Massively Multiplayer Online Game
Game genre theme
Multiplayer games that are capable of supporting hundreds or thousands players simultaneously.
718
games
25platforms
Alternate names: MMO, MMOG, Persistent Online Game
PS2 2003-11
WIN 2012-02-29
WIN 2013-10-23
WIN 2008-02-28
LIN 2013
WIN 2009-09-22
WIN TBA 2014
PS2 2003-02
LIN 2001-06-27
WIN 2011-12-20
WIN 2008-11-28
WIN 2008
Editor/usage note: In recent years (2012 onward, possibly even earlier), MMO has become a term used to refer to simply multiplayer games, thus its usage is often very misleading and vague.
The term "massively multiplayer online role-playing game" (MMORPG) was coined by Richard Garriott of Ultima fame. This style of game was formally called "graphical MUDs".
Mandatory traits:
* Persistent world - world continues to operate even when the player disconnects and is there when they reconnect the next day, changes made by the players are somewhat permanent.
* Hundreds of concurrent players on same server/shard where they can interact with each other. - not when they're separated into instances of 4-32 players each, even if on same server.
If either of the above is missing, then it's not an MMO.
Traits that indicate it is NOT an MMO: (not exclusive as MMOs may have extra modes where these are present, but they're really good indicators)
* Player lobby
* Matchmaking
* Persistent world - world continues to operate even when the player disconnects and is there when they reconnect the next day, changes made by the players are somewhat permanent.
* Hundreds of concurrent players on same server/shard where they can interact with each other. - not when they're separated into instances of 4-32 players each, even if on same server.
If either of the above is missing, then it's not an MMO.
Traits that indicate it is NOT an MMO: (not exclusive as MMOs may have extra modes where these are present, but they're really good indicators)
* Player lobby
* Matchmaking
Popular tags
actionadventure actionrpg adventurerpg arenashooter arg cardbattle cards citybuilding dungeoncrawler fallingblocks firstpersonshooter hackandslash interactivefiction lifesimulation match3 mud realtimestrategy roguelike rpg sandbox spacecombatsim stacsim tactical tacticalrpg twinstickshooter vehicularcombat virtualpetsParent groups
Child groups
Games by year
A | 1986 - First graphical MMO |
The first Massively Multiplayer Online Game video game was released in 1987.
Sony Online Entertainment, Square Enix and Electronic Arts published most of these games.