It's pretty rare that people will continue their love affairs with a computer game beyond the initial heady fumblings. Most are cast aside when something newer and flashier comes along, only picked up intermittently (if at all), prodded for nostalgia's sake and discarded again. The finite-ness of traditional, off-the-shelf computer gaming does have something to do with this; I don't re-read a book immediately after I've finished the last chapter, but might go back to it if I want to revisit characters and adventures. But MMOGs are a different story. For many people, the game becomes an extension to a social circle, and it's the community which keeps many of these titles alive for years. For more on this, check out Alexander Gambotto-Burke's article on the end of single-player gaming in yesterday's paper.
Ultima Online, arguably one of the most influential graphical MMOGs, has just hit its 10th birthday. That's 10 years of people interacting with the same intellectual property with no breaks, no launches, no new releases (except for the odd expansion pack). It's no wonder game developers are throwing their energies into creating their own MMO and that the market is predicted to rise and rise and rise. If you can capture imaginations of paying - subscribing - customers for a decade, why spend time doing something new?
But while Ultima's anniversary is certainly something to shout about, it's not the longest-running online collaborative game. Here are four old-timers you may wish to check out to truly grasp the legacy of modern MMOs:
MUD Co-created by Richard Bartle and Roy Trubshaw in 1978, this is the cornerstone upon which most fantasy MMOs are based. It's in text, sure, but its tenets are the same as World of Warcraft. Just without the pretty graphics. Age rating: Grandpappy
LambdaMOO This text-based world was developed by Pavel Curtis at the Palo Alto Research Centre in 1990, LambdaMOO was part of the movement (or should that be moovement) away from goal-oriented tracks and towards social virtual environments. The "game" was user-generated, much like content in graphically-set There.com, ActiveWorlds, Second Life and other SVWs is today. Age rating: Dirty old Uncle
Meridian 59 Meridian 59 is the first 3D graphical massively multiplayer online game. It was released in 1996. It's a fantasy virtual world currently heavy on the Player-versus-Player combat. It features a sophisticated justice system aimed at keeping killings clean and fair. Well, you know what I mean. Age rating: Old Timer
Sniper/Continuum/Subspace Released in 1997 after two years of beta development, Subspace/Continuum is the first space combