<s>
The	O
history	B-Architecture
of	I-Architecture
massively	I-Architecture
multiplayer	I-Architecture
online	I-Architecture
games	I-Architecture
spans	O
over	O
thirty	O
years	O
and	O
hundreds	O
of	O
massively	B-Application
multiplayer	I-Application
online	I-Application
games	I-Application
(	O
MMOG	B-Application
)	O
titles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
origin	O
and	O
influence	O
on	O
MMO	B-Application
games	I-Application
stems	O
from	O
MUDs	B-Application
,	O
Dungeons	O
&	O
Dragons	O
(	O
D&D	O
)	O
and	O
earlier	O
social	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1974	O
,	O
Mazewar	B-Application
introduced	O
the	O
first	O
graphic	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
,	O
providing	O
a	O
first-person	O
perspective	O
view	O
of	O
a	O
maze	B-Application
in	O
which	O
players	O
roamed	O
around	O
shooting	O
at	O
each	O
other	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Adventure	B-Application
,	O
created	O
in	O
1975	O
by	O
Will	O
Crowther	O
on	O
a	O
DEC	B-Device
PDP-10	I-Device
computer	O
,	O
was	O
the	O
first	O
widely	O
played	O
adventure	B-Application
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Adventure	B-Application
contained	O
many	O
D&D	O
features	O
and	O
references	O
,	O
including	O
a	O
computer	O
controlled	O
dungeon	B-Device
master	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Inspired	O
by	O
Adventure	B-Application
,	O
a	O
group	O
of	O
students	O
at	O
MIT	O
,	O
in	O
the	O
summer	O
of	O
1977	O
wrote	O
a	O
game	O
called	O
Zork	B-Application
for	O
the	O
PDP-10	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Zork	B-Application
was	O
ported	O
under	O
the	O
name	O
Dungeon	O
to	O
FORTRAN	B-Application
by	O
a	O
programmer	O
working	O
at	O
DEC	O
in	O
1978	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1978	O
Roy	B-Protocol
Trubshaw	I-Protocol
,	O
a	O
student	O
at	O
Essex	O
University	O
in	O
the	O
UK	O
,	O
started	O
working	O
on	O
a	O
multi-user	O
adventure	B-Application
game	O
in	O
the	O
MACRO-10	O
assembly	O
language	O
for	O
a	O
DEC	B-Device
PDP-10	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
named	O
the	O
game	O
MUD	B-Application
(	O
Multi-User	B-Application
Dungeon	I-Application
)	O
,	O
in	O
tribute	O
to	O
the	O
Dungeon	O
variant	O
of	O
Zork	B-Application
,	O
which	O
Trubshaw	O
had	O
greatly	O
enjoyed	O
playing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Trubshaw	O
converted	O
MUD	B-Application
to	O
BCPL	B-Language
(	O
the	O
predecessor	O
of	O
C	B-Language
)	O
,	O
before	O
handing	O
over	O
development	O
to	O
Richard	O
Bartle	O
,	O
a	O
fellow	O
student	O
at	O
Essex	O
University	O
,	O
in	O
1980	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MUD	B-Application
,	O
better	O
known	O
as	O
Essex	B-Protocol
MUD	I-Protocol
and	O
MUD1	B-Protocol
in	O
later	O
years	O
,	O
ran	O
on	O
the	O
Essex	O
University	O
network	O
until	O
late	O
1987	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
popularity	O
of	O
MUDs	B-Application
of	O
the	O
Essex	O
University	O
tradition	O
escalated	O
in	O
the	O
USA	O
during	O
the	O
1980s	O
when	O
affordable	O
personal	B-Device
computers	I-Device
with	O
300	O
to	O
2400	O
bit/s	O
modems	B-Application
enabled	O
role-players	O
to	O
log	O
into	O
multi-line	O
Bulletin	B-Application
Board	I-Application
Systems	I-Application
and	O
online	O
service	O
providers	O
such	O
as	O
CompuServe	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
this	O
time	O
it	O
was	O
sometimes	O
said	O
that	O
MUD	B-Application
stands	O
for	O
"	O
Multi	O
Undergraduate	O
Destroyer	O
"	O
due	O
to	O
their	O
popularity	O
among	O
college	O
students	O
and	O
the	O
amount	O
of	O
time	O
devoted	O
to	O
them	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1987	O
,	O
Nihon	O
Falcom	O
's	O
Yoshio	O
Kiya	O
,	O
creator	O
of	O
the	O
Dragon	O
Slayer	O
action	B-Application
role-playing	I-Application
games	I-Application
,	O
expressed	O
his	O
idea	O
for	O
an	O
online	O
RPG	O
"	O
with	O
a	O
system	O
that	O
allows	O
total	O
freedom	O
for	O
the	O
player	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1989	O
,	O
Yehuda	O
Simmons	O
published	O
Avalon	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Legend	I-Application
Lives	I-Application
which	O
has	O
seen	O
continued	O
development	O
and	O
support	O
ever	O
since	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Avalon	B-Application
,	O
while	O
not	O
the	O
first	O
MUD	B-Application
,	O
certainly	O
set	O
the	O
bar	O
for	O
imitators	O
,	O
boasting	O
never-before-seen	O
features	O
such	O
as	O
fully	O
fleshed	O
out	O
economics	O
,	O
farming	O
and	O
labour	O
mechanics	O
,	O
player-driven	O
autonomous	O
governments	O
with	O
ministers	O
,	O
barons	O
and	O
organization	O
elections	O
,	O
a	O
fully	O
realized	O
warfare	O
conquest	O
system	O
featuring	O
legions	O
,	O
battalions	O
,	O
trenches	O
,	O
minefields	O
,	O
barricades	O
and	O
fortifications	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
thousands	O
of	O
unique	O
player	O
abilities	O
and	O
skills	O
which	O
formed	O
the	O
basis	O
of	O
Avalon	B-Application
's	O
meritocratic	O
PVP	O
system	O
based	O
on	O
skill-worth	O
as	O
opposed	O
to	O
the	O
traditional	O
level-based	O
progression	O
system	O
favoured	O
by	O
many	O
other	O
games	O
of	O
this	O
genre	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Avalon	B-Application
's	O
mission	O
statement	O
was	O
to	O
be	O
the	O
first	O
fully	O
developed	O
roleplaying	O
world	O
-	O
a	O
life	O
within	O
a	O
life	O
