Historical MMORPG. The history of the development of the MMORPG genre

Online games are a very common way to spend your free time. Their popularity has risen sharply with the advent of high-speed Internet and modern graphics technologies that make it possible to achieve mind-boggling beauties (albeit very rarely used, due to the outdated and limited resources of most users).

The first network shooter

The first online shooter was developed by John Daleske in 1973 year under the first system for e-learning "PLATO", and received a rather meaningful name - "Empire". In total, there were four races in the game, and the main task facing each player was the conquest of a galaxy consisting of 25 planets. And, of course, it was possible to do this only by defeating all their rivals.

It was a simple-looking, but rather complex shooter-style strategy with support for up to eight participants. Speaking of complexity, I do not mean intricate possibilities in the game, but complexity in control: all commands were entered by the players using the keyboard (and this despite the fact that this is a shooter!), The direction of the shot was set in degrees, and if you think that everything happened slowly - you are deeply mistaken: in fights, an experienced player performed 20 clicks per second, and only because the PLATO system could not process more.

However, Empire was not a full-fledged online game, in the modern sense of the word, because in those not so distant, but infinitely distant from us, times there was no Internet yet.

First online game

Since at that time the Internet was a large local network that existed mainly only at strategically important facilities and in the institutions that were involved in its development of a network for these same facilities, it is not surprising that we owe the first network games to American students.

AT 1975 Will Crowther creates the first text game based on the rules of the very first and popular Dungeons & Dragons universe (which is still alive in modern projects, the last of which is ).

Inspired by this, MIT students in 1977 create their own version of this game, and give it the name "Zork", which, when transferred to FORTRAN, was changed to "Dungeon".

AT 1979 European students Richard Bartle and Roy Trubshaw create a multiplayer version of this game and give it the name Multi-User Dungeon, create the world's first online game in the multiplayer world (MUD) genre. This genre can rightly be considered the progenitor of MMORPG, since it is an MMORPG, but only in text form. When transferred to FORTRAN, it was called "Dungeon".

AT 1980 In the same year, Dungeons of Kesmai was developed by two fellow students, John Taylor and Kelton Flynn. It was a similar game, but with a bigger future. Up to six people could play at the same time.

AT 1985 , when the first PC appeared and the TCP \ IP protocol was developed, John and Kelton decided to go further, and founded their own company, released an extended commercial version called "Dungeons of Kesmai, Island of Kesmai", thereby giving rise to a new era of the world industry and earning title of creators of the world's first commercial online game.

But, technology did not stand still, as did the competitors of the newly minted company, and in the same year, Island of Kesmai had a serious competitor from Lucasfilm Games - an online game "Habitat" with full graphics and user-friendly graphical interface.

AT 1988 Club Caribe was created, the world's first game with a subscription fee of $12 an hour (and you complain that you have to pay), and at the same time it was not much different from Habitat.

In the same year, the protocol for modern Internet chats was developed, which, of course, had a significant impact on the online gaming industry in the future.

In the 1990s with advent of the modern internet- WWW - began to develop rapidly and Online Games. Now that a browser and a graphical interface of operating systems appeared, everyone could use the Internet - thousands of people joined the communities of gamers, and dozens of new game projects entering the market every month began to fight for them ... and this process continues to this day.

AT 1991 appears first graphical online role-playing game- Neverwinter Nights. The game screen is divided into two parts: text and graphics.

AT 1998 appeared the first online game with 3-D graphics called "Everquest". Then the real boom of 3-D MMORPG began.

A lot of water has flowed under the bridge since then, and all this time technologies have been improving, which ultimately led to a split in the gaming industry into two segments: classic client-side and new browser-based ones, while these are no longer the same online games, thanks to which, at one time, the word "browser" has become a dirty word. See for yourself by trying out the free online games at the flash game site igrogid.com, where you can easily find something that suits you.

MMORPG is one of the most popular genres in the gaming industry market. There are a lot of large projects in which everything is recorded every day more people. We decided to go back to the origins of the genre and find the very first online MMORPG game. As a separate genre, the role-playing multiplayer online game began to be called in 1997. It was then that the Ultima Online is the very first online MMORPG game.

Richard Garriott is an American computer game developer who did a lot to develop this genre. He has worked not only in the Ultima Online project, but also in Lineage, one of the most popular role-playing games. Ultima Online came out in 1997 and is still afloat. For 17 years, Ultima Online continues to delight its players.

For all the time of its existence, ten global additions have been released. Ultima is one of the most diverse role-playing games out there right now. You can build own houses, light fires, use pets as mounts, kill other players and mobs. The action of the game takes place on a fragment of a fictional planet where the life of the Middle Ages reigns. Each player has a choice of several types of weapons, professions and their purpose in life.

If you are interested and want to know more information about the game Ultima Online, then these pictures and videos are especially for you.





