What Are Massive Multiplayer Online Role-playing Games?

Since the birth of the internet, online games have been keeping thousands of people entertained worldwide. No matter what type of game you love - the World Wide Web has you covered. From Bingo to Checkers, there are hundreds of opportunities to connect with others and play twenty four hours a day. Recently, a new form of internet pleasure has become one of the most addicting and entertaining games of the year. For many, MMORPG and MUD games have taken over the industry.

For those who do not know, MMORPG actually stands for Massively-Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games. In simpler terms, this means that hundreds of users role play and are able to virtually interact with one another. Fortunately, there are dozens of different types of MMORPG games on the market. Many of these virtual role playing worlds include the ability to not only compete with other players in different countries, but to also personally get to know them. For many game addicts, it is an entirely different world - one that is much more peaceful and interesting than the one they live in. Generally, these role playing worlds tend to resemble a fairytale, complete with dragons and princesses.

While these games are widely popular today, they actually have been alive for many years. In the early 1970's, two gameaholics named Richard Bartle and Roy Trubshaw created a role playing game through early multi user domains. Many of these games were accessed by a Telnet service. Through this client, users were able to play as many role playing games as they'd like. As a result, more games began to appear around the world. The first mainstream product was sold to the public in 1984. The game, Islands of Kesmai, was extremely expensive, and the graphics were anything but impressive. However, as the market grew, hundreds of different services popped up. For instance, Meridian 59 was released in 1996 and created a massive following. While it was one of the first internet games, it actually allowed users to pay a subscription fee, rather than pay by the hour. This change in gaming made thousands of people switch to this form of MMORPG. Due to its uniqueness and customer satisfaction, the network actually still exists today and has more users than ever.

Since the early 1990's, MMORPG and MUD games have been swamping the internet. However, in the new millennium, technology has taken a giant leap in the gaming industry. With successes like Final Fantasy XI and Lineage II, users are able to not only see the game through the character's eyes, but have an entire experience with the world. It is incredible for a game lover to be able to fight dragons and other characters with other role playing users. With the constant evolution of games and the internet, it is not impossible for this particular industry to climb even higher and become even more successful. Soon these role playing games will turn into virtual reality havens; places for users to meet other users and characters on an entirely different level. The opportunities are certainly endless for every type of MMORPG.