using	O
real-world	O
systems	O
to	O
fully	O
immerse	O
players	O
into	O
the	O
lives	O
of	O
the	O
characters	O
they	O
created	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
MUDs	B-Application
are	O
still	O
active	O
and	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
influential	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
designers	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Raph	B-Application
Koster	I-Application
,	O
Brad	O
McQuaid	O
,	O
Matt	O
Firor	O
,	O
Mark	O
Jacobs	O
,	O
Brian	O
Green	O
,	O
and	O
J	O
.	O
Todd	O
Coleman	O
,	O
began	O
as	O
MUD	B-Application
developers	O
and/or	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
history	B-Architecture
of	I-Architecture
MMORPGs	I-Architecture
grows	O
directly	O
out	O
of	O
the	O
history	O
of	O
MUDs	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Meanwhile	O
,	O
the	O
PLATO	B-Operating_System
system	I-Operating_System
,	O
an	O
educational	O
computer	O
system	O
based	O
on	O
mainframe	B-Architecture
computers	I-Architecture
with	O
graphical	O
terminals	O
,	O
was	O
pioneering	O
many	O
areas	O
of	O
multiuser	O
computer	O
systems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
the	O
middle	O
of	O
1974	O
,	O
there	O
were	O
graphical	O
multiplayer	O
games	O
such	O
as	O
Spasim	B-Application
,	O
a	O
space	O
battle	O
game	O
which	O
could	O
support	O
32	O
users	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
Talkomatic	B-Protocol
multi-user	O
chat	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Oubliette	O
,	O
written	O
by	O
Jim	O
Schwaiger	O
,	O
and	O
published	O
on	O
the	O
PLATO	B-Operating_System
system	I-Operating_System
predated	O
MUD1	B-Protocol
by	O
about	O
a	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
it	O
,	O
also	O
on	O
PLATO	B-Operating_System
,	O
was	O
a	O
game	O
called	O
Moria	B-Application
written	O
in	O
1977	O
,	O
copyright	O
1978	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	O
early	O
PLATO	B-Operating_System
game	O
was	O
Avatar	B-Application
,	O
begun	O
around	O
1977	O
and	O
opened	O
in	O
1979	O
,	O
written	O
by	O
Bruce	O
Maggs	O
,	O
Andrew	O
Shapira	O
,	O
and	O
Dave	O
Sides	O
,	O
all	O
high	O
school	O
students	O
using	O
the	O
PLATO	B-Operating_System
system	I-Operating_System
at	O
the	O
University	O
of	O
Illinois	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
2.5-D	O
game	O
was	O
running	O
on	O
512×512	O
plasma	O
panels	O
of	O
the	O
PLATO	B-Operating_System
system	I-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
groups	O
of	O
up	O
to	O
15	O
players	O
could	O
enter	O
the	O
dungeon	O
simultaneously	O
and	O
fight	O
monsters	O
as	O
a	O
team	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
games	O
were	O
graphical	O
in	O
nature	O
and	O
very	O
advanced	O
for	O
their	O
time	O
,	O
but	O
were	O
proprietary	O
programs	O
that	O
were	O
unable	O
to	O
spread	O
beyond	O
PLATO	B-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Textual	O
worlds	O
,	O
which	O
typically	O
ran	O
on	O
Unix	B-Application
,	O
VMS	B-Operating_System
,	O
or	O
DOS	B-Device
,	O
were	O
far	O
more	O
accessible	O
to	O
the	O
public	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
commercial	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
(	O
although	O
what	O
constitutes	O
"	O
massive	O
"	O
requires	O
qualification	O
when	O
discussing	O
mid-1980s	O
mainframes	B-Architecture
)	O
was	O
Island	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Kesmai	I-Protocol
designed	O
by	O
Kelton	O
Flinn	O
and	O
John	O
Taylor	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Lucasfilm	O
's	O
Habitat	B-Application
was	O
an	O
early	O
and	O
technologically	O
influential	O
online	O
role-playing	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Lucasfilm	O
Games	O
and	O
made	O
available	O
as	O
a	O
beta	O
test	O
in	O
1986	O
by	O
Quantum	O
Link	O
,	O
an	O
online	O
service	O
for	O
the	O
Commodore	O
64	O
computer	O
and	O
the	O
corporate	O
progenitor	O
to	O
America	O
Online	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
initially	O
created	O
in	O
1985	O
by	O
Randy	O
Farmer	O
and	O
Chip	O
Morningstar	O
,	O
who	O
were	O
given	O
a	O
"	O
First	O
Penguin	O
Award	O
"	O
at	O
the	O
2001	O
Game	O
Developers	O
Choice	O
Awards	O
for	O
this	O
innovative	O
work	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
the	O
first	O
attempt	O
at	O
a	O
large-scale	O
commercial	O
virtual	B-Architecture
community	I-Architecture
(	O
Morningstar	O
and	O
Farmer	O
1990	O
;	O
Robinett	O
1994	O
)	O
that	O
was	O
graphically	O
based	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
sized-down	O
incarnation	O
but	O
with	O
vastly	O
improved	O
graphics	O
(	O
avatars	B-Application
became	O
equipped	O
with	O
facial	O
expressions	O
,	O
for	O
example	O
)	O
was	O
launched	O
for	O
general	O
release	O
as	O
Club	B-Application
Caribe	I-Application
in	O
January	O
1988	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
graphical	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
was	O
Neverwinter	B-Application
Nights	I-Application
by	O
designer	O
Don	O
Daglow	O
and	O
programmer	O
Cathryn	O
Mataga	O
(	O
not	O
to	O
be	O
confused	O
with	O
Neverwinter	B-Application
Nights	I-Application
by	O
BioWare	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
"	O
Neverwinter	B-Application
Nights	I-Application
"	O
went	O
live	O
on	O
AOL	O
for	O
PC	B-Device
owners	O
in	O
1991	O
and	O
ran	O
through	O
1997	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Both	O
Club	B-Application