Getting started in Ultima Online, interface overview and tutorials for beginners.

Why do some games fall into oblivion, while others are visible from afar after decades? Most likely, everyone will have their own answer to this. Some will argue about the quality of the product, the second will say about the lack of advertising or its performance, and the third will simply grumble once again that the games have “rolled down” for a long time. But, despite the general failure of many new ones, there are many games on the market that remain in demand to this day.

1. World of Warcraft

Unsurpassed in terms of popularity, the great and terrible World of Warcraft is still at the top of any top MMORPG gaming genre. Neither outdated graphics, nor a full-fledged subscription system, nor constant adjustments to the game balance interfere with this.

2: The Elder Scrolls Online

The appearance of "The Scrolls" in the form of an online game was only a matter of time. And relatively recently, the long-awaited phenomenon did happen. This allowed fans of the famous universe to tread on their favorite paths of Skyrim and Morrowind together, eating a sweet roll. Although The Elder Scrolls Online has not become the most popular MMORPG in the world, it is safe to say that among the classic representatives of the genre, this game takes second place today.

In short, the game itself is a hybrid of Skyrim and World of Warcraft. There is both a full-fledged epic story of the level of the main series, and many activities for co-op play. "Dungeons", world bosses, for the capital of the empire and much more.

But the game is valuable not only for all this and the quality of its performance. It is especially valuable that many locations from the Elder Scrolls universe first appear here (not counting Daggerfall). And they do it, sparkling with all the beauties of modern graphics. The Elder Scrolls Online has not officially been released, but thanks to amateur translation, many can plunge into this world in their native language.

3 Guild Wars 2

Guild Wars 2 is one of the most successful attempts to encroach on the throne of World of Warcraft. And although the throne remained in its place, this Western-style MMORPG gained considerable popularity. The developers from ArenaNet managed to dilute the familiar with fresh ideas, which allows the game to be successful for a long time.

For example, most of the quests in the game don't even need to be started from regular NPCs. Instead, players, while exploring, simply help each other, seamlessly connecting to the tasks already started. is also an interesting hybrid of Target and , and skills depend not only on the class, but also on the weapon. In general, Guild Wars 2 is a very solid project, which can only be overshadowed by the lack of localization. And both in fact and in plans.

4 Blade & Soul

5. Black Desert

Black Desert has become the boiling point of waiting for a revival. After and it was this game that suffered the title of the last hope of the genre. In our area, people updated computers and bought up early access kits, just to see firsthand everything promised by the developers. Of course, the game was not as perfect as expected.

All over the world, Black Desert occupies a deplorable position, but in the CIS it is the flagship of the latest MMORPGs. Such a popularity of the game is helped by a mind-blowing picture for the genre, the long-awaited free PvP and open world. The icing on the cake is one of the best Non-Target combat systems that even single players can envy. All this makes Black Desert one of the the most ideal options for those who are not familiar with this genre, but would like to learn it. The main thing is to be sure that the PC is capable of this.

6. Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn

Talking about the popularity of Final Fantasy is like talking about what a Nokia or a Mercedes is. And let the majority of players from the CIS scratch their heads, not understanding why the whole world is so crazy about every “Finals”, this does not interfere with the world itself. Therefore, Final Fantasy 14: A Realm, which is an MMORPG, deserves to be bathed in glory. But it didn’t take long for her to achieve success.

Initially released Final Fantasy 14 turned out to be of a quality that was far from corresponding to the eminent series. As a result, the authors of the game restarted it, adding the subtitle A Realm Reborn to the name. And the existence of the old world was stopped in a rather epic way by dropping a meteorite on it. Now the game pleases players with a unique colorful world, a class system that does not force characters to produce, and the atmosphere of an Asian fairy tale.

7.Aion

8. Neverwinter

Whatever the quality, it was simply destined to become popular. And the point here is not only in the huge financial injections from the Chinese from Perfect World, but also in the fact that this MMORPG is dedicated to the D&D universe. Fortunately, fans of the setting did not have to force themselves to play through tears, because the game turned out to be quite high quality. This is confirmed by the interest of gamers, which continues to this day.

Apart from famous world, Neverwinter offers a high-quality and dynamic Non-Target combat system. The level of her performance also did not let us down, in connection with which it is surprisingly pleasant to hit with swords and shoot with fireballs. The core of the gameplay is not built on the exploration of the open world, but on the passage of session quests. Often they are accompanied by interesting plot backgrounds, which are a pleasure to watch with friends.

9. RuneScape

The name RuneScape says little to most domestic players. However, this hybrid MMORPG, which works both in the browser and as a client, is quite popular in the world. This fact is confirmed by the fact that this creation of the Jagex studio was lucky enough to visit the Guinness Book of Records twice. Agree, not every game can boast of such.

