<s>
A	O
massively	B-Protocol
multiplayer	I-Protocol
online	I-Protocol
role-playing	I-Protocol
game	I-Protocol
(	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
)	O
is	O
a	O
video	O
game	O
that	O
combines	O
aspects	O
of	O
a	O
role-playing	O
video	O
game	O
and	O
a	O
massively	B-Application
multiplayer	I-Application
online	I-Application
game	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
in	O
role-playing	O
games	O
(	O
RPGs	O
)	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
assumes	O
the	O
role	O
of	O
a	O
character	O
(	O
often	O
in	O
a	O
fantasy	B-Application
world	O
or	O
science-fiction	O
world	O
)	O
and	O
takes	O
control	O
over	O
many	O
of	O
that	O
character	O
's	O
actions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
are	O
distinguished	O
from	O
single-player	B-Application
or	O
small	O
multi-player	B-Application
online	O
RPGs	O
by	O
the	O
number	O
of	O
players	O
able	O
to	O
interact	O
together	O
,	O
and	O
by	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
persistent	B-Protocol
world	I-Protocol
(	O
usually	O
hosted	O
by	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
publisher	O
)	O
,	O
which	O
continues	O
to	O
exist	O
and	O
evolve	O
while	O
the	O
player	O
is	O
offline	O
and	O
away	O
from	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
are	O
played	O
throughout	O
the	O
world	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Worldwide	O
revenues	O
for	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
exceeded	O
half	O
a	O
billion	O
dollars	O
in	O
2005	O
,	O
and	O
Western	O
revenues	O
exceeded	O
a	O
billion	O
dollars	O
in	O
2006	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2008	O
,	O
the	O
spending	O
on	O
subscription	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
by	O
consumers	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
and	O
Europe	O
grew	O
to	O
$1.4	O
billion	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
,	O
a	O
popular	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
,	O
had	O
over	O
10	O
million	O
subscribers	O
as	O
of	O
November	O
2014	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Star	B-Protocol
Wars	I-Protocol
:	I-Protocol
The	I-Protocol
Old	I-Protocol
Republic	I-Protocol
,	O
released	O
in	O
2011	O
,	O
became	O
the	O
world	O
's	O
'	O
Fastest-Growing	O
MMO	O
Ever	O
 '	O
after	O
gaining	O
more	O
than	O
1	O
million	O
subscribers	O
within	O
the	O
first	O
three	O
days	O
of	O
its	O
launch	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
modern	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
sometimes	O
differ	O
dramatically	O
from	O
their	O
predecessors	O
,	O
many	O
of	O
them	O
share	O
the	O
same	O
basic	O
characteristics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
include	O
several	O
common	O
features	O
:	O
persistent	B-Protocol
game	O
environment	O
,	O
some	O
form	O
of	O
level	O
progression	O
,	O
social	O
interaction	O
within	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
in-game	B-Application
culture	O
,	O
system	B-Architecture
architecture	I-Architecture
,	O
membership	O
in	O
a	O
group	O
,	O
and	O
character	O
customization	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
majority	O
of	O
popular	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
are	O
based	O
on	O
traditional	O
fantasy	B-Application
themes	O
,	O
often	O
occurring	O
in	O
an	O
in-game	B-Application
universe	O
comparable	O
to	O
that	O
of	O
Dungeons	O
&	O
Dragons	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
employ	O
hybrid	O
themes	O
that	O
either	O
merge	O
or	O
replace	O
fantasy	B-Application
elements	O
with	O
those	O
of	O
science	O
fiction	O
,	O
sword	O
and	O
sorcery	O
,	O
or	O
crime	O
fiction	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
elements	O
are	O
often	O
developed	O
using	O
similar	O
tasks	O
and	O
scenarios	O
involving	O
quests	O
,	O
monsters	B-Protocol
,	O
and	O
loot	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
nearly	O
all	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
,	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
character	O
is	O
the	O
primary	O
goal	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nearly	O
all	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
feature	O
a	O
character	O
progression	O
system	O
,	O
in	O
which	O
players	O
earn	O
experience	O
points	O
for	O
their	O
actions	O
and	O
use	O
those	O
points	O
to	O
reach	O
character	O
"	O
levels	O
"	O
,	O
which	O
makes	O
them	O
better	O
at	O
whatever	O
they	O
do	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Traditionally	O
,	O
combat	O
with	O
monsters	B-Protocol
and	O
completing	O
quests	O
for	O
non-player	O
characters	O
,	O
either	O
alone	O
or	O
in	O
groups	O
,	O
are	O
the	O
primary	O