Caribe	I-Application
and	O
Neverwinter	B-Application
Nights	I-Application
cost	O
$6.00	O
per	O
hour	O
to	O
play	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Consequently	O
,	O
early	O
online	O
games	O
like	O
Legends	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Future	I-Protocol
Past	I-Protocol
,	O
Neverwinter	B-Application
Nights	I-Application
,	O
Gemstone	B-Protocol
III	I-Protocol
,	O
Dragon	B-Protocol
's	I-Protocol
Gate	I-Protocol
,	O
and	O
Federation	O
relied	O
heavily	O
on	O
proprietary	O
services	O
such	O
as	O
CompuServe	O
,	O
America	O
Online	O
,	O
and	O
GEnie	B-Language
for	O
distribution	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Air	B-Application
Warrior	I-Application
was	O
an	O
early	O
multiplayer	O
game	O
as	O
players	O
could	O
battle	O
each	O
other	O
flying	O
virtual	O
fighter	O
planes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
first	O
introduced	O
in	O
1986	O
and	O
ran	O
on	O
the	O
GEnie	B-Language
network	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
Neverwinter	B-Application
Nights	I-Application
was	O
The	B-Protocol
Shadow	I-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Yserbius	I-Protocol
,	O
an	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
on	O
The	O
Sierra	O
Network	O
(	O
TSN	O
)	O
,	O
which	O
ran	O
from	O
1992	O
through	O
1996	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Protocol
Shadow	I-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Yserbius	I-Protocol
was	O
an	O
hourly	O
service	O
,	O
although	O
it	O
also	O
offered	O
unlimited	O
service	O
for	O
$119.99	O
per	O
month	O
,	O
until	O
AT&T	O
acquired	O
TSN	O
and	O
rendered	O
it	O
strictly	O
an	O
hourly	O
service	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
commercial	O
text-based	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
to	O
make	O
this	O
transition	O
to	O
the	O
Internet	O
from	O
a	O
proprietary	O
network	O
provider	O
(	O
CompuServe	O
,	O
in	O
this	O
case	O
)	O
was	O
Legends	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Future	I-Protocol
Past	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
term	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
was	O
coined	O
by	O
Richard	O
Garriott	O
,	O
the	O
creator	O
of	O
Ultima	B-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
,	O
in	O
1997	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
term	O
probably	O
derives	O
from	O
"	O
MMOG	B-Application
"	O
,	O
which	O
can	O
be	O
traced	O
back	O
to	O
the	O
1995	O
E3	O
Convention	O
,	O
when	O
Dale	B-Protocol
Addink	I-Protocol
used	O
it	O
to	O
describe	O
Confirmed	O
Kill	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Protocol
Realm	I-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
was	O
another	O
successful	O
early	O
Internet	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
,	O
launched	O
by	O
Sierra	O
Online	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
released	O
just	O
after	O
Meridian	B-Protocol
59	I-Protocol
,	O
the	O
beta	O
was	O
active	O
several	O
months	O
before	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Protocol
Realm	I-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
had	O
fully	O
animated	O
2D	O
graphics	O
,	O
both	O
in	O
and	O
out	O
of	O
combat	O
situations	O
,	O
which	O
made	O
it	O
accessible	O
to	O
a	O
wider	O
audience	O
compared	O
to	O
more	O
text-based	O
games	O
or	O
the	O
graphical	O
MUDs	B-Application
on	O
which	O
it	O
was	O
based	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Also	O
,	O
its	O
gameplay	O
and	O
interface	O
were	O
already	O
familiar	O
to	O
those	O
accustomed	O
to	O
the	O
graphical	O
adventure	B-Application
games	O
earlier	O
popularised	O
by	O
Sierra	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Like	O
many	O
of	O
its	O
predecessors	O
,	O
The	B-Protocol
Realm	I-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
only	O
featured	O
simple	O
turn-based	O
combat	O
,	O
however	O
,	O
it	O
did	O
feature	O
a	O
huge	O
number	O
(	O
for	O
the	O
time	O
)	O
of	O
visual	O
character	O
customization	O
options	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nexus	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Kingdom	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Winds	I-Application
,	O
whose	O
beta	O
was	O
released	O
to	O
Korean	O
audiences	O
in	O
1996	O
was	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Meridian	B-Protocol
59	I-Protocol
,	O
launched	O
by	O
3DO	O
in	O
late	O
1996	O
,	O
was	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
Internet	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
cult	O
following	O
quickly	O
grew	O
for	O
Meridian	B-Protocol
59	I-Protocol
that	O
still	O
exists	O
today	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Tibia	B-Protocol
,	O
launched	O
by	O
CipSoft	O
in	O
January	O
1997	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
oldest	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
and	O
was	O
considered	O
most	O
noteworthy	O
in	O
its	O
early	O
years	O
;	O
however	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
,	O
its	O
popularity	O
has	O
grown	O
much	O
slower	O
than	O
other	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
 [ 1 ] 	O
It	O
is	O
a	O
free	O
game	O
which	O
is	O
open	O
to	O
the	O
public	O
,	O
though	O
players	O
have	O
the	O
option	O
to	O
pay	O
a	O
fee	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
upgrade	O
to	O
a	O
premium	O
account	O
,	O
granting	O
special	O
in-game	B-Application
