Massively Multiplayer Online Games

Massively multiplayer online games (MMOs) are games played collaboratively in online simulated worlds that allow individuals to interact not only with in-game scripted content and challenges but also with other players. Popular MMO titles over the past decade include Ultima Online, EverQuest, Lineage, EVE Online, RuneScape, and World of Warcraft, the largest MMO on the market since 2004. In contrast to typical computer, console, and mobile games, MMOs are characterized by large populations of players interacting in the same digital space simultaneously, allowing collaborative and competitive forms of in-game play. Such graphical worlds for joint play evolved out of earlier text-based multiuser dungeons and commonly feature extensive 3D terrain for exploration, quests, and play. This entry discusses the features of MMOs and how they ...

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