ways	O
to	O
earn	O
experience	O
points	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
accumulation	O
of	O
wealth	O
(	O
including	O
combat-useful	O
items	O
)	O
is	O
also	O
a	O
way	O
to	O
progress	O
in	O
many	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
cycle	O
produced	O
by	O
these	O
conditions	O
,	O
combat	O
leading	O
to	O
new	O
items	O
allowing	O
for	O
more	O
combat	O
with	O
no	O
change	O
in	O
gameplay	O
,	O
is	O
sometimes	O
pejoratively	O
referred	O
to	O
as	O
the	O
level	B-Application
treadmill	I-Application
,	O
or	O
"	O
grinding	B-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
role-playing	O
game	O
Progress	B-Protocol
Quest	I-Protocol
was	O
created	O
as	O
a	O
parody	O
of	O
this	O
trend	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Eve	B-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
,	O
a	O
space-based	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
,	O
uses	O
an	O
alternative	O
method	O
of	O
progression	O
where	O
users	O
train	O
skills	O
in	O
real-time	O
rather	O
than	O
using	O
experience	O
points	O
as	O
a	O
measure	O
of	O
progression	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
some	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
,	O
there	O
is	O
no	O
limit	O
to	O
a	O
player	O
's	O
level	O
,	O
allowing	O
the	O
grinding	B-Application
experience	O
to	O
continue	O
indefinitely	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
that	O
use	O
this	O
model	O
often	O
glorify	O
top	O
ranked	O
players	O
by	O
displaying	O
their	O
avatars	O
on	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
website	O
or	O
posting	O
their	O
stats	O
on	O
a	O
high	O
score	O
screen	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
almost	O
always	O
have	O
tools	O
to	O
facilitate	O
communication	O
between	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
offer	O
support	O
for	O
in-game	B-Application
guilds	O
or	O
clans	O
,	O
though	O
these	O
will	O
usually	O
form	O
whether	O
the	O
game	O
supports	O
them	O
or	O
not	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
,	O
most	O
MMOGs	B-Application
require	O
some	O
degree	O
of	O
teamwork	O
in	O
parts	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
tasks	O
usually	O
require	O
players	O
to	O
take	O
on	O
roles	O
in	O
the	O
group	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
protecting	O
other	O
players	O
from	O
damage	O
(	O
called	O
tanking	B-Protocol
)	O
,	O
"	O
healing	O
"	O
damage	O
done	O
to	O
other	O
players	O
or	O
damaging	O
enemies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
generally	O
have	O
Game	O
Moderators	O
or	O
Game	B-Device
Masters	I-Device
(	O
frequently	O
referred	O
to	O
as	O
GMs	O
or	O
"	O
mods	O
"	O
)	O
,	O
who	O
may	O
be	O
paid	O
employees	O
or	O
unpaid	O
volunteers	O
who	O
attempt	O
to	O
supervise	O
the	O
world	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Relationships	O
formed	O
in	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
can	O
often	O
be	O
just	O
as	O
intense	O
as	O
relationships	O
formed	O
between	O
friends	O
or	O
partners	O
met	O
outside	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
and	O
often	O
involve	O
elements	O
of	O
collaboration	O
and	O
trust	O
between	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Most	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
provide	O
different	O
types	O
of	O
classes	O
that	O
players	O
can	O
choose	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
example	O
,	O
if	O
a	O
player	O
wants	O
to	O
play	O
a	O
priest	O
role	O
in	O
his	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
world	O
,	O
he	O
might	O
buy	O
a	O
cope	O
from	O
a	O
shop	O
and	O
learn	O
priestly	O
skills	O
,	O
proceeding	O
to	O
speak	O
,	O
act	O
,	O
and	O
interact	O
with	O
others	O
as	O
their	O
character	O
would	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Over	O
time	O
,	O
the	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
community	O
has	O
developed	O
a	O
sub-culture	O
with	O
its	O
own	O
slang	O
and	O
metaphors	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
an	O
unwritten	O
list	O
of	O
social	O
rules	O
and	O
taboos	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
will	O
often	O
complain	O
about	O
'	O
grind	B-Application
 '	O
(	O
a	O
slang	O
term	O
for	O
any	O
repetitive	O
,	O
time-consuming	O
activity	O
in	O
an	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
)	O
,	O
or	O
talk	O
about	O
'	O
buffs	O
 '	O
and	O
'	O
nerfs	O
 '	O
(	O
respectively	O
an	O
upgrade	O
or	O
downgrade	O
of	O
a	O
particular	O
game	O
mechanic	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Most	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
are	O
deployed	O
using	O
a	O
client	B-Operating_System
–	I-Operating_System