It is very difficult to describe any differences between RuneScape and modern games. And all because at the time of the release of the first versions, the authors had to be almost pioneers in the MMORPG genre. Because, in fact, the game is a standard set of pumping, crafts, and PvP. However, this does not prevent this world from existing to this day, delighting the players.

10. Tera

Tera Online was another Korean game that was predicted to rehabilitate the MMORPG genre. And even though not all expectations were met, the high quality of execution makes this project quite popular so far. Well, in our realities, this is facilitated by full Russian-language localization.

And although Tera was one of the first MMORPGs with a Non-Target combat system, today it is far from being valuable for this. They come here for a truly fierce PvP, working according to the rules and foundations in the spirit of the old one. Guild wars, sieges and showdowns for swing places. Only the crazy Asian style of the game world and the content bias towards female characters can prevent you from enjoying all this.

11. Revelation Online

Following the Koreans, the Chinese do not stop trying to intercept records for MMORPG releases. And if most of these games remain popular in their homeland, then Revelation Online has reached our shores, remaining warmly received by domestic gamers.

Typical Asian cuteness with wings, mount kittens and whales intersects with many cruel things here. The most significant difference between the game and others are sieges, in which up to 5000 people can take part. Modern graphics, inclusions and interesting classes, among which there is even a fighter with firearms, complete the picture of popularity.

12. The Division

Few purebred MMORPGs deviate from the classic fantasy setting. Perhaps both this and the fact that The Division is made on AAA level contributes to its popularity. The game world is presented in the form of a closed quarantine due to the global spread of the deadly.

The selected time and genre frameworks naturally dispose to the use of "firearms" of various calibers. Get on the ears from the agents of the special squad will be a variety of fugitive criminals and other crazy personalities. You will have to shoot in the usual activities for MMORPGs like missions, randomly generated "dungeons" in the subway and, of course, the PvP-oriented "Dark Zone", famous for advertising trailers.

13. ArcheAge

The long-awaited, longed-for and, according to the dreams of those who expected it, the unsurpassed ArcheAge. A game of this magnitude has become popular, but why has this Korean MMORPG earned such attention? For starters, this is a picture that struck the imagination at the time of release. The 3.0 engine did a great job with both water spaces and lush forests with animals running through them.

The second point is the diversity and versatility of the gameplay. The authors of ArcheAge seem to have remembered everything that should be in an MMORPG and tried to bring it into their game. Here you can find farming, animal husbandry, guild wars, world bosses, naval battles and much more. Therefore, the above, together with the famous system of “Free” classes, are quite weighty reasons for the continued popularity of the game.

14. Allods Online

Domestic Allods Online was clearly created with an eye on World of Warcraft, which did not prevent them from becoming quite popular in our area. This MMORPG has been pleasing players both stylistically and gameplay for many years. The game world combines fantasy, ancient Russian myths, pro cliches and much more. All this diversity is strongly remembered and, holding a shaky balance, creates a unique picture.

The gameplay is not far from its progenitor. There are also two factions "Red" and "Blue", and pumping with quests, and the ubiquitous "Battlegrounds". But there is also a difference in this project, which is Astral. In the game world, guilds move on their own, which even participate in clashes with each other. All this makes Allods a rather interesting alternative to World of Warcraft, seasoned with a native spirit and recognizable things.

15 Albion Online

The game closes our selection, like which we have been waiting for a very long time. Albion Online offers a lot of what the genre lacks today. Therefore, the developed system of guilds and the lack of marks on everything that moves and what needs to be moved are just the tip of the iceberg.

The player-controlled economy completes the hardcore fabric. Within its framework, all resources and items are mined and created by the users themselves, without generating them from stores. The class system adds to the popularity of the game, in which the skills used are tied to armor and weapons, and not to the choice of development path.

All this, coupled with the developed guild PvP for loot zones, the construction of strongholds and fierce battles, makes Albion Onlne quite famous in player circles. This MMORPG allows you to experience everything that is now shown by only a few developers.

Special: Destiny 2

Destiny 2 is taken out of the main list of popular MMORPGs. This happened because even unlike The Division, the shooter part prevails here more strongly. Still, there is a place for her on this list and it is well deserved. A project of this level is naturally doomed to become noticeable and attractive to many gamers. Whether it will stand the test of time remains to be seen, but for now the game shines brightly and noticeably.

Destiny 2, like the first part, is a mixture of shooter and MMORPG. There are raids, classes, and even an epic storyline that continues the development of the early story that began. In addition, in comparison with its predecessor, both combat and role-playing systems have become deeper and more interesting. And the shooting turned out to be almost a masterpiece. In general, the game confirms the reputation of both Bungie and the famous series, which finally made it to the PC.

Of course, the list is not complete, because there are still a lot of MMORPGs on the market. Offhand, you can remember: Lineage 2, EVE Online, Runes of Magic, etc., etc. But the trick is that all these games are more famous than popular. While our list is pretty relevant today. You can be sure that in these games you will not get bored from loneliness.