benefits	O
,	O
including	O
additional	O
areas	O
to	O
explore	O
,	O
access	O
to	O
vocation	O
promotions	O
,	O
and	O
extra	O
spells	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ultima	B-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
,	O
Alpha	O
testing	O
in	O
Jan	O
1996	O
and	O
later	O
released	O
in	O
September	O
1997	O
,	O
is	O
now	O
credited	O
with	O
popularizing	O
the	O
genre	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Two	O
years	O
after	O
Ultima	B-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
,	O
The	B-Protocol
Fourth	I-Protocol
Coming	I-Protocol
was	O
released	O
,	O
an	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
in	O
3D	O
isometric	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
launched	O
in	O
France	O
under	O
the	O
name	O
La	O
4ème	O
Prophétie	O
and	O
contributed	O
to	O
spread	O
the	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
culture	O
in	O
Europe	O
as	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
graphical	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
featured	O
a	O
unique	O
communication	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
lesser	O
known	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
was	O
launched	O
,	O
on	O
the	O
Mplayer	O
network	O
,	O
in	O
March	O
1998	O
called	O
Underlight	B-Protocol
by	O
Lyra	O
Studios	O
LLC	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
game	O
was	O
similar	O
to	O
Meridian	B-Protocol
59	I-Protocol
and	O
likewise	O
has	O
maintained	O
a	O
cult	O
following	O
to	O
this	O
day	O
,	O
recently	O
being	O
re-launched	O
again	O
in	O
2014	O
by	O
another	O
group	O
of	O
former	O
players	O
under	O
a	O
new	O
company	O
named	O
KoiWare	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nexus	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Kingdom	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Winds	I-Application
,	O
designed	O
by	O
Jake	O
Song	O
,	O
was	O
commercially	O
released	O
in	O
1996	O
and	O
eventually	O
gained	O
over	O
one	O
million	O
subscribers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Song	O
's	O
next	O
game	O
,	O
Lineage	B-Protocol
(	O
1998	O
)	O
,	O
enjoyed	O
even	O
greater	O
success	O
gaining	O
millions	O
of	O
subscribers	O
in	O
Korea	O
and	O
Taiwan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
helped	O
to	O
secure	O
developer	O
NCsoft	O
's	O
dominance	O
in	O
the	O
global	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
market	O
for	O
several	O
years	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
NCSoft	O
has	O
released	O
Lineage	B-Protocol
2	I-Protocol
,	O
City	B-Application
of	I-Application
Heroes	I-Application
,	O
Guild	B-Application
Wars	I-Application
,	O
Exteel	B-Application
,	O
and	O
Aion	B-Protocol
:	I-Protocol
The	I-Protocol
Tower	I-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Eternity	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Recently	O
,	O
titles	O
such	O
as	O
Blade	B-Protocol
&	I-Protocol
Soul	I-Protocol
and	O
Guild	B-Protocol
Wars	I-Protocol
2	I-Protocol
were	O
released	O
between	O
late	O
2011	O
to	O
early	O
2012	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
EverQuest	B-Protocol
,	O
launched	O
in	O
March	O
1999	O
by	O
Verant	O
Interactive	O
(	O
a	O
development	O
venture	O
inside	O
Sony	O
which	O
was	O
always	O
closely	O
aligned	O
with	O
the	O
operating	O
entity	O
that	O
became	O
Sony	O
Online	O
Entertainment	O
)	O
,	O
surpassed	O
Ultima	B-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
in	O
player	O
count	O
and	O
success	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
the	O
most	O
commercially	O
successful	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
in	O
the	O
United	O
States	O
for	O
five	O
years	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
the	O
basis	O
for	O
29	O
expansions	O
(	O
as	O
of	O
December	O
2022	O
)	O
and	O
several	O
derivative	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1999	O
,	O
following	O
Ultima	B-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
and	O
EverQuest	B-Protocol
,	O
was	O
another	O
hit	O
,	O
Asheron	B-Application
's	I-Application
Call	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
concept	O
of	O
massively	B-Application
multiplayer	I-Application
online	I-Application
games	I-Application
expanded	O
into	O
new	O
video	O
game	O
genres	O
around	O
this	O
time	O
,	O
though	O
RPGs	O
,	O
with	O
their	O
ability	O
to	O
"	O
suck	O
in	O
"	O
the	O
player	O
,	O
were	O
(	O
and	O
still	O
are	O
)	O
the	O
most	O
financially	O
promising	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
next	O
generation	O
of	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
,	O
following	O
the	O
"	O
big	O
three	O
"	O
of	O
the	O
previous	O
decade	O
,	O
was	O
to	O
include	O
the	O
medieval	O
PvP-oriented	O
Dark	B-Protocol
Age	I-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Camelot	I-Protocol
,	O
the	O
sci-fi	O
Anarchy	B-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
,	O
and	O
Ultima	B-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
2	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Anarchy	B-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
,	O
released	O
first	O
in	O
June	O
2001	O
,	O
was	O
saddled	O
with	O
crippling	O
technical	O
problems	O
upon	O
its	O
release	O
,	O
mostly	O
due	O
to	O
an	O
inability	O
to	O
handle	O
the	O
huge	O
playerbase	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dark	B-Protocol
Age	I-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Camelot	I-Protocol