server	I-Operating_System
system	B-Architecture
architecture	I-Architecture
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
server	B-Application
software	I-Application
generates	O
a	O
persistent	B-Protocol
instance	O
of	O
the	O
virtual	B-Application
world	I-Application
that	O
runs	O
continuously	O
,	O
and	O
players	O
connect	O
to	O
it	O
via	O
a	O
client	O
software	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
EverQuest	B-Protocol
and	O
Guild	B-Protocol
Wars	I-Protocol
are	O
two	O
examples	O
of	O
games	O
that	O
use	O
such	O
a	O
format	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
generally	O
must	O
purchase	O
the	O
client	O
software	O
for	O
a	O
one-time	O
fee	O
,	O
although	O
an	O
increasing	O
trend	O
is	O
for	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
to	O
work	O
using	O
pre-existing	O
"	O
thin	O
"	O
clients	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
a	O
web	O
browser	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Depending	O
on	O
the	O
number	O
of	O
players	O
and	O
the	O
system	B-Architecture
architecture	I-Architecture
,	O
an	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
might	O
be	O
run	O
on	O
multiple	O
separate	O
servers	O
,	O
each	O
representing	O
an	O
independent	O
world	O
,	O
where	O
players	O
from	O
one	O
server	B-Application
cannot	O
interact	O
with	O
those	O
from	O
another	O
;	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
is	O
a	O
prominent	O
example	O
,	O
with	O
each	O
separate	O
server	B-Application
housing	O
several	O
thousand	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
many	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
the	O
number	O
of	O
players	O
in	O
one	O
world	O
is	O
often	O
limited	O
to	O
around	O
a	O
few	O
thousand	O
,	O
but	O
a	O
notable	O
example	O
of	O
the	O
opposite	O
is	O
EVE	B-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
,	O
which	O
accommodates	O
several	O
hundred	O
thousand	O
players	O
on	O
the	O
same	O
server	B-Application
,	O
with	O
over	O
60,000	O
playing	O
simultaneously	O
(	O
June	O
2010	O
)	O
at	O
certain	O
times	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
games	O
allow	O
characters	O
to	O
appear	O
on	O
any	O
world	O
,	O
but	O
not	O
simultaneously	O
(	O
such	O
as	O
Seal	O
Online	O
:	O
Evolution	O
or	O
Kolossium	O
competition	O
in	O
Dofus	B-Protocol
)	O
;	O
others	O
limit	O
each	O
character	O
to	O
the	O
world	O
in	O
which	O
it	O
was	O
created	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
has	O
experimented	O
with	O
"	O
cross-realm	O
"	O
(	O
i.e.	O
</s>
<s>
cross-server	O
)	O
interaction	O
in	O
player	O
vs	O
player	O
"	O
battlegrounds	B-Protocol
"	O
,	O
using	O
server	B-Application
clusters	O
or	O
"	O
battlegroups	O
"	O
to	O
co-ordinate	O
players	O
looking	O
to	O
participate	O
in	O
structured	O
player	O
vs	O
player	O
content	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
Warsong	O
Gulch	O
or	O
Alterac	O
Valley	O
battlegrounds	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additionally	O
,	O
patch	O
3.3	O
,	O
released	O
on	O
December	O
8	O
,	O
2009	O
,	O
introduced	O
a	O
cross-realm	O
"	O
looking	O
for	O
group	O
"	O
system	O
to	O
help	O
players	O
form	O
groups	O
for	O
instanced	O
content	O
(	O
though	O
not	O
for	O
open-world	O
questing	O
)	O
from	O
a	O
larger	O
pool	O
of	O
characters	O
than	O
their	O
home	O
server	B-Application
can	O
necessarily	O
provide	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
today	O
use	O
a	O
wide	O
range	O
of	O
business	O
models	O
,	O
from	O
free	O
of	O
charge	O
,	O
free	O
with	O
microtransactions	O
,	O
advertise	O
funded	O
,	O
to	O
various	O
kinds	O
of	O
payment	O
plans	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
require	O
payment	O
or	O
a	O
monthly	O
subscription	O
to	O
play	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
By	O
definition	O
,	O
"	O
massively	B-Application
multiplayer	I-Application
"	O
games	O
are	O
always	O
online	O
,	O
and	O
most	O
require	O
some	O
sort	O
of	O
continuous	O
revenue	O
(	O
such	O
as	O
monthly	O
subscriptions	O
and	O
advertisements	O
)	O
for	O
maintenance	O
and	O
development	O
purposes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
games	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Guild	B-Protocol
Wars	I-Protocol
,	O
have	O
disposed	O
of	O
the	O
'	O
monthly	O
fee	O
 '	O
model	O
entirely	O
,	O
and	O
recover	O
costs	O
directly	O
through	O
sales	O
of	O
the	O
software	O
and	O
associated	O
expansion	O
packs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Games	O
that	O
make	O
use	O
of	O
this	O
model	O
often	O
have	O
originated	O
in	O
Korea	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
Flyff	B-Protocol
and	O
MapleStory	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
business	O
model	O
is	O
alternately	O
called	O
"	O
pay	B-Application
for	I-Application
perks	I-Application
"	O
or	O
"	O
freemium	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
games	O
using	O
it	O
often	O
describe	O
themselves	O
with	O
the	O
term	O
"	O
free-to-play	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MMORPG	B-Protocol
is	O
a	O
term	O
coined	O
by	O
Richard	O
Garriott	O
to	O
refer	O
to	O
massive	B-Protocol
multiplayer	I-Protocol
online	I-Protocol
role-playing	I-Protocol
games	I-Protocol
and	O
their	O
social	O
communities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Previous	O
to	O
this	O
and	O
related	O
coinages	O
,	O
these	O
games	O
were	O
generally	O
called	O
graphical	O
MUDs	B-Application
;	O
the	O
history	O
of	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
traces	O
back	O
directly	O
through	O
the	O
MUD	B-Application
genre	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Through	O
this	O
connection	O
,	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
can	O
be	O
seen	O
to	O
have	O
roots	O
in	O
the	O
earliest	O
multi-user	O
games	O
such	O
as	O
Mazewar	B-Application
(	O
1974	O
)	O
and	O
MUD1	B-Protocol
(	O
1978	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
1985	O
saw	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
a	O
roguelike	O
(	O
pseudo-graphical	O
)	O
MUD	B-Application
called	O
Island	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Kesmai	I-Protocol
on	O
CompuServe	O
and	O
Lucasfilm	O
's	O
graphical	O
MUD	B-Application
Habitat	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
fully	O
graphical	O
multi-user	O
RPG	O
was	O
Neverwinter	B-Application
Nights	I-Application
,	O
which	O
was	O
delivered	O
through	O
America	O
Online	O
in	O
1991	O
and	O
was	O
personally	O
championed	O
by	O
AOL	O
President	O
Steve	O
Case	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
early	O
proprietary	O
graphical	O
online	O
RPGs	O
include	O
three	O
on	O
The	O
Sierra	O
Network	O
:	O
The	B-Protocol
Shadow	I-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Yserbius	I-Protocol
in	O
1992	O
,	O
The	B-Protocol
Fates	I-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Twinion	I-Protocol
in	O
1993	O
,	O
and	O
The	B-Protocol
Ruins	I-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Cawdor	I-Protocol
in	O
1995	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Finally	O
,	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
as	O
defined	O
today	O
began	O
with	O
Meridian	B-Protocol
59	I-Protocol
in	O
1996	O
,	O
innovative	O
both	O
in	O
its	O
scope	O
and	O
in	O
offering	O
first-person	O
3D	O
graphics	O
,	O
with	O
The	B-Protocol
Realm	I-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
appearing	O
nearly	O
simultaneously	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ultima	B-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
,	O
released	O
in	O
1997	O
,	O
is	O
often	O
credited	O
with	O
first	O
popularizing	O
the	O
genre	O
,	O
though	O
more	O
mainstream	O
attention	O
was	O
garnered	O
by	O
1999	O
's	O
EverQuest	B-Protocol
and	O
Asheron	B-Application
's	I-Application
Call	I-Application
in	O
the	O
West	O
and	O
1996	O
's	O
Nexus	B-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Kingdom	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
Winds	I-Application
in	O
South	O
Korea	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MMORPG	B-Protocol
titles	O
now	O
exist	O
on	O
consoles	B-Device
and	O
in	O
new	O
settings	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2008	O
,	O
the	O
market	O
for	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
had	O
Blizzard	O
Entertainment	O
's	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
dominating	O
as	O
the	O
largest	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
,	O
alongside	O
other	O
titles	O
such	O
as	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
XIV	I-Application
and	O
Guild	B-Protocol
Wars	I-Protocol
2	I-Protocol
,	O
though	O
an	O
additional	O
market	O
exists	O
for	O
free-to-play	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
,	O
which	O
are	O
supported	O
by	O
advertising	O
and	O
purchases	O
of	O
in-game	B-Application
items	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
free-to-play	O
model	O
is	O
particularly	O
common	O
in	O
South	O
Korea	O
such	O
as	O
MapleStory	B-Protocol
,	O
Rohan	B-Application
:	I-Application
Blood	I-Application
Feud	I-Application
,	O
Atlantica	B-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
and	O
Lost	B-Protocol
Ark	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Also	O
,	O
there	O
are	O
some	O
free-to-play	O
games	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
RuneScape	B-Protocol
and	O
