Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs for short) are a genre of video and computer games that involve many players logging into a server that is usually owned by the company that develops or publishes the game and playing in a virtual world. This world is ongoing. (It exists even if you aren't playing)
Most MMORPGs charge a monthly fee. Costs associated with running a MMORPG are for the servers used, for support staff, and for developers to create new content. The cost of developing and running a MMORPG can be high, but with ongoing monthly charges for players, the potential profit can be extraordinary as well.
History
MMORPGs are a step above Multiplayer Online Dungeons (MUDs), which are text-based multiplayer online games.
Popular Commercial MMORPGs
- Everquest
- World of Warcraft
- Final Fantasy XI
- Dark Age of Camelot
- City of Heros
- Ultima Online
- Anarchy Online
- Urban Dead
- Second Life
- EVE
- Guild Wars pay once, no monthly fees.
- Middle Earth Online
- Phantasy Star Online
- Phantasy Star Universe
- Industry Player massive multi-player online business simulation game.
- ToonTown Disney's cartoon theme MMORPG.
- Lineage II
Free MMORPGS
- Endless Online 2D anime style MMORPG.
- Fly for Fun
- Gaia Online
- Goonzu Online
- Gunz: The Duel
- Habbo
- Maple Story
- Scions of Fate
- Mu Online
- OZ online life simulator.
- Anarchy Online Free Version has in-game advertisements.
- Xiah asian martial arts MMORPG.
- RAN Online school campus based MMORPG.
- O2Jam musical MMORPG.
- Tibia 2D fantasy theme MMORPG
- Kal Online 3D oriental fantasy MMORPG
- Furcadia animal world theme MMORPG
- The Legend of Ares 3D medieval fantasy MMORPG.
- Shot Online massive multiplayer online golf game.
- Trickster Online
- Corum Online 3D fantasy theme MMORG
- Silkroad 3d fantasy theme MMORPG
- Oil Empire
- Space Cowboy Online
- Perfect World chinese MMORPG based on mythologies, cost 30 million dollars to develop.
- Runescape
- Knight Online