, sword and magic, or crime novels. Also, MMORPGs can borrow material for the universe from American comics. (English), occult and other genres. In games, these aspects are often rethought and presented in the form of such typical tasks and situations as quests, monsters, and player loot. (English).

Development

In almost all computer games, the main goal of the player is to develop his character. For this, a development system is almost always used by accumulating experience points and using them to increase the “level” of the character, which has a positive effect on all his abilities. Traditionally, the main way to gain experience points is to hunt monsters and complete quests from NPCs. Characters can participate in these actions both in a group and alone. The accumulation of wealth (including items useful in battle) is also an element of development in MMORPG itself and is also often best achieved in battles. The game cycle defined by these principles (battles that open up new items, open up new battles, etc. without significant gameplay changes) is sometimes compared in a negative light to a rodent racing wheel, and is known among players as grind. The role-playing game Progress Quest was created as a parody of this situation. In EVE Online, the character learns skills depending on real time, experience points in it are not a measure of development.

In some MMORPGs, the maximum level of the character is not limited, which allows players to accumulate experience points indefinitely. In these MMORPGs, the most advanced characters are often glorified on the respective game's website, their names and stats are listed on the game's top achievement pages, and so on. Another common practice is to set a character's max level, often referred to as a "ceiling". After reaching it, the character development strategy changes. Instead of rewards in the form of experience points, the character will receive game currency or equipment after completing tasks and completing dungeons, which allows the player to keep the motivation to continue the game.

Often, with the development of a character, everything becomes available large quantity equipment, which allows you to give it a more aesthetic appearance, as well as highlight the achievements of a particular character. These sets of weapons and armor, known in the gaming community as "high-level", significantly add to the competitiveness of the character in both typical boss battles and in battles between players. The motivation of the players comes from the desire to be ahead of others in the possession of similar items, which are the determining factor in the success of all events related to battles.

Also typical of the genre is the emerging need to organize players into groups to ensure optimal development speed. Sometimes this leads to a change in the priorities of the player, who begins to avoid some events in the real world in order to "keep up" with the events of the virtual world. A good example in this case is the need to exchange items to achieve some goal or team battles against powerful enemies.

social interaction

MMORPG in without fail contain certain methods to facilitate communication between players. Many MMORPGs have a custom guild or clan system. If the game mechanics does not provide for such, players can independently form such associations, using, among other things, out-of-game means of communication. As a rule, such communities interact exclusively via the Internet, but sometimes cellular communications are also used, usually as an "emergency" way to urgently call clan members online. There are also gaming communities organized on a territorial basis or based on non-virtual social connections - friends (sometimes relatives), dormitory neighbors, students of some educational institution etc.

In most MMORPGs, access to certain parts of the game requires playing in a fairly well-played community. In such cases, each player must fulfill the role assigned to him, for example, to protect other players from damage (so-called "tanking"), to "heal" the damage taken by team members, or to deal damage to enemies.

As a rule, in MMORPGs there are Game Moderators (eng. Game moderators) or Game Masters (eng. Gamemaster), often called "GM" players (ge-ems, eng. GMs). They can be either employees of the game publisher or volunteers whose task is to oversee the game world. Some GMs may, however, have access to tools and information not intended or available to other players and roles. Relationships between players in MMORPGs can be as strong as those between friends or partners in real life, often with elements of cooperation and trust between players.

Role-playing game

Most MMORPGs offer the player a choice of different types of game classes. Among all players, only a small part practices acting out the role of their character, and, as a rule, the game has the necessary functions and content for this. To support RPG fans, there are community-created resources such as forums and guides.

culture

Over time, the once united community of MMOPRG fans has split into subcultures with their own slang and figures of speech, as well as unspoken lists of social rules and taboos. Players often complain about “grinding” or talk about “buffs” and “nerfs” (strengthening or weakening certain elements of game mechanics, respectively). Separate social rules apply to the player's entry into a traveling party, the correct division of loot, and the expected behavior of a player in a group.

There are discussions in various gaming media about the long-term impact of game abuse. The forums of the non-profit organization On-Line Gamers Anonymous are full of stories about gamers who have abandoned social and family responsibilities, who have lost their jobs for the sake of their "virtual life".

Architectural features

Most modern MMORPGs use a client-server network architecture. A permanently existing virtual world is maintained on the server, and players can connect to it through client programs. Through the client program, the player can access either the entire game world without restrictions, or only the basic part of the game, while access to some areas of the "extensions" of the game may require additional payment for this content. Examples of games using the second model are EverQuest and Guild Wars. Typically, players must purchase the client program once, but a growing trend for MMORPGs is to use a pre-available "thin client" like a browser.