Tibia	B-Protocol
,	O
where	O
the	O
game	O
is	O
free	O
,	O
but	O
one	O
would	O
have	O
to	O
pay	O
monthly	O
to	O
play	O
the	O
game	O
with	O
more	O
features	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Guild	B-Protocol
Wars	I-Protocol
and	O
its	O
sequel	O
avoid	O
some	O
degree	O
of	O
competition	O
with	O
other	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
by	O
only	O
requiring	O
the	O
initial	O
purchase	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
play	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
cost	O
of	O
developing	O
a	O
competitive	O
commercial	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
title	O
often	O
exceeded	O
$10	O
million	O
in	O
2003	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
projects	O
require	O
multiple	O
disciplines	O
within	O
game	O
design	O
and	O
development	O
such	O
as	O
3D	O
modeling	O
,	O
2D	O
art	O
,	O
animation	O
,	O
user	O
interfaces	O
,	O
client/server	B-Operating_System
engineering	O
,	O
database	O
architecture	O
,	O
and	O
network	O
infrastructure	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
front-end	O
(	O
or	O
client	O
)	O
component	O
of	O
a	O
commercial	O
,	O
modern	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
features	O
3D	O
graphics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Developing	O
an	O
MMOG	B-Application
server	B-Application
requires	O
expertise	O
with	O
client/server	B-Operating_System
architecture	I-Operating_System
,	O
network	O
protocols	O
,	O
security	O
,	O
and	O
database	O
design	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
include	O
reliable	O
systems	O
for	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
vital	O
tasks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
server	B-Application
must	O
be	O
able	O
to	O
handle	O
and	O
verify	O
a	O
large	O
number	O
of	O
connections	O
,	O
prevent	O
cheating	O
,	O
and	O
apply	O
changes	O
(	O
bug	O
fixes	O
or	O
added	O
content	O
)	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Insufficient	O
resources	O
for	O
maintenance	O
lead	O
to	O
lag	B-Application
and	O
frustration	O
for	O
the	O
players	O
,	O
and	O
can	O
severely	O
damage	O
the	O
reputation	O
of	O
a	O
game	O
,	O
especially	O
at	O
launch	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Peer-to-peer	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
could	O
theoretically	O
work	O
cheaply	O
and	O
efficiently	O
in	O
regulating	O
server	B-Application
load	O
,	O
but	O
practical	O
issues	O
such	O
as	O
asymmetrical	O
network	O
bandwidth	O
,	O
CPU-hungry	O
rendering	O
engines	O
,	O
unreliability	O
of	O
individual	O
nodes	O
,	O
and	O
inherent	O
lack	O
of	O
security	O
(	O
opening	O
fertile	O
new	O
grounds	O
for	O
cheating	O
)	O
can	O
make	O
them	O
a	O
difficult	O
proposition	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
hosted	O
infrastructure	O
for	O
a	O
commercial-grade	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
requires	O
the	O
deployment	O
of	O
hundreds	O
(	O
or	O
even	O
thousands	O
)	O
of	O
servers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Developing	O
an	O
affordable	O
infrastructure	O
for	O
an	O
online	B-Application
game	I-Application
requires	O
developers	O
to	O
scale	O
large	O
numbers	O
of	O
players	O
with	O
less	O
hardware	O
and	O
network	O
investment	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Though	O
the	O
vast	O
majority	O
of	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
are	O
produced	O
by	O
companies	O
,	O
many	O
small	O
teams	O
of	O
programmers	O
and	O
artists	O
have	O
contributed	O
to	O
the	O
genre	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
shown	O
above	O
,	O
the	O
average	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
development	O
project	O
requires	O
enormous	O
investments	O
of	O
time	O
and	O
money	O
,	O
and	O
running	O
the	O
game	O
can	O
be	O
a	O
long-term	O
commitment	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
a	O
result	O
,	O
non-corporate	O
(	O
or	O
independent	O
,	O
or	O
"	O
indie	O
"	O
)	O
development	O
of	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
is	O
less	O
common	O
compared	O
to	O
other	O
genres	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Still	O
,	O
many	O
independent	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
do	O
exist	O
,	O
representing	O
a	O
wide	O
spectrum	O
of	O
genres	O
,	O
gameplay	O
types	O
,	O
and	O
revenue	O
systems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
independent	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
projects	O
are	O
completely	O
open	B-Application
source	I-Application
,	O
while	O
others	O
feature	O
proprietary	O
content	O
made	O
with	O
an	O
open-source	B-Application
game	O
