Massively multiplayer online games (MMOs) are online games with hundreds or thousands of players on a single server—but they’re better defined by popular titles like “Minecraft” or “World of Warcraft”. They typically involve exploring an open world and include role-playing aspects no matter the genre of the game. 

MMOs are over 30-years-old, their initial inspiration coming from multiplayer games like “Dungeons and Dragons” and similar tabletop games. The first MMO, “Mazewar,” went live in 1974 and allowed players to explore a maze while fending off other players. Throughout the 1970s, dozens of MMOs were published and played through the Advanced Research Projects Agency Network, better known as the ARPANET, a predecessor of the internet. As time went on, games’ worlds improved, often incorporating complex economic systems and allowing players free control to explore or create their own adventure. 

The worlds of MMOs are vast, with genres spanning from dystopian to fantasy and thousands of variations and combinations in between. Role-playing features play an immensely important role in the culture of MMOs—which is why most MMOs are also often classified as MMORPGs (the extra “RPG” standing for ‘role-playing game’). Nearly all games require players to interact with others to fully immerse or progress through the game. Most notably, role-playing features encourage players to befriend others, expanding the social development of certain worlds and setting the values and norms of a game.

Our generation is probably most familiar with games like Animal Jam, Club Penguin, Poptropica, or Wizard101—all of which my friends or I were obsessed with during our elementary and middle school days. MMOs were an equally relaxing and exciting escape from the woes of school and homework, and I made countless friends playing them, both in the real world and in online ones. 

These games all featured unique traits of their own, especially in terms of customization. Arcadia High School junior Sophia Nuñez recalled her favorite part of “Animal Jam” was “collecting plushies and decorating [her] house” Collecting clothing or furniture was an integral part of playing these games—not only to enhance characters’ appearances but rare or limited edition items often created a sort of social structure among players.

Memberships also divided player populations further into social hierarchies. Memberships are usually subscription-based payments that allow players more access to in-game features—ranging from better clothes, homes, or special events. Aside from playing with her friends in Animal Jam, junior Kenzie Rios enjoyed her membership that “unlocked extra animals that regular players couldn’t get.” 

Memberships not only unlocked exclusive items and features but placed players at the top of games’ social hierarchies. They were highly sought after, but many players were hacked as a result of becoming a member—especially in games dominated by younger players who have to ask a parent’s permission. Nuñez shared that after she “got her membership as a birthday gift” her account was sadly banned after she was hacked. 

The unique culture, economies, and social features of MMOs keep games entertaining for hours, and to this day I’ll occasionally log back to my favorites just to take a peek at my old home or see how worlds have changed. 

Photo courtesy of Axville on UNSPLASH.COM