Vinchenzo said:

" People would move on. Seriously, all this stereotyping of WoW gamers is annoying as fuck. Just let it go. "

But all society's perceptions of individuals are based on stereotypes. Why do you think that the news media labels all gamers as either children or 30 year old men living in their parent's basements? Because it's easy and requires no thinking, even if it has nothing to do with the truth. "

" The best thing that could happen is for WoW to shut down. WoW is directly responsible for the stagnation of the MMO market. Even the best contenders out there know that no matter how fantastic they could make their game, it will never have WoW numbers and most seem to shut down or dwindle down to nearly nothing within a year or two.  WoW's success doesn't speak toward it's quality or innovation anymore than the number of people who use MySpace or Twitter speaks for its quality. Without WoW, people may give alternatives a shot and discover true MMOs and RPGs and developers would have incentive to capture that new audience (that right now won't look at ANYTHING you have to offer, unless it's WoW-related. Period.).  CCP, with EVE-Online, seem to be the only people offering any real innovation both in game-play, openness, scope, and even behind-the-scenes operations. The MMO world should be far beyond where it is today. Look at every new MMO coming out this year and next and you'll find that other than snazzy graphics and a new skin, they are almost identical to WoW back in 2003 and 2004. "

People would just join private servers...

Nerd rage would consume the world with riots.

If Blizzard..Activision?...Actizzard? ... Blizion? ...Anyways, if whatever-you-wanna-call-them shut down the wow servers, then what would happen you ask? 
Well, simple really, the servers would shut down ... You answered your own question..  
 
But in all seriousness, the "12" million players would probably be like "huh?!" and get over it in like.. 2 hours and go on to play something else. 
And I say "12" because at least 2 million of those are trial accounts. 
People, even us fans, tend to forget that Blizzard usually forgot to pick only active accounts and not Frozen-for-years and Trial accounts

" World peace would peace would happen. That's what. "

" And I say "12" because at least 2 million of those are trial accounts. People, even us fans, tend to forget that Blizzard usually forgot to pick only active accounts and not Frozen-for-years and Trial accounts "

A new Baby Boomer age would dawn.

Lots of angry people, some of whom will try to start an internet petition, but that'll fail, and a couple of people will be so distraught that they will contemplate, and maybe even attempt, suicide.  
 
But most people will simply be angry for about a week, then move on.  
 
I think Blizzard itself would be hit hardest of all. After all, when you really think about it, WoW is their only source of income at the moment. And at the pace they develop their other games, I seriously doubt they could thrive on those alone. Of course they got plenty of cash reserves, but their earnings calls would no longer be a happy one, and I'm fairly certain their stocks would plummet. 
 
Blizzard needs WoW. Without they're back to being a smalltime developer again.

Blizzard would then have more time to devote to developing things like Blackthorne 2 or another Lost Vikings game.

i would LOVE to see that happen. turns out blizzard ran the entire thing as a social experiment just to find out what you happen when they shut it down. 

" i would LOVE to see that happen. turns out blizzard ran the entire thing as a social experiment just to find out what you happen when they shut it down.  "

StarCraft: Ghost will come out.

People would be playing WoW 2 or Starcraft the MMO or Lost Vikings Online.  Seriously, these things are about money and Blizzard wouldn't shut it down unless there was an established replacement already making lots of money.  Only the die-hards would cry (those types who play Halo 2 after the servers are officially closed), but most players would have already switched over to the next generation of the game.

It wouldn't surprise me if Blizzard did change it to a free to play MMO with micro-transactions so people who are heavily invested can keep playing, so hopefully mass suicides wouldn't happen. Now, if they had to pull the plug, well.... I hope Blizzard has a secret bunker to avoid the wrath of gamers of all creeds who swarm to dismember them.

They would stop making money. That's why it isn't going to happen ANY time soon.

It would finally drop from being the most played game on giantbomb

" @Vinchenzo said:

" People would move on. Seriously, all this stereotyping of WoW gamers is annoying as fuck. Just let it go. "

Youve got to admit that theyd be a few suicides "

I would probably be a lot healthier and find myself with a lot more spare time 

" Civilization as we know it would come to an end. It could be the setting for a new post apocalyptic game. "

A lot of people would finally get laid.

They'd bitch an moan on the forums for a few days, swear they'll never buy another Blizzard game ever again, and then subscribe to Blizzard's new MMO under a different handle.

Mass nerd suicide. 

" People would move on. Seriously, all this stereotyping of WoW gamers is annoying as fuck. Just let it go. "

A lot of people would find out that videogames have got a hell of a lot more exciting and engaging since 2004.

11 million lives around the globe would suddenly and irrevocably be extinguished.

" Mass nerd suicide.  "

It would cause me to laugh very, very hard, while all of my friends who have been trying to get me to play WOW for about four years would be banging their fists on the wall and weeping copiously. Ahh...that would be great.

An MMO exactly like WoW would fill the void because that's what MMO people want to play.

My life would continue unaffected. 

...lots of people in a lame version of rehab.  :P 
 
Oh man, RP users would go insane.

" Blizzard would go back to spending quality time on Starcraft 2 and Diablo 3, and there would be about 12,000,000 suicides. "

My life wouldn't change. At all.

about 12 million people would have a lot more free time.

The world would move on.

I would kill myself.

People would now have to start yelling Leroy Jenkins in the streets...wait I think people do that already.

Shut your dirty whore mouth.

It wont shut down and if it ever does it'll only be because WoW2 is releasing.

what i can see happening is bobby kotick bursting into blizzards office drinking all of their coffee, eating all of their biscuits, using all of the computers to download porn and then pressing a big red button that says 'kill WoW' on it, then money falls from the ceiling, then he lights a cigar and makes a get away in his ferrari, then across the world people sheepishly leave their houses and are over whelmed knowing the safety of azeroth is no more... just like in the end of the surrogates.
 
either that or wow2 will be out, and if not people would just be upset for a moment, then move on and all of those trial accounts will be worthless.... hey wait...