engine	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
WorldForge	B-Protocol
project	O
has	O
been	O
active	O
since	O
1998	O
and	O
formed	O
a	O
community	O
of	O
independent	O
developers	O
who	O
are	O
working	O
on	O
creating	O
framework	O
for	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
open-source	B-Application
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Multiverse	B-Application
Foundation	I-Application
has	O
also	O
created	O
a	O
platform	O
specifically	O
for	O
independent	O
MMOG	B-Application
developers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
of	O
these	O
developments	O
is	O
the	O
raid	B-Protocol
group	O
quest	O
,	O
or	O
"	O
raid	B-Protocol
"	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
an	O
adventure	O
designed	O
for	O
large	O
groups	O
of	O
players	O
(	O
often	O
twenty	O
or	O
more	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
reduces	O
competition	O
,	O
and	O
also	O
reducing	O
the	O
amount	O
of	O
data	O
that	O
needs	O
to	O
be	O
sent	O
to	O
and	O
from	O
the	O
server	B-Application
,	O
reducing	O
lag	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Protocol
Realm	I-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
was	O
the	O
first	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
to	O
begin	O
to	O
use	O
a	O
rudimentary	O
form	O
of	O
this	O
technique	O
and	O
Anarchy	B-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
would	O
develop	O
it	O
further	O
,	O
using	O
instances	O
as	O
a	O
key	O
element	O
of	O
gameplay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
"	O
raids	B-Protocol
"	O
,	O
as	O
mentioned	O
above	O
,	O
often	O
involve	O
instance	O
dungeons	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Examples	O
of	O
games	O
which	O
feature	O
instances	O
are	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
,	O
The	B-Protocol
Lord	I-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
the	I-Protocol
Rings	I-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
,	O
EverQuest	B-Protocol
,	O
EverQuest	B-Protocol
II	I-Protocol
,	O
Aion	B-Protocol
,	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
XIV	I-Application
,	O
Guild	B-Protocol
Wars	I-Protocol
,	O
Rift	B-Protocol
,	O
RuneScape	B-Protocol
,	O
Star	B-Protocol
Trek	I-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
,	O
Star	B-Protocol
Wars	I-Protocol
:	I-Protocol
The	I-Protocol
Old	I-Protocol
Republic	I-Protocol
,	O
and	O
DC	B-Protocol
Universe	I-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
use	O
of	O
intellectual	O
property	O
licensing	O
common	O
in	O
other	O
video	O
game	O
genres	O
has	O
also	O
appeared	O
in	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
2007	O
saw	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
The	B-Protocol
Lord	I-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
the	I-Protocol
Rings	I-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
,	O
based	O
on	O
J	O
.	O
R	O
.	O
R	O
.	O
Tolkien	O
's	O
Middle-earth	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
licensed	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
include	O
The	B-Application
Matrix	I-Application
Online	I-Application
,	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
Matrix	O
trilogy	O
of	O
films	O
,	O
Warhammer	B-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
:	I-Protocol
Age	I-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Reckoning	I-Protocol
,	O
based	O
on	O
Games	O
Workshop	O
's	O
table	O
top	O
game	O
,	O
Star	B-Application
Wars	I-Application
Galaxies	I-Application
,	O
Star	B-Protocol
Wars	I-Protocol
The	I-Protocol
Old	I-Protocol
Republic	I-Protocol
,	O
Champions	B-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
and	O
Age	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Conan	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additionally	O
,	O
several	O
licenses	O
from	O
television	O
have	O
been	O
optioned	O
for	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
,	O
for	O
example	O
Star	B-Protocol
Trek	I-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
and	O
Stargate	B-Protocol
Worlds	I-Protocol
(	O
which	O
was	O
later	O
canceled	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
console-based	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
was	O
Phantasy	B-Application
Star	I-Application
Online	I-Application
for	O
the	O
Sega	B-Operating_System
Dreamcast	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
console-based	O
open-world	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
was	O
Final	B-Protocol
Fantasy	I-Protocol
XI	I-Protocol
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
EverQuest	B-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
Adventures	I-Protocol
,	O
also	O
on	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
