| Since the birth of the internet, online games have been | | | | as they'd like. As a result, more games began to |
| keeping thousands of people entertained worldwide. | | | | appear around the world. The first mainstream product |
| No matter what type of game you love – the | | | | was sold to the public in 1984. The game, Islands of |
| World Wide Web has you covered. From Bingo to | | | | Kesmai, was extremely expensive, and the graphics |
| Checkers, there are hundreds of opportunities to | | | | were anything but impressive. However, as the market |
| connect with others and play twenty four hours a day. | | | | grew, hundreds of different services popped up. For |
| Recently, a new form of internet pleasure has | | | | instance, Meridian 59 was released in 1996 and |
| become one of the most addicting and entertaining | | | | created a massive following. While it was one of the |
| games of the year. For many, MMORPG and MUD | | | | first internet games, it actually allowed users to pay a |
| games have taken over the industry. | | | | subscription fee, rather than pay by the hour. This |
| For those who do not know, MMORPG actually | | | | change in gaming made thousands of people switch to |
| stands for Massively-Multiplayer Online Role-Playing | | | | this form of MMORPG. Due to its uniqueness and |
| Games. In simpler terms, this means that hundreds of | | | | customer satisfaction, the network actually still exists |
| users role play and are able to virtually interact with | | | | today and has more users than ever. |
| one another. Fortunately, there are dozens of different | | | | Since the early 1990's, MMORPG and MUD games |
| types of MMORPG games on the market. Many of | | | | have been swamping the internet. However, in the |
| these virtual role playing worlds include the ability to not | | | | new millennium, technology has taken a giant leap in |
| only compete with other players in different countries, | | | | the gaming industry. With successes like Final Fantasy |
| but to also personally get to know them. For many | | | | XI and Lineage II, users are able to not only see the |
| game addicts, it is an entirely different world – | | | | game through the character's eyes, but have an entire |
| one that is much more peaceful and interesting than | | | | experience with the world. It is incredible for a game |
| the one they live in. Generally, these role playing worlds | | | | lover to be able to fight dragons and other characters |
| tend to resemble a fairytale, complete with dragons | | | | with other role playing users. With the constant |
| and princesses. | | | | evolution of games and the internet, it is not impossible |
| While these games are widely popular today, they | | | | for this particular industry to climb even higher and |
| actually have been alive for many years. In the early | | | | become even more successful. Soon these role |
| 1970's, two gameaholics named Richard Bartle and | | | | playing games will turn into virtual reality havens; places |
| Roy Trubshaw created a role playing game through | | | | for users to meet other users and characters on an |
| early multi user domains. Many of these games were | | | | entirely different level. The opportunities are certainly |
| accessed by a Telnet service. Through this client, | | | | endless for every type of MMORPG. |
| users were able to play as many role playing games | | | | |