Some MMORPGs require a monthly subscription to play. By definition, all "massively multiplayer" games take place online and require some form of ongoing income (selling a monthly subscription or showing users promotional materials) to support and further develop them. Games such as Guild Wars do not use a monthly subscription system, instead the user must purchase not only the game itself, but subsequent expansions for it. Another payment model is the micropayment system, whereby the main content of the game is provided for free, and players are encouraged to purchase optional add-ons such as character equipment, decorative items, animals. Games based on this model are often developed in Korea, such as FlyFF or MapleStory. This business model is also called pay for perks(rus. "pay for the benefits") or freemium, and the games themselves that work according to this model are promoted and described as free-to-play(rus. "play for free").

Depending on the number of players and architecture features, MMORPGs can run on multiple servers, each of which represents a separate independent game world, while players on different servers cannot interact with each other. A prime example here is World of Warcraft, where each server can accommodate several thousand playable characters. As a rule, in MMORPG the number of characters simultaneously present in the game world is limited to a few thousand. A good example of the reverse concept is EVE Online, where the server is capable of hosting several tens of thousands of players at times (over 60,000 in June 2010). In some games, once a character is created, it can freely move between worlds, but at any given time it can only be present on one server (for example, Seal Online: Evolution), in other games, the character can only be in the world where it was created. World of Warcraft features "inter-kingdom" (that is, server-to-server) PvP interactions on dedicated battlegrounds, using server clusters and "battlegroups" to assist and coordinate players who wish to engage in structured PvP content such as, for example, Warsong Gulch or Alterac Valley battlefields. Additionally, Patch 3.3, released on December 8, 2009, introduced a cross-server "group search" system that helps players create a group to access instance content (i.e. quests that are not available in the open world) from a larger number of players than "home" can offer character server. Subsequently, the interaction of characters from different servers went beyond instances and PvP content, and now players from different servers can intersect at many points in the game world.

Story

The authorship of the term "MMORPG" is attributed to Richard Garriott, the author of the game Ultima Online, who needed it to describe MMORPGs and the social communities built around them. Its authorship is confirmed by several authors, and the term itself dates back to 1997. Before the advent of this and similar neologisms, such games were usually called "graphic MUD", and the history of the MMORPG genre itself can be traced back to MUD games. Thus, some key elements of the MMORPG genre can be found in such early multiplayer worlds as Maze War (1974) and MUD1. (English)(1978). In 1985, the MUD roguelike game Island of Kesmai was released for CompuServe, as well as Lucasfilm's graphical MUD Habitat. The first fully graphical multiplayer RPG - Neverwinter Nights- has been distributed through AOL since 1991 with the personal approval of AOL President Steve Case (Steve Case). Another early example of multiplayer RPGs are three games for The Sierra Network: The Shadow of Yserbius (1992), The Fates of Twinion (1993) and The Ruins of Cawdor (1995).

An important event for the genre was the lifting of restrictions on the commercial use of NSFNet in 1995, which opened up wide expanses of the Internet for developers, thanks to which the first truly mass-oriented games could appear. Meridian 59 (1996) is believed to be the first MMORPG proper, with major innovations in terms of scale and first-person 3D graphics. Almost simultaneously with it, the game The Realm Online was released. Ultima Online (1997) is considered the first MMORPG to gain significant attention in the genre, however, EverQuest (1999) and Asheron's Call (1999) gained great popularity among Western audiences, and Nexus: The Kingdom of the Winds (1996) among Korean audiences.

Thanks to the financial success of the early MMORPGs, the genre has become and remains highly competitive. Now games of the MMORPG genre are also available on game consoles, and the quality of the gameplay has also increased. The modern market has been dominated by World of Warcraft from Blizzard Entertainment, which is the largest MMORPG. It is followed by Final Fantasy XIV and Guild Wars 2, followed by a variety of free-to-play MMORPGs supported by ads and in-game item sales. The free-to-play system is widespread among South Korean games, such as MapleStory, Rohan: Blood Feud and Atlantica Online. There are also free-to-play variations where the game itself is offered for free, and you only pay for an optional monthly subscription to additional features, such as RuneScape and Tibia. The exceptions are Guild Wars and its successor Guild Wars 2. To access these games, you do not need to buy anything more than the initial payment, which is done to increase the competitiveness against games with other payment systems.

Psychology

Despite the fact that game universes are virtual, the relationships between people in them are quite real, so MMORPGs are a good tool for psychological and sociological research. Clinical psychologist Sherry Turkle conducted surveys of computer users, including computer gamers. She found that many of these people have a broader emotional realm as she explored the many different roles (including gender identity) that many MMORPGs offer.

Nick Yee has interviewed over 35,000 MMORPG players over several years, focusing on the psychological and sociological aspects of games. The latest figures show that around 15% of players can become guild leaders from time to time, but most rate this role as difficult and thankless. These players, in their leadership role, spent a significant portion of their time allotted to the game performing tasks that were not directly related to the game, but were part of the metagaming (English) .