launched	O
smoothly	O
four	O
months	O
later	O
,	O
introducing	O
"	O
Realm	O
vs.	O
Realm	O
"	O
PvP	O
and	O
other	O
innovations	O
,	O
and	O
quickly	O
passed	O
Ultima	B-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
and	O
Asheron	B-Application
's	I-Application
Call	I-Application
in	O
popularity	O
,	O
and	O
became	O
EverQuest	B-Protocol
’s	O
main	O
rival	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ultima	B-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
2	I-Protocol
was	O
cancelled	O
by	O
Electronic	O
Arts	O
in	O
March	O
2001	O
,	O
as	O
they	O
had	O
decided	O
that	O
the	O
market	O
was	O
becoming	O
saturated	O
and	O
that	O
it	O
would	O
be	O
more	O
profitable	O
to	O
divert	O
resources	O
to	O
the	O
original	O
Ultima	B-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
RuneScape	B-Protocol
by	O
Jagex	O
was	O
also	O
released	O
in	O
2001	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
2001	O
also	O
saw	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
move	O
off	O
of	O
PCs	B-Device
and	O
onto	O
home	O
consoles	O
in	O
a	O
limited	O
form	O
with	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Phantasy	B-Application
Star	I-Application
Online	I-Application
;	O
however	O
,	O
due	O
to	O
platform	O
limitations	O
,	O
it	O
would	O
not	O
be	O
until	O
EverQuest	B-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
Adventures	I-Protocol
release	O
that	O
'	O
massive	O
 '	O
features	O
found	O
their	O
way	O
outside	O
of	O
non-combat	O
areas	O
on	O
consoles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
2001	O
also	O
saw	O
the	O
first	O
fully	O
3D	O
sci-fi	O
space-ship	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Jumpgate	O
:	O
The	O
Reconstruction	O
Initiative	O
(	O
also	O
Jumpgate	O
or	O
Jumpgate	O
Classic	O
and	O
commonly	O
abbreviated	O
as	O
JG	O
or	O
JGC	O
)	O
is	O
an	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
in	O
a	O
science	O
fiction	O
setting	O
for	O
the	O
PC	B-Device
,	O
released	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
on	O
September	O
25	O
,	O
2001	O
by	O
NetDevil	O
(	O
developer	O
)	O
and	O
3DO	O
(	O
publisher	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2002	O
the	O
sprite-based	O
Ragnarok	B-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
,	O
produced	O
by	O
Korean	O
company	O
Gravity	O
Corp	O
,	O
was	O
released	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Though	O
unknown	O
to	O
many	O
Western	O
players	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
took	O
Asia	O
by	O
storm	O
as	O
Lineage	B-Protocol
had	O
done	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
2002	O
also	O
saw	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
MapleStory	B-Protocol
,	O
another	O
sprite-based	O
title	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
completely	O
free-to-play	O
-	O
instead	O
of	O
charging	O
a	O
monthly	O
fee	O
,	O
it	O
generated	O
revenue	O
by	O
selling	O
in-game	B-Application
"	O
enhancements	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MapleStory	B-Protocol
would	O
go	O
on	O
to	O
become	O
a	O
major	O
player	O
in	O
the	O
new	O
market	O
for	O
free-to-play	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
(	O
generating	O
huge	O
numbers	O
of	O
registered	O
accounts	O
across	O
its	O
many	O
versions	O
)	O
,	O
if	O
it	O
did	O
not	O
introduce	O
the	O
market	O
by	O
itself	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
September	O
2002	O
,	O
Earth	B-Protocol
&	I-Protocol
Beyond	I-Protocol
was	O
released	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Having	O
been	O
in	O
development	O
since	O
1997	O
,	O
this	O
was	O
the	O
second	O
3D	O
sci-fi	O
space-ship	O
based	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Earth	B-Protocol
and	I-Protocol
Beyond	I-Protocol
only	O
lasted	O
two	O
years	O
before	O
being	O
shut	O
down	O
by	O
developer	O
Westwood	O
Studios	O
 '	O
owners	O
,	O
Electronic	O
Arts	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
November	O
2002	O
,	O
Final	B-Protocol
Fantasy	I-Protocol
XI	I-Protocol
by	O
Square-Enix	O
became	O
the	O
first	O
MMOG	B-Application
to	O
provide	O
clients	O
for	O
different	O
platforms	O
using	O
a	O
single	O
set	O
of	O
servers	O
,	O
in	O
addition	O
to	O
being	O
the	O
first	O
'	O
true	O
 '	O
MMOG	B-Application
to	O
appear	O
on	O
a	O
video	B-Device
game	I-Device
console	I-Device
due	O
to	O
its	O
initial	O
release	O
in	O
Japan	O
in	O
May	O
of	O
the	O
same	O
year	O
on	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
would	O
go	O
on	O
to	O
provide	O
a	O
client	O
for	O
a	O
third	O
platform	O
,	O
the	B-Operating_System
Xbox	I-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
,	O
in	O
2006	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
March	O
2003	O
,	O
Ubisoft	O
launched	O
their	O
first	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
:	O
Shadowbane	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shadowbane	B-Protocol
was	O
notable	O
for	O
featuring	O
no	O
quests	O
,	O
and	O
instead	O
relying	O
on	O
player	O
warfare	O
to	O
provide	O
immersion	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Also	O
in	O
March	O
2003	O
Sony	O
Online	O
Entertainment	O
launched	O
EverQuest	B-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
Adventures	I-Protocol
,	O
a	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
spin-off	O
of	O
the	O
successful	O
EverQuest	B-Protocol
MMO	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
