MMORPG

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A Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game is a video game that puts its players in control of an upgradeable character and allows many players to interact over a network or the internet. MMORPGs, or MMOs for short, are usually either based on a client-server or a peer-to-peer networking model. Often, the player connects to a large, persistent world to meet up with friends and go on quests that result in further character upgrades. The added social interaction and continuity encourages repeated (and in many cases obsessive) play. There have been several successful commercial MMOs in a short period of years, causing a boom in MMO popularity and leading hordes of novice programmers to attempt to create one.

MMORPG's are descended from MUD (and related) games. The first expansive, popular graphical MMORPG was Ultima Online. Following this success was the 3D game, Everquest. With 14 expansions (and another on the way), EQ has been the best and worst example of what MMOs can be. Despite this seeming saturation of the market, World of Warcraft was released by Blizzard, a company with a strong reputation for quality. WoW has been another great hit, contributing to the MMO boom. At the moment there is a wide range of all kinds of MMORPGs and non-RPG massively online games.

One thing that sets MMO games apart from single player games is the fact that the companies charge you by the month to play. This means that the game must be designed in such a way that it stays interesting for a long time. Often this is solved by making accomplishments (usually 'leveling up your character') take a lot of time and work. Some turn into a repetitive drudgery in order to gain more levels and impress your friends. Sadly enough for their players, MMORPGs have a lifetime. Eventually, the servers are shut down and every customer's installation CD becomes a pretty frisbee. This has happened to many good MMOs, though Blizzard is known for keeping its legacy games online for many years.