Massively Multiplayer Online Game
Game genre theme
Multiplayer games that are capable of supporting hundreds or thousands players simultaneously.
705
games
24platforms
Alternate names: MMO, MMOG, Persistent Online Game

WIN 2007-11-20

PS3 2013-08-27

WIN 2009-10-31

WIN 2005-09-05

WWW 2005

WWW 2009-04-24

LIN 2012-02-29

WIN 2007

LIN ? *

WIN 2006-06

WIN 2010-02-12

WIN 2011-02-04
The first video game about Massively Multiplayer Online Game was released in 1987.
Sony Online Entertainment, Square Enix and Electronic Arts has published most of these games
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
Parent groups
Corrupted terms, MultiplayerChild groups
MUD, Pay-once MMOcompare with these groups
Platforms
By year
A | 1986 - First graphical MMO |