game	O
was	O
only	O
accessible	O
to	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
May	O
2003	O
saw	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Eve	B-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
,	O
produced	O
by	O
CCP	O
Games	O
,	O
which	O
had	O
players	O
taking	O
the	O
role	O
of	O
spaceship	O
pilots	O
and	O
had	O
gameplay	O
similar	O
to	O
the	O
series	O
Star	B-Application
Control	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Though	O
not	O
the	O
first	O
space	O
MMO	O
(	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Allegiance	I-Application
was	O
the	O
first	O
space	O
MMO	O
and	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
1999	O
)	O
,	O
Eve	O
was	O
able	O
to	O
achieve	O
lasting	O
success	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
June	O
2003	O
,	O
The	O
Walt	O
Disney	O
Company	O
launched	O
its	O
first	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
,	O
Toontown	B-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
,	O
for	O
open	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
Toontown'''s	O
unique	O
playing	O
style	O
,	O
players	O
took	O
on	O
the	O
roles	O
of	O
classic	O
cartoon	O
characters	O
,	O
which	O
were	O
heavily	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
world	O
in	O
the	O
1988	O
Touchstone	O
Pictures	O
film	O
,	O
Who	B-Application
Framed	I-Application
Roger	I-Application
Rabbit	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
a	O
good	O
10	O
years	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
being	O
targeted	O
to	O
all	O
kinds	O
of	O
audiences	O
,	O
Disney	O
decided	O
to	O
close	O
it	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
shift	O
its	O
development	O
towards	O
another	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
experience	O
known	O
as	O
Club	B-Application
Penguin	I-Application
.	I-Application
</s>
<s>
In	O
October	O
2003	O
,	O
Lineage	B-Protocol
II	I-Protocol
(	O
NCsoft	O
's	O
sequel	O
to	O
Lineage	B-Protocol
)	O
became	O
the	O
latest	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
to	O
achieve	O
huge	O
success	O
across	O
Asia	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
received	O
the	O
Presidential	O
Award	O
at	O
the	O
2003	O
Korean	O
Game	O
awards	O
,	O
and	O
is	O
now	O
the	O
second	O
most	O
popular	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
in	O
the	O
world	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
half	O
of	O
2005	O
Lineage	B-Protocol
II	I-Protocol
counted	O
over	O
2.25	O
million	O
subscribers	O
worldwide	O
,	O
with	O
servers	O
in	O
Japan	O
,	O
China	O
,	O
North	O
America	O
,	O
Taiwan	O
,	O
and	O
Europe	O
,	O
once	O
the	O
popularity	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
had	O
surged	O
in	O
the	O
West	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
2003	O
also	O
saw	O
the	O
appearance	O
of	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
April	O
2004	O
,	O
NCSoft	O
produced	O
another	O
significant	O
title	O
,	O
City	B-Application
of	I-Application
Heroes	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
most	O
recent	O
generation	O
of	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
,	O
based	O
on	O
arbitrary	O
standards	O
of	O
graphics	O
,	O
gameplay	O
,	O
and	O
popularity	O
,	O
is	O
said	O
to	O
have	O
launched	O
in	O
November	O
2004	O
with	O
Sony	O
Online	O
Entertainment	O
's	O
EverQuest	B-Protocol
II	I-Protocol
and	O
Blizzard	O
Entertainment	O
's	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
(	O
WoW	B-Protocol
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
time	O
,	O
Sony	O
expected	O
to	O
dominate	O
the	O
market	O
,	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
success	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
EverQuest	B-Protocol
,	O
and	O
decided	O
to	O
offer	O
a	O
flat	O
monthly	O
rate	O
to	O
play	O
all	O
of	O
their	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
including	O
EverQuest	B-Protocol
,	O
EverQuest	B-Protocol
II	I-Protocol
,	O
and	O
Star	B-Application
Wars	I-Application
Galaxies	I-Application
,	O
to	O
keep	O
from	O
competing	O
with	O
itself	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
EverQuest	B-Protocol
II	I-Protocol
was	O
a	O
commercial	O
success	O
as	O
predicted	O
,	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
immediately	O
overtook	O
all	O
of	O
these	O
games	O
upon	O
release	O
,	O
and	O
indeed	O
became	O
so	O
popular	O
that	O
it	O
dwarfed	O
all	O
previous	O
monthly-fee	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
closest	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
to	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
was	O
,	O
in	O
terms	O
of	O
paying	O
subscribers	O
,	O
RuneScape	B-Protocol
with	O
more	O
than	O
one	O
million	O
subscribers	O
and	O
even	O
more	O
free	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
RuneScape	B-Protocol
was	O
also	O
the	O
world	O
's	O
largest	O
free	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
,	O
though	O
it	O
received	O
less	O
media	O
attention	O
than	O
WoW	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
these	O
newer	O
games	O
,	O
subscriptions	O
began	O
to	O
decline	O
for	O
many	O
older	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
,	O
even	O
the	O
year-old	O
Lineage	B-Protocol
II	I-Protocol
,	O
and	O
in	O
particular	O
Everquest	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
current	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
market	O
