MMORPGs

MMORPGs_retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MMORPG 15/01/2008



Massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) is a genre of online computer role-playing games (CRPGs) in which a large number of players interact with one another in a virtual world.



As in all RPGs, players assume the role of a fictional character (most commonly in a fantasy world),[1] and take control over many of that character's actions.[2] MMORPGs are distinguished from single-player or small multi-player CRPGs by the number of players, and by the game's persistent world, usually hosted by the game's publisher, which continues to exist and evolve while the player is away from the game.



MMORPGs are very popular throughout the world, with combined global memberships in subscription and non-subscription games exceeding 15 million as of 2006.[3] Worldwide revenues for MMORPGs exceeded half a billion dollars in 2005,[4] and Western revenues exceeded one billion USD in 2006.[5]





Depending on the number of players and the system architecture, a MMORPG might actually be run on multiple separate servers, each representing an independent world, where players from one server cannot interact with those from another. In many MMORPGs the number of players in one world is often limited to around a few thousands, but a notable example of the opposite is EVE Online which accommodated around 200,000 players in the same world as of August 2007 and 41,690 users online in December 2007.[10]



Ultima Online, released in 1997, may be credited with first popularizing the genre,[11] though Nexus: The Kingdom of the Winds was primarily responsible for mainstream attention throughout Asia which was released in 1996, about a year earlier than Ultima Online. It was EverQuest that brought MMORPGs to the mainstream in the West.[11]



Sherry Turkle, a clinical psychologist, has conducted interviews with computer users including game-players. Turkle found that many people have expanded their emotional range by exploring the many different roles (including gender identities) that MMORPGs allow a person to explore.[13]



Many players report that the emotions they feel while playing an MMORPG are very strong, to the extent that 8.7% of male and 23.2% of female players in a statistical study have had an online wedding.[16]



Other researchers have found that the enjoyment of a game is directly related to the social organization of a game, ranging from brief encounters between players to highly organized play in structured groups.[17



Game publishers usually prohibit the exchange of real-world money for virtual goods. However, a number of products actively promote the idea of linking (and directly profiting from) an exchange. Some players of Second Life have generated revenues in excess of $100,000.[24] However, in the case of Entropia Universe, the virtual economy and the real-world economy are directly linked. This means that real money can be deposited for game money and vice versa. Real-world items have also been sold for game money in Entropia.



Some of the issues confronting online economies include:



* The use of "bots" or automated programs, that assist some players in accumulating in-game wealth to the disadvantage of other players.[25]

* The use of unsanctioned auction sites, which has led publishers to seek legal remedies to prevent their use based on intellectual-property claims.[26]

* The emergence of virtual crime, which can take the form of both fraud against the player or publisher of an online game, and even real-life acts of violence stemming from in-game transactions.[27]



Trends as of 2008

One of these developments is the raid group quest, or "raid",[36] which is an adventure designed for large groups of players (often twenty or more).!!paul!!

Another is the use of instance dungeons. These are game areas that are "copied" for individual groups, which keeps that group separated from the rest of the game world.

Increased amounts of "Player-created content" may be another trend.[37]

The use of licenses, common in other video game genres, has also appeared in MMORPGs.

The introduction of free trials, making titles into shareware, has also become more common, as developers expect that players will become "hooked" by their worlds and begin to pay for them.

Another trend that has shown great presence in MMORPGs is "player-driven" gameplay. Player-driven gameplay relies on the players themselves for events and wars, instead of having these things come from non-player characters (NPCs).



the average MMORPG development project requires enormous investments of time and money, and running the game can be a long-term commitment. As a result, non-corporate (or independent, or "indie") development of MMORPGs is less common compared with other genres.



The Multiverse Network is also creating a network and platform specifically for independent MMOG developers.[41] The Torque MMO Kit can be used to create massive multiplayer online roleplaying games and is intended for indie developers who can't afford or don't want to pay for expensive engines. [42]