,	O
was	O
the	O
first	O
console	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
in	O
North	O
America	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
console-based	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
are	O
considered	O
more	O
difficult	O
to	O
produce	O
,	O
the	O
platform	O
is	O
gaining	O
more	O
attention	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
the	O
popularization	O
of	O
Facebook	O
and	O
microtransactions	O
has	O
come	O
a	O
new	O
wave	O
of	O
Flash	O
and	O
HTML5	O
based	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
that	O
use	O
the	O
free	O
to	O
play	O
model	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Smartphones	B-Application
with	O
their	O
GPS	O
capabilities	O
(	O
amongst	O
others	O
)	O
enable	O
augmented	B-General_Concept
reality	I-General_Concept
in	O
games	O
such	O
as	O
Ingress	B-Application
and	O
Pokémon	B-Application
Go	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
the	O
interactions	O
between	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
players	O
are	O
real	O
,	O
even	O
if	O
the	O
environments	O
are	O
virtual	O
,	O
psychologists	O
and	O
sociologists	O
are	O
able	O
to	O
use	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
as	O
tools	O
for	O
academic	O
research	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sherry	O
Turkle	O
has	O
found	O
that	O
many	O
people	O
have	O
expanded	O
their	O
emotional	O
range	O
by	O
exploring	O
the	O
many	O
different	O
roles	O
(	O
including	O
gender	O
identities	O
)	O
that	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
allow	O
a	O
person	O
to	O
explore	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nick	B-Application
Yee	I-Application
has	O
surveyed	O
more	O
than	O
35,000	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
players	O
over	O
the	O
past	O
several	O
years	O
,	O
focusing	O
on	O
psychological	O
and	O
sociological	O
aspects	O
of	O
these	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
players	O
report	O
that	O
the	O
emotions	O
they	O
feel	O
while	O
playing	O
an	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
are	O
very	O
strong	O
,	O
to	O
the	O
extent	O
that	O
8.7	O
%	O
of	O
male	O
and	O
23.2	O
%	O
of	O
female	O
players	O
in	O
a	O
statistical	O
study	O
have	O
had	O
an	O
online	O
wedding	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
German	O
fMRT-study	O
conducted	O
by	O
researchers	O
of	O
the	O
Central	O
Institute	O
of	O
Mental	O
Health	O
points	O
towards	O
impairments	O
in	O
social	O
,	O
emotional	O
and	O
physical	O
aspects	O
of	O
the	O
self-concept	O
and	O
a	O
higher	O
degree	O
in	O
avatar	O
identification	O
in	O
addicted	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
players	O
,	O
compared	O
to	O
non-addicted	O
and	O
naive	O
(	O
nonexperienced	O
)	O
people	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
findings	O
generally	O
support	O
Davis	O
 '	O
cognitive	O
behavioral	O
model	O
of	O
Internet	O
addiction	O
,	O
which	O
postulates	O
that	O
dysfunctional	O
self-related	O
cognitions	O
represent	O
central	O
factors	O
contributing	O
towards	O
the	O
development	O
and	O
maintenance	O
of	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
addiction	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
in	O
the	O
addicted	O
group	O
of	O
this	O
study	O
indicates	O
that	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
playing	O
may	O
represent	O
an	O
attempt	O
to	O
compensate	O
for	O
impairments	O
in	O
self-concept	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Richard	O
Bartle	O
,	O
author	O
of	O
Designing	O
Virtual	B-Application
Worlds	I-Application
,	O
classified	O
multiplayer	O
RPG-players	O
into	O
four	O
primary	O
psychological	O
groups	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
elements	O
may	O
be	O
found	O
not	O
only	O
in	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
,	O
but	O
many	O
other	O
types	O
of	O
games	O
and	O
within	O
the	O
emerging	O
field	O
of	O
gamification	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
,	O
a	O
temporary	O
design	O
glitch	O
attracted	O
the	O
attention	O
of	O
psychologists	O
and	O
epidemiologists	O
across	O
North	O
America	O
,	O
when	O
the	O
"	O
Corrupted	O
Blood	O
"	O
disease	O
of	O
a	O
monster	B-Protocol
began	O
to	O
spread	O
unintentionally	O
—	O
and	O
uncontrollably	O
—	O
into	O
the	O
wider	O
game	O
world	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Nevertheless	O
,	O
the	O
CDC	O
has	O
continued	O
to	O
express	O
interest	O
in	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
for	O
disease	O
research	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
has	O
been	O
suggested	O
by	O
the	O
Springer	O
University	O
in	O
Germany	O
