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MMOs.
MMO (Massive Multiplayer Online) games are one of the largest and most influential social games and a major genre. MMO's can be both heavily focused on gameplay (like WoW) or more focsed on socializing and creating a social space (like Second Life). The evolution of MMO's has changed how people communicate and socialize in gaming. -
First MMO released
Meridian 59, the first true MMO, was released, while it would soon be overshadowed by its' successors, it still operates today as one of the longest-running games of all time. -
The Assassination of Lord British
One of the most talked-about moments in MMO history, the assassination of NPC (Non-Player, or computer-controlled Character) Lord British in the game Ultima Online MMO was a famous moment as it both showed the ingenuity of players to subvert these games for social purposes, and also the ability for these games to generate stories and events of note. -
Ultima Online Released
Ultima Online, the first major MMO in the genre, is released to major acclaim. -
Habbo Hotel
Designed as a social community, Habbo has evolved over the years to fill many niches, but has maintained a large community following over its lifespan -
Maplestory
Maplestory stands out as one of the few games that had a major audience both in the Asian and Western markets, creating a truly worldwide social platform for its' game. -
EVE Online
One of the most Notorious MMOs still functioning, EVE online is famous for its gigantic scale, online gambling scandals, and the outrageous amounts of real-world money earned and spent inside the game world. -
ToonTown Online
Created by the media giant Disney, ToonTown was considered one of the first 'Family MMO's' though not reaching as massive an audience and with limited gameplay elements, it was an important stepping stone for kid-orientated social games. -
Second Life
Second life is one of the first and largest social MMOs ever created. With no gaming elements except those created by players, the game is designed to be a gigantic social area, connecting people across the world. -
Lineage II
One of the largest MMOs in the Asian market, Lineage II contributed much to the future styles of asian MMOs. -
Everquest II
A major hit in the Asian market, Everquest II's robust and play-driven economic system would later be studied for academic purposes as a case-study environment. -
World of Warcraft
The largest MMORPG of all time, WoW is the iconic MMO that continues to be a cultural icon in modern world. Though heavily focused on gameplay, the sheer size of the game lead to a huge social culture created around it. -
MMO Mechanics
As dial-up was beginning to be replaced by broadband, new aspects of MMOs began to emerge, more and more features could be added, hosues, trading, guilds, roleplaying, virtual currencies, game-specific tertiary sites, and more became more and more prevalent, augmenting both game-heavy and social-heavy MMOs alike. -
The Guiding Hand Social Club Incident
The EVE Online Social Club incident, the systematic destruction and theft of a rival game guild Ubiqua Seraph by the Guiding Hand, is notable for the sheer amount of goods lost related to real-world value. At the time of the raid, the goods stolen or destroyed equalled up to $16,000 USD, or several million in-game credits. The sheer scale of this raid would only be surpassed by even larger destruction in EVE in years to come. -
The Corrupted Blood Plague
Lasting from September 13-20, the Corrupted Blood Plage in World of Warcraft showcased how players react to social disasters in online worlds similarly to real-life. The plague, which would decimate the game-world and would later be used by the FDA as a case study in plague-management, is still remembered as a major event in MMO history. -
Club Penguin
Designed as a social MMO for kids, Club Penguin paved the way for more and more younger-orientated MMO's and was a gateway for many audiences to the world of MMOs. -
Star Wars: The Old Republic
One of the most anticipated MMO releases of recent years, SWTOR majorly increased the amount of player choice and interactivity with traditional game mechanics such as quests or loot. It also heavily featured increased player customization and interaction. -
MMOs Today
Today, MMO's have waned in popularity, but have also evolved and begun to combine with other game genres. Games like Destiny or The Division combine heavy gameplay with a large social aspect of playing with friends and teammates over long periods of time. Social-only MMOs are still very popular worldwide and traditional MMOs maintain a large popularity in Asian markets. The world of MMOs is here to stay.