Many players noted that they experience very strong emotions while playing MMORPGs, for example, according to statistics, among the players, about 8.7% of men and 23.2% of women performed a game marriage. Other researchers have found that the enjoyment of a game depends on its social elaboration, from infrequent skirmishes between players to highly organized play in structured groups.

In their work, Zaheer Hussain and Mark Griffiths note that about one-fifth of gamers (21%) said they prefer online social relationships to real ones. Significantly more male players than women responded that they found online communication easier than in real life. More than 57% of players play as characters of the opposite sex, noting that a female character has a number of positive social traits.

Richard Bartle, Author famous work Designing Virtual Worlds (rus. development of virtual worlds), divides multiplayer RPG players into four main psychological types. Its classification was extended by Erwin Andreasen, who developed the concept into thirty questions on the Bartle test. (English), used to help determine which category a player belongs to. As of 2011, over 600,000 people have been surveyed, which likely makes this test one of the largest currently ongoing. Based on the research of Yi and Bartle, Jon Radoff published new model player motivation built around passion, competition and achievement. These features are present not only in MMORPGs, but also in many other games, forming the so-called. "field of gamification".

Economy

Many MMORPGs have an emerging economy. Virtual items and currency accumulate over the course of the game and have a definite value for the players. It is possible to study such a virtual economy by analyzing the log of the game's backend software, which is of value in economics research. More importantly, virtual economies can influence the real economy. A number of large consulting companies use multiplayer economic games such as Second Life and Virtonomics to analyze the behavioral patterns of their virtual markets in order to model and predict scenarios for the behavior of real consumer and financial markets.

One of the first researchers of this phenomenon was Edward Castronova, who showed that in virtual economies there is a supply and demand market that intersects with that in the real world. For this intersection to exist, the game must provide the following features:

The idea of ​​valuing game items with real-world currencies has had a profound effect on gamers, the gaming industry, and even the judiciary. One of the pioneers of the sale of virtual currency, IGE, received a lawsuit from a World of Warcraft player for introducing into the game economy due to the intention of using the game to sell game gold. In her first work, Kastranova notes the existence of a market (possibly illegal) for highly liquid in-game currencies, with the price of the Everquest game currency surpassing the market rate of the Japanese yen at the time. Some people make their living by exploiting virtual economies. These people are usually associated with farmers and may be employed in the relevant semi - legal organizations .

As a rule, publishers officially prohibit the exchange of game values ​​for real world money, although there are games in which the ideas of such exchanges (with the publisher making a profit) are widely promoted. For example, in the games Second Life and Entropia Universe, there is a direct connection between the real and game economies. This means that the game currency can be freely exchanged for real and vice versa. So, real-world items can be traded for Entropia Universe currency; there is also a known case when a Second Life player earned quite real US$ 100,000 in the virtual world.

However, virtual economies have a number of problems, the most acute of which are:

However, the merging of the real and game economies rarely occurs in MMORPGs, as it is considered to be detrimental to gameplay. If the wealth of the real world allows you to gain more and faster than skillful play, this leads to a decrease in interest in a complex role-playing game and a decrease in the "immersion" of users in the game. It also leads to an unfair gaming hierarchy where players who are richer in real life get better in-game items, allowing them to outperform stronger competitors and gain levels faster than other less well-to-do but more dedicated players.

Development

As early as 2003, the cost of developing a competitive commercial MMORPG often exceeded US$10 million. These games require the involvement of developers from different specialties, such as artists, 3D modelers, client-server subsystem developers, database specialists and network infrastructure specialists.

The front-ends (i.e. client program) of modern commercial MMORPGs use 3D graphics. As with other modern 3D games, the front-end requires experience with 3D engines, skillful real-time shaders, and physics simulation. The concept of graphical content (zones, creatures, characters, weapons, etc.) of the game is developed by artists in traditional 2D sketches, after which it is transferred to animated 3D scenes, models and texture maps.

When developing an MMORPG, specialists in the areas of client-server architecture, network protocols and security, and databases are needed. MMORPGs must include robust support systems for mission-critical functions. The server must be able to accept and verify several thousand connections, prevent cheating, and support changes to the game (fixing bugs and adding content). Also an important role is played by the system of saving game data at specified intervals without pausing the game process.

Support of the game requires a sufficient server park, Internet connection bandwidth, as well as special technical staff. Lack of resources leads to lag and user frustration, which can negatively affect the reputation of the game, which is especially critical during the launch period. Staff should also monitor server occupancy, keeping it within a range acceptable for gameplay by increasing or decreasing the number of game servers. Theoretically, when using peer-to-peer technology in an MMORPG, it is possible to regulate server load cheaply and effectively, but the problems encountered in practice (asymmetric connection speeds, resource-intensive game engines, unreliability of individual nodes, inherent security problems that open up wide opportunities for cheaters) make them implementation is extremely difficult. A commercial MMORPG host infrastructure can include hundreds (or even thousands) of servers. Creating a financially acceptable infrastructure for online gaming requires a minimum investment in equipment and networks that can serve a large number of players.

