Massively multiplayer online role-playing game
Massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) – are online games in which role-playing video games are mixed with multiplayer online games, and players interact with one another within a virtual world.
In all games, the player assumes the role of a particular character and controls the character’s actions. MMORPGs differ from single-player or small multiplayer online RPGs by the number of players able to interact with each other, and by the game’s persistent world, which goes on existing and evolving while the player is offline.
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MMORPGs Review
MMORPGs are played throughout the world. In 2005, MMORPGs worldwide revenues exceeded half a billion dollars, and Western revenues exceeded a billion dollars in 2006. In 2008, the MMORPGs subscription expenses by consumers in North America and Europe grew to $1.4 billion.
As of November 2014, World of Warcraft, a popular MMORPG, has over 10 million subscribers, and in 2014 the total revenue was $1.04 billion US dollars.
Released in 2011, Star Wars: The Old Republic became the world’s ‘Fastest-Growing MMOG Ever,’ gaining more than 1 million subscribers in the first three days.
Common features
Modern MMORPGs share in their basics the same essential characteristics. These include the persistent game environment, social interaction within the game, in-game culture, system architecture, form of level progression, membership in a group, and character customization.
Genres
Most of the popular MMORPGs are based on traditional fantasy themes. Some employ mixed items that merge or replace fantasy elements with science fiction, anime, sword and sorcery, crime fiction, American comic book plots, the occult, and other genres. Among genres are also popular horror MMORPGs, vampire MMORPGs, and zombie games.
Progression
In nearly all MMORPGs, the player’s character development is the primary goal. The primary ways to earn experience points are monster combats, completing quests for non-player characters, and the accumulation of wealth (including combat-useful items). In some MMORPGs, a player’s level is unlimited, allowing him to continue the grinding experience indefinitely.
History of Creation
MMORPG is a term created by Richard Garriott for depicting massive multiplayer online role-playing games and their social communities. Earlier, these games were generally called graphical MUDs, and the MMORPGs history traces back directly through the MUD genre.
Through this connection, MMORPGs have roots in the earliest multi-user games, such as Maze War (1974) and MUD1 (1978). In 1985 a roguelike (pseudo-graphical) MUD called The Island of Kesmai was released on CompuServe and Lucasfilm’s graphical MUD Habitat.
Neverwinter Nights was the first fully graphical multi-user RPG, delivered through America Online in 1991 and personally championed by AOL President Steve Case.
Also, there are some free MMORPGs games, such as RuneScape and Tibia, where the game is free, but users would have to pay monthly to play the game with more features.
Development
In 2003, the developing cost of a competitive commercial MMORPG often exceeded $10 million. These projects require multiple layers within game design and development, such as user interfaces, client/server engineering, 3D modeling, 2D art, database architecture, animation, and network infrastructure. The front-end component of a commercial, modern MMORPG features 3D graphics.
MMORPGs include reliable systems for several vital tasks. The server must be able to prevent cheating, handle and verify a large number of connections, and apply bug fixes or added content to the game. Peer-to-peer MMORPGs could theoretically work efficiently in regulating server load. Still, practical issues such as asymmetrical network bandwidth, the unreliability of individual nodes, and inherent lack of security (opening fertile new grounds for cheating), CPU-hungry rendering engines can make them a difficult proposition.
Some independent MMORPGs are entirely open-source, while others contain proprietary content made with an open-source game engine. The Worldforge project has been active since 1998 and formed a community of independent developers who are working on creating a framework for several open-source MMORPGs.
Use of licenses
The use of intellectual property licensing in video game plots has also appeared in MMORPGs.
Types
Console-based MMORPGs
Phantasy Star Online for the Sega Dreamcast was the first console-based MMORPG. The first console-based open-world MMORPG was Final Fantasy XI for the PlayStation 2.
MMORPGs for Browser
With the development of Facebook and microtransactions has come a new wave of Flash and HTML5 based MMORPGs that use the free to play model. They do not require download outside of a browser and, as a rule, have heavily integrated social media sharing features.
MMORPGs for Mobile
Android and iOS smartphones with their GPS capabilities (amongst others) enable augmented reality games such as Ingress and Pokémon Go.
Top 10 MMORPGs 2020
- Final Fantasy XIV Online: A Realm Reborn. Platforms: PS4, Microsoft Windows, macOS
- Destiny 2. Platforms: Microsoft Windows, PS4, Xbox One
- ARK: Survival Evolved Platforms: PS4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, Android
- Dungeon Fighter Online Platforms: Microsoft Windows
- Elder Scrolls Online Platforms: Microsoft Microsoft Windows, macOS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Stadia
- Star Wars The Old Republic Platforms: Microsoft Windows
- Eve Online Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Linux, Macintosh operating systems
- Black Desert Online Platforms: Microsoft Windows PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Android, iOS
- Guild Wars 2 Platforms: Microsoft Windows, Macintosh operating systems
- World of Warcraft Platforms: Microsoft Windows, macOS
Economics
Real-world value to “virtual” items has had a profound influence on players and the game industry. Some people make a living by working in virtual economies. Game publishers prohibit the exchange of real-world money for virtual goods, but others actively promote the idea of linking and profiting from an exchange. It means that real money can be transferred for game money and vice versa. Anyway, linking real-world and virtual economies is rare in MMORPGs, as it is generally believed to be detrimental to gameplay.
MMORPGs in Crypto
The rise of the Blockchain and cryptocurrency industry fostered the development of a new kind of games called MMOCGs (massively multiplayer online crypto-coin games). Playing these games allow users to earn cryptocurrency.
Examples
- Huntercoin
The top-down 2D game has two goals for players: pick up coins and take them to a bank and kill other hunters. Platforms: Windows
- Storm
Storm is a game microtask platform to earn Bitcoin, Ether, and Storm. It consists of different tasks, from playing a game to watching a video or downloading an app. Every complete task gives you “Bolts,” which can be converted into one of the three cryptocurrencies. Platforms: Android, iOS
- Splinterlands
Stored on the Steem blockchain, Splinterlands is a card game where Winners of higher-level tournaments are paid in Steem, Steem Dollars, and rare cards. Platforms: Web