has	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
in	O
a	O
position	O
similar	O
to	O
the	O
position	O
of	O
Dungeons	O
&	O
Dragons	O
in	O
the	O
tabletop	O
RPG	O
market	O
,	O
with	O
both	O
games	O
 '	O
market	O
share	O
being	O
greater	O
than	O
50%	O
of	O
the	O
overall	O
market	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
August	O
2005	O
Sony	O
Online	O
Entertainment	O
acquired	O
The	B-Application
Matrix	I-Application
Online	I-Application
,	O
and	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
shut	O
down	O
at	O
11:59pm	O
,	O
31	O
July	O
2009	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
games	O
Sony	O
terminated	O
along	O
with	O
Free	B-Protocol
Realms	I-Protocol
on	O
March	O
31	O
,	O
2014	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
April	O
25	O
2005	O
,	O
ArenaNet	O
(	O
a	O
subsidiary	O
of	O
NCSoft	O
)	O
successfully	O
launched	O
Guild	B-Application
Wars	I-Application
,	O
introducing	O
a	O
new	O
financial	O
model	O
which	O
might	O
have	O
been	O
partly	O
responsible	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
success	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
differences	O
compared	O
to	O
traditional	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
include	O
strictly	O
PvP-only	O
areas	O
,	O
a	O
relatively	O
short	O
playtime	O
requirement	O
to	O
access	O
end-game	O
content	O
,	O
instant	O
world	O
travel	O
,	O
and	O
strategic	O
PvP	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
these	O
differences	O
it	O
was	O
termed	O
instead	O
a	O
"	O
Competitive	B-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
Role-Playing	I-Protocol
Game	I-Protocol
"	O
(	O
CORPG	B-Protocol
)	O
by	O
its	O
developers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
five	O
million	O
games	O
purchased	O
as	O
of	O
April	O
'	O
09	O
,	O
News	O
story	O
from	O
GW	O
official	O
site	O
Guild	B-Application
Wars	I-Application
was	O
still	O
continuously	O
profitable	O
(	O
due	O
to	O
several	O
stand-alone	O
games	O
)	O
but	O
was	O
still	O
not	O
viewed	O
by	O
some	O
as	O
a	O
serious	O
competitor	O
to	O
WoW	B-Protocol
in	O
terms	O
of	O
profit	O
and	O
number	O
of	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
the	O
alternative	O
nature	O
of	O
the	O
payment	O
system	O
in	O
Guild	B-Application
Wars	I-Application
meant	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
did	O
not	O
aim	O
to	O
"	O
compete	O
"	O
with	O
WoW	B-Protocol
rather	O
than	O
exist	O
alongside	O
it	O
,	O
and	O
in	O
that	O
sense	O
it	O
could	O
still	O
be	O
considered	O
a	O
large	O
success	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
was	O
also	O
significant	O
competition	O
(	O
and	O
potential	O
for	O
profit	O
)	O
among	O
free-to-play	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
few	O
of	O
the	O
most	O
successful	O
of	O
these	O
were	O
Silkroad	B-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
(	O
launched	O
2004	O
)	O
by	O
the	O
publisher	O
Joymax	O
,	O
the	O
3D	O
sprite	O
based	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
Flyff	B-Protocol
by	O
Aeonsoft	O
,	O
Rappelz	O
by	O
nFlavor	O
,	O
(	O
with	O
Aeonsoft	O
and	O
nFlavor	O
merging	O
in	O
2010	O
to	O
become	O
Gala	O
Lab	O
Corp	O
)	O
Perfect	B-Protocol
World	I-Protocol
by	O
Beijing	O
Perfect	B-Protocol
World	I-Protocol
,	O
the	O
2D	O
scrolling	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
MapleStory	B-Protocol
by	O
Wizet	O
and	O
finally	O
the	O
free-to-play	O
converted	O
Shadowbane	B-Protocol
by	O
Ubisoft	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Most	O
of	O
these	O
games	O
generate	O
revenue	O
by	O
selling	O
in-game	B-Application
"	O
enhancements	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
due	O
to	O
their	O
free	O
nature	O
have	O
accumulated	O
huge	O
numbers	O
of	O
registered	O
accounts	O
over	O
the	O
years	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
majority	O
of	O
them	O
from	O
East	O
Asia	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
July	O
1	O
,	O
2009	O
,	O
Ubisoft	O
shut	O
down	O
the	O
Shadowbane	B-Protocol
servers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2007	O
,	O
The	B-Protocol
Lord	I-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
the	I-Protocol
Rings	I-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
:	I-Protocol
Shadows	I-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Angmar	I-Protocol
(	O
LOTRO	B-Protocol
)	O
was	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
first	O
of	O
these	O
to	O
meet	O
with	O
commercial	O
success	O
,	O
followed	O
by	O
the	O
problematic	O
2008	O
launch	O
of	O
Age	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Conan	I-Protocol
:	I-Protocol
Hyborian	I-Protocol
Adventures	I-Protocol
and	O
the	O
Player	O
versus	O
player	O
focused	O
Warhammer	B-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
:	I-Protocol
Age	I-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Reckoning	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Much	O
like	O
LOTRO	B-Protocol
,	O
many	O
of	O
the	O
games	O
in	O
development	O
with	O
big	O
expectations	O
have	O
multi-media	O
tie-ins	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Star	B-Protocol
Wars	I-Protocol
:	I-Protocol
The	I-Protocol
Old	I-Protocol
Republic	I-Protocol
(	O
launched	O
2011	O
)	O
and	O
Star	B-Protocol
Trek	I-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
(	O
launched	O
2010	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
mid-2013	O
,	O
WoW	B-Protocol
