Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game

Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs for short) are a genre of role-playing video 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 game world is persistent, meaning it exists even when you aren't playing.

Most MMORPGs charge a monthly fee, though many new MMORPGs have systems where the game is both free to download and free to play, but the player pays real money for in-game items or services. The cost of developing and running a MMORPG can be high and include the price and maintenance of the servers used, customer and technical support, and developing fresh in-game content. However, with ongoing monthly charges for players or other persistent financial structure, the potential profit can be extraordinary as well.

Many MMORPGs are designed to be addictive in quality, with a 'grinding' system that requires a player to perform a repetitive task for, at high levels, sometimes days of playtime before gaining a substantive reward. The constantly-growing nature of some popular MMORPG storylines also means there is no real 'end' to the game other than hitting the maximum allowed character level and waiting for the next addition to the storyline to be put up. This addictive quality, deliberately planned into the games to keep players in (because most MMORPGs have very little actual 'fun' involved past the first few levels, if that), can and has caused players to give up essentials in their lives in order to keep playing. World of Warcraft is perhaps the worst offender, with stories having hit headlines about players leaving their spouses and selling their homes in lieu of leaving the game for good.

## Contents

* 1 History
* 2 Violence
* 3 Commercial MMORPGs
* 4 Free MMORPGS

## History[edit]

MMORPGs are considered the next step from Multi-User Dungeons (MUDs), which are text-based multiplayer online games, since MMORPGs are graphics based.

## Violence[edit]

MMORPGs have a tendency to be violent and sometimes graphic. Some MMORPGs have objectionable content such as nudity or innuendo, while others do not.

## Commercial MMORPGs[edit]

(Due to the growth of this genre, this list will always be incomplete)

* 9 Dragons Korean company developed MMORPG
* Anarchy Online
* Asheron's Call
* AWplanet
* City of Heroes/City of Villains (abbreviated collectively as CoX)
* Club Penguin MMORPG for children.
* Cronous: The Shadow of Conspiracy
* BlockStarPlanet Sandbox MMORPG Combo
* Dark Age of Camelot
* Dark Ages MMORPG based on Celtic mythology and horror writings of H. P. Lovecraft.
* DarkSpace sci-fi outer-space MMORPG.
* Dungeons & Dragons Online: Stormreach
* EVE Online
* Everquest
* Face of Mankind sci-fi MMORPG
* Final Fantasy XI
* Fung Wan Online MMORPG developed by Hong Kong company.
* Guild Wars pay once, no monthly fees.
* Horizons: Empire of Istaria
* Industry Player massive multi-player online business simulation game that focuses on the "carbon footprint" of businesses and the in-game effects of man-made global warming.
* Lineage II
* Lunia: Record of Lunia war
* Magical Land Chinese MMORPG
* Middle Earth Online
* MovieStarPlanet Hollywood themed MMORPG
* Myst Online: Uru Live
* Navy Field naval combat MMORPG set during World War II.
* Neocron world's first cyber-punk theme MMORPG.
* Phantasy Star Online
* Phantasy Star Universe
* Ragnarok Online 2D anime theme MMORPG
* Rise: The Vieneo Province
* Roma Victor historically authentic MMORPG based on the Roman Empire; pay once, no monthly fee.
* Second Life
* Soul of the Ultimate Nation fantasy theme MMORPG developed by Korean company.
* Star Wars Galaxies
* The Lord of the Rings Online: Shadows of Angmar
* The Matrix Online
* ToonTown Disney's cartoon theme MMORPG.
* Travian
* Ultima Online
* Urban Dead
* Warhammer online
* World of Warcraft

## Free MMORPGS[edit]

(Due to the growth of this genre, this list will always be incomplete)

* Anarchy Online Free Version (has in-game advertisements)
* Corum Online 3D fantasy theme MMORPG
* Dark & Light
* DarkSwords
* Dofus 2D anime theme MMORPG.
* Endless Online 2D anime style MMORPG.
* Fly for Fun
* Furcadia animal world theme MMORPG
* GalaXseeds cartoon theme MMORPG for preteens
* Goonzu Online
* Gunz: The Duel
* Habbo Hotel
* Kal Online 3D oriental fantasy MMORPG
* Knight Online
* MapleStory
* Mu Online
* O2Jam musical MMORPG
* Oil Empire
* Perfect World Chinese MMORPG based on mythologies, cost 30 million dollars to develop.
* Quake Live First Person Shooter
* RAN Online School campus based MMORPG.
* Regnum Online MMORPG from Argentina, available in English and Spanish. Free to play, with certain "premium items" (mostly cosmetic- and convenience-related) sold for real money.
* RuneScape
* Scions of Fate
* Shot Online Massive multiplayer online golf game.
* Silkroad 3d fantasy theme MMORPG
* Space Cowboy Online
* The Empire of Martial Heroes
* The Legend of Ares 3D medieval fantasy MMORPG.
* Tibia 2D fantasy theme MMORPG
* Trickster Online
* Xiah Asian martial arts MMORPG.