In addition, the creators of online games must be experts in fundamental areas such as world creation, mythology, game mechanics, and other game features that bring pleasure to users.

Independent development

Despite the fact that the bulk of all MMORPGs are developed by companies, small teams or individual authors also contribute to the development of the genre. As noted above, development is a significant investment and time-consuming effort, and game support is a long-term responsibility. As a result, the development of an independent (or "indie") MMORPG is not as common as other genres. However, there is a significant number of independent MMORPGs, made in different genres, offering different types gameplay and payment system.

Some independent MMORPGs follow the principles of open source entirely, others use proprietary content and open game engines. Around the WorldForge project, opened in 1998, a community of independent developers has formed, aimed at creating a system basis for a number of open-source MMORPGs. Multiverse Network is also developing a network platform that takes into account the features of independent MMOGs.

Trends

In view of the existence a large number significantly different MMORPGs, as well as the rapid development of the genre, it is difficult to determine the prevailing general trends. However, some developments are quite obvious. As one of these, you can call the performance of tasks by a raid group (or simply - "raid"), which is a quest designed for large groups of players (often twenty or more).

Dedicated zones on demand

Dedicated zones on demand (eng. instance dungeon, slang "instances") - game areas, "copied" at the request of individual players or groups, in which game interaction with the rest of the game world is impossible. This reduces the level of gaming competition, and also reduces the amount of data sent over the network, which reduces the lag. The first game where some semblance of such zones appeared was The Realm Online. In Anarchy Online, this technology has been significantly developed, becoming one of the key elements of the gameplay. Starting with this game, dedicated zones in MMORPGs have become commonplace. In the "raids" mentioned above, this technology is often used. Examples of games using dedicated zones are World of Warcraft, The Lord of the Rings Online, EverQuest, EverQuest II, Aion, Guild Wars, RuneScape, Star Trek Online, and DC Universe Online.

User Content

Licensing

In addition to this, there are a number of MMORPGs based on TV product licenses, such as Star Trek Online and the canceled Stargate Worlds.

MMORPG for game consoles

The first MMORPG designed specifically for a video game console was Phantasy Star Online for the Sega Dreamcast. The first open world console MMORPG was Final Fantasy XI for the PlayStation 2. EverQuest Online Adventures for PlayStation 2 was the first MMORPG for game consoles to be released in the US. Since the development of an MMORPG for a game console is considered to be of increased complexity, each such project attracts increased attention.

Browser MMORPGs

The first browser-based MMORPG was Tale, launched in 1999. and still working (its continuation is the Legend game) [ ] . The game was conceived as a new kind of MUD that works in the browser and is more convenient for the player. The game Tale marked the beginning of the development of a certain genre of browser games (where the game is combined with a chat) from which such well-known games as Fight Club and its multiple clones went. Particularly noteworthy is the fact that the main emphasis of the gameplay in Tale is on traveling around the vast world and PvE battles, while the entire Fight Club is built on PvP battles. Therefore, it is impossible to call these games similar, although they are united by a similar appearance at first glance. And yet, when you hear the word “browser”, it is often these games that are meant. At first, such browser games were completely free, but subsequently began to use the Free-to-play model.

With the widespread popularity of social networks such as Facebook, a second wave of browser-based MMORPGs based on Adobe Flash and HTML5 technologies appeared. The beginning of this second wave was laid by browser games already known at that time, which were integrated into social networks to attract new players.

MMORPG for smartphones

In 2007, when smartphones and app stores hit the market, games underwent another rapid evolution. It has not only changed the way people play games, but it has also made the gaming industry a mainstay of pop culture. In 2008, Russian developers were the first to create a full-fledged MMORPG Warspear Online (English) for smartphones running Symbian and Windows Mobile. Then these Operating Systems were leading and occupied respectively 65% ​​and 12% of the market. The game is an example of a classic cross-platform fantasy MMORPG with pixel art and is now ported to all popular platforms: Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Windows and Linux. The next attempt to enter smartphones with MMORPG was the Chinese Anrufen Online. Its first release on Symbian took place in 2009 . Fast development mobile technology over the past decade have led to the explosive growth of the mobile gaming market. For example, in 2017, 250+ MMORPG games are presented on Google Play: with 2D and 3D graphics, various features gameplay, in a fantastic and fantasy style. However, games with classic gameplay and following the canons of the genre, shaped by games such as Ultima Online and World of Warcraft, are still relatively few.