was	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
most	O
played	O
games	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
most	O
subscribed	O
to	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
worldwide	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
total	O
of	O
over	O
7	O
million	O
subscriptions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2010	O
,	O
Pocket	B-Protocol
Legends	I-Protocol
,	O
the	O
first	O
cross-platform	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
for	O
mobile	O
platforms	O
was	O
launched	O
for	O
iOS	B-Application
and	O
later	O
that	O
year	O
for	O
Android	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
contrast	O
to	O
PC	B-Device
and	O
console	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
and	O
despite	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
success	O
,	O
development	O
was	O
short	O
lived	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2014	O
,	O
WildStar	B-Protocol
that	O
is	O
developed	O
by	O
Carbine	O
Studios	O
was	O
released	O
by	O
NCSOFT	O
was	O
a	O
big	O
budget	O
subscription-based	O
game	O
that	O
later	O
moved	O
to	O
a	O
free-to-play	O
model	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
November	O
2018	O
,	O
Carbine	O
Studios	O
and	O
WildStar	B-Protocol
were	O
shut	O
down	O
for	O
good	O
by	O
NCSOFT	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
19	O
December	O
2016	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
announced	O
that	O
Turbine	O
would	O
no	O
longer	O
be	O
involved	O
with	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
's	O
,	O
to	O
instead	O
focus	O
on	O
a	O
future	O
of	O
mobile	O
development	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
they	O
had	O
four	O
games	O
in	O
operation	O
,	O
both	O
Lord	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
the	I-Protocol
Rings	I-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
and	O
Dungeons	B-Protocol
&	I-Protocol
Dragons	I-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
would	O
continue	O
development	O
under	O
a	O
newly	O
formed	O
studio	O
by	O
the	O
name	O
of	O
Standing	O
Stone	O
Games	O
,	O
with	O
game	O
staff	O
,	O
servers	O
and	O
services	O
moving	O
from	O
Turbine	O
to	O
the	O
new	O
studio	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
announced	O
not	O
long	O
after	O
that	O
Asheron	B-Application
's	I-Application
Call	I-Application
and	O
Asheron	B-Protocol
's	I-Protocol
Call	I-Protocol
2	I-Protocol
would	O
both	O
close	O
on	O
January	O
31	O
2017	O
as	O
result	O
of	O
the	O
events	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Asheron	B-Application
's	I-Application
Call	I-Application
as	O
an	O
IP	O
would	O
remain	O
with	O
Turbine	O
,	O
however	O
the	O
staff	O
and	O
servers	O
leaving	O
would	O
force	O
the	O
game	O
closed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
"	O
The	O
Big	O
Five	O
"	O
is	O
a	O
loose	O
term	O
used	O
amongst	O
game	O
critics	O
and	O
reviewers	O
to	O
group	O
the	O
five	O
most	O
popular	O
,	O
successful	O
or	O
active	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
(	O
depending	O
on	O
criteria	O
)	O
of	O
any	O
given	O
period	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
October	O
and	O
December	O
2020	O
,	O
Massively	O
Overpowered	O
contributors	O
Eliot	O
Lefebvre	O
and	O
Carlo	O
Lacsina	O
stated	O
that	O
at	O
the	O
time	O
,	O
"	O
The	O
Big	O
Five	O
"	O
were	O
Black	B-Protocol
Desert	I-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
(	O
BDO	O
)	O
,	O
Final	B-Protocol
Fantasy	I-Protocol
XIV	I-Protocol
(	O
FF14	B-Protocol
)	O
,	O
The	B-Protocol
Elder	I-Protocol
Scrolls	I-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
(	O
ESO	O
)	O
,	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
(	O
WoW	B-Protocol
)	O
,	O
and	O
Guild	B-Protocol
Wars	I-Protocol
2	I-Protocol
(	O
GW2	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reviewer	O
Bio	O
Break	O
,	O
who	O
in	O
February	O
2019	O
included	O
Star	B-Protocol
Wars	I-Protocol
:	I-Protocol
The	I-Protocol
Old	I-Protocol
Republic	I-Protocol
(	O
SWTOR	B-Protocol
)	O
rather	O
BDO	O
,	O
questioned	O
whether	O
"	O
The	O
Big	O
Five	O
"	O
were	O
properly	O
defined	O
as	O
a	O
group	O
,	O
stating	O
that	O
'	O
these	O
titles	O
are	O
n't	O
necessarily	O
the	O
most	O
popular	O
or	O
successful	O
,	O
there	O
is	O
just	O
a	O
perception	O
that	O
they	O
are	O
so	O
,	O
'	O
and	O
claiming	O
that	O
RuneScape	B-Protocol
'	O
does	O
n't	O
get	O
that	O
much	O
respect	O
among	O
the	O
wider	O
community	O
 '	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Similarly	O
,	O
critic	O
Josh	O
Strife	O
Hayes	O
listed	O
RuneScape	B-Protocol
rather	O
than	O
BDO	O
amongst	O
'	O
the	O
five	O
major	O
games	O
that	O
dominated	O
the	O
MMO	O
landscape	O
in	O
the	O
last	O
few	O
years	O
 '	O
in	O
July	O
2021	O
,	O
when	O
Final	B-Protocol
Fantasy	I-Protocol
XIV	I-Protocol
overtook	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
(	O
which	O
had	O
been	O
'	O
an	O
absolute	O
dominant	O
force	O
 '	O
until	O
then	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
players	O
and	O
observers	O
had	O
speculated	O
for	O
over	O
a	O
decade	O
that	O
this	O
or	O
that	O
game	O
would	O
eventually	O
'	O
dethrone	O
 '	O
or	O
'	O
kill	O
 '	O
WoW	B-Protocol
by	O
attaining	O
even	O
more	O
popularity	O
,	O
instead	O
many	O
WoW''	O
players	O
just	O
gradually	O
left	O
the	O
game	O
out	O
of	O
disappointment	O
,	O
with	O
only	O
some	O
switching	O
to	O
its	O
main	O
competitors	O
.	O
</s>
