The world of multiplayer online gaming has exploded over the past few years. Fifteen years ago, when many multiplayer online games first began, high speed internet was not widespread. Because of this, online gaming was very limited. Dial up internet speeds simply could not handle the large amount of data that needed to be send back and forth between a person’s computer and the gaming server.
However, once DSL and cable internet connections became commonplace, multiplayer online games became very popular. Many of these games are role playing games, or MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games). One of the first was EverQuest. EverQuest allowed players to create their own character in a fantasy world full of dragons, magic, and monsters. The game presented players with a number of tasks (called quests) and with cities and lands to explore. Players could interact with each other and work together to complete these quests and defeat strong monsters. In fact, gamers could band together to form guilds that were capable of defeating the strongest enemies by working together.
Following EverQuest’s popularity, many other multiplayer online games hit the market. Today, two of the most popular MMORPGs are Final Fantasy XI by Square-Enix and World of WarCraft by Blizzard Entertainment. World of WarCraft, in fact, is so popular that there are over 11.5 million subscribers around the world. These two games function in a similar way to EverQuest. World of WarCraft, for example, is set in a fantasy world where players can play as a human, an elf, a dwarf, and more.
While it may sound like most multiplayer online games are based on fantasy worlds, not all of them are. The City of Heroes/City of Villains series, for example, is set in a world very similar to our own. Players can create a superhero or a supervillain and then either protect their city or try to destroy it. These characters are similar to popular superheroes like Superman.
One of the downsides to all of these multiplayer online games is that they all require monthly subscription fees. However, recently, companies have been producing online games that are free. RuneScape, for example, is a free to play MMORPG. The graphics are generally not as great as those found in paid games, but the main idea of players working together to complete tasks is still the same. For those who have never played a multiplayer game before, these free games are a great way of testing the waters.