that	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
encourage	O
and	O
provide	O
opportunities	O
to	O
study	O
and	O
improve	O
in	O
economic	O
theory	O
by	O
providing	O
a	O
controlled	O
environment	O
for	O
the	O
natural	O
development	O
of	O
economic	O
practices	O
between	O
players	O
including	O
professions	O
,	O
trade	O
,	O
and	O
services	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Division	O
of	O
Autism	O
and	O
developmental	O
disabilities	O
has	O
published	O
a	O
significant	O
report	O
detailing	O
the	O
value	O
of	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
for	O
the	O
treatment	O
of	O
individuals	O
with	O
Autism	O
Spectrum	O
disorder	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
report	O
suggests	O
that	O
individuals	O
with	O
autism	O
spectrum	O
disorder	O
could	O
benefit	O
from	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
by	O
being	O
provided	O
a	O
space	O
to	O
freely	O
develop	O
social	O
skills	O
and	O
communication	O
skills	O
without	O
the	O
stress	O
of	O
face-to-face	O
contact	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
feature	O
living	O
economies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Such	O
a	O
virtual	B-Application
economy	I-Application
can	O
be	O
analyzed	O
(	O
using	O
data	O
logged	O
by	O
the	O
game	O
)	O
and	O
has	O
value	O
in	O
economic	O
research	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
of	O
the	O
early	O
researchers	O
of	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
was	O
Edward	O
Castronova	O
,	O
who	O
demonstrated	O
that	O
a	O
supply-and-demand	O
market	O
exists	O
for	O
virtual	O
items	O
and	O
that	O
it	O
crosses	O
over	O
with	O
the	O
real	O
world	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
ability	O
for	O
players	O
to	O
sell	O
an	O
item	O
to	O
each	O
other	O
for	O
in-game	B-Application
(	O
virtual	O
)	O
currency	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
purchase	O
of	O
in-game	B-Application
items	I-Application
for	O
real-world	O
currency	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
invention	O
of	O
user-created	O
meta-currencies	O
such	O
as	O
Dragon	B-Protocol
kill	I-Protocol
points	I-Protocol
to	O
distribute	O
in-game	B-Application
rewards	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
virtual	O
currency	O
selling	O
pioneer	O
IGE	O
received	O
a	O
lawsuit	O
from	O
a	O
World	B-Protocol
of	I-Protocol
Warcraft	I-Protocol
player	O
for	O
interfering	O
in	O
the	O
economics	O
and	O
intended	O
use	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
by	O
selling	O
WoW	B-Protocol
gold	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Castronova	O
's	O
first	O
study	O
in	O
2002	O
found	O
that	O
a	O
highly	O
liquid	O
(	O
if	O
illegal	O
)	O
currency	O
market	O
existed	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
value	O
of	O
Everquest'''s	O
in-game	B-Application
currency	I-Application
exceeding	O
that	O
of	O
the	O
Japanese	O
yen	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
people	O
even	O
make	O
a	O
living	O
by	O
working	O
these	O
virtual	B-Application
economies	I-Application
;	O
these	O
people	O
are	O
often	O
referred	O
to	O
as	O
gold	B-Protocol
farmers	I-Protocol
,	O
and	O
may	O
be	O
employed	O
in	O
game	B-Protocol
sweatshops	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Game	O
publishers	O
usually	O
prohibit	O
the	O
exchange	O
of	O
real-world	O
money	O
for	O
virtual	B-General_Concept
goods	I-General_Concept
,	O
but	O
others	O
actively	O
promote	O
the	O
idea	O
of	O
linking	O
(	O
and	O
directly	O
profiting	O
from	O
)	O
an	O
exchange	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Second	B-Application
Life	I-Application
and	O
Entropia	B-Application
Universe	I-Application
,	O
the	O
virtual	B-Application
economy	I-Application
and	O
the	O
real-world	O
economy	O
are	O
directly	O
linked	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
use	O
of	O
"	O
bots	O
"	O
or	O
automated	O
programs	O
,	O
that	O
assist	O
some	O
players	O
in	O
accumulating	O
in-game	B-Application
wealth	O
to	O
the	O
disadvantage	O
of	O
other	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
emergence	O
of	O
virtual	O
crime	O
,	O
which	O
can	O
take	O
the	O
form	O
of	O
both	O
fraud	O
against	O
the	O
player	O
or	O
publisher	O
of	O
an	O
online	B-Application
game	I-Application
,	O
and	O
even	O
real-life	O
acts	O
of	O
violence	O
stemming	O
from	O
in-game	B-Application
transactions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Linking	O
real-world	O
and	O
virtual	B-Application
economies	I-Application
was	O
rare	O
in	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
as	O
of	O
2008	O
,	O
as	O
it	O
is	O
generally	O
believed	O
to	O
be	O
detrimental	O
to	O
gameplay	O
.	O
</s>