AMMORPG

The name stands for "action-MMORPG" (eng. Action massively multiplayer online role-playing game). In this kind of RPG, you need a fast reaction time to dodge enemy attacks.

Notes

  1. Parks Associates. Online Gaming Revenues to Triple by 2009 (indefinite) (2005).
  2. Harding-Rolls, Piers. Western World MMOG Market: 2006 Review and Forecasts to 2011. - London, UK: Screen Digest, 2006.
  3. Harding-Rolls, Piers. Subscription MMOGs: Life Beyond World of Warcraft (English) . - London, UK: Screen Digest, 2009.
  4. Reilly, Luke World of Warcraft Subscriptions Back Over 10 Million (indefinite) . IGN(November 19, 2014). Retrieved September 9, 2019.
  5. Star Wars: The Old Republic Jumps to Light Speed ​​(NASDAQ:EA) (indefinite) . Investor.ea.com (December 23, 2011).
  6. Rundle, Michael Star Wars: The Old Republic Is "Fastest-Growing MMO Ever" With 1m Users (indefinite) . Huffington Post (December 27, 2011).
  7. Mulligan, Jessica. Developing Online Games: An Insider's Guide / Jessica Mulligan, Bridgette Patrovsky. - New Riders, 2003. - P. 474, 477. - " experience points A point value that is accumulated by gameplay activity such as leveling and is used as a measure of a character's power. Popularized by the classic dice version of TSR's Advanced Dungeons & Dragons back in the 1970s and carried over to online gaming by designers. level A rank or rating of a character"s power. [...] leveling Activity in-game dedicated to increasing a character's experience, level, and/or skills. Leveling usually consists of killing mobs.". - ISBN 1-59273-000-0.
  8. Nicholas, Munn J. "The Reality of Friendship Within Immersive Virtual Worlds." Springer Science+Business Media (2011): 1-10. Web. Oct 24 2013.
  9. R. Schroeder & A. Axelsson. The Psychology of MMORPGs: Emotional Investment, Motivations, Relationship Formation, and Problematic Usage// Avatars at Work and Play: Collaboration and Interaction in Shared Virtual Environments . - London: Springer-Verlag, 2006. - P. 187-207. - ISBN 1-4020-3883-6.
  10. Jøn, A. Asbjørn. The Development of MMORPG Culture and The Guild (neopr.) // Australian Folklore: A Yearly Journal of Folklore Studies. - 2010. - T. 25. - pp. 97-112., p.97
  11. This Weekend: The Alliance Tournament Finals! (indefinite) (unavailable link). Date of treatment January 25, 2014. Archived from the original on February 18, 2015.
  12. World of Warcraft Europe -> Info -> Basics -> Battlegroups
  13. World of Warcraft Europe -> Patch Notes - Patch 4.0.1 - 4.0.3a
  14. Safko, Lon. The Social Media Bible: Tactics, Tools, and Strategies for Business Success / Lon Safko, David Brake. - Wiley, 2009. - "Richard Garriott first coined the term MMORPG in 1997.". - ISBN 0-470-41155-4.
  15. Castronova, Edward. Synthetic Worlds: The Business and Culture of Online Games. - University Of Chicago Press, 2006. - P. 10, 291. - « The ancestors of MMORPGS were text-based multiuser domains (MUDs) [...] Indeed, MUDs generate perhaps the one historical connection between game-based VR and the traditional program [...]". - ISBN 0-226-09626-2.
  16. Bainbridge, William Sims. Berkshire Encyclopedia of Human-Computer Interaction. - Berkshire Publishing Group, 2004. - Vol. 2. - P. 474. - “Developers had long considered writing a graphical MUD. [...] the last major 2D virtual environment in the West marked the true beginning of the fifth age of MUDs: Origin Systems" 1997 Ultima Online (UO).". - ISBN 0-9743091-2-5 .
  17. Mulligan, Jessica. Developing Online Games: An Insider's Guide / Jessica Mulligan, Bridgette Patrovsky. - New Riders, 2003. - P. 447. - "1985 [...] "My memory says that Island of Kesmai went live on CompuServe on December 15, 1985, after a very long internal test. The price was actually $6 an hour for 300 baud, $12 for 1200 baud. Serious players paid the bucks." -Kelton Flynn". - ISBN 1-59273-000-0.
  18. Coster, Raph Online World Timeline (indefinite) . Raph Koster's Website(February 20, 2002).
  19. Snow, Blake World of Warcraft addicts 10 million subscribers (indefinite) . GamePro.com (January 23, 2008).
  20. Turkle, Sherry (English)Russian. Life on the Screen: Identity in the Age of the Internet (English) . - Simon & Schuster, 1997. - ISBN 0-684-83348-4.
  21. Yee, Nick. Life as a Guild Leader (indefinite) . The Daedalus Project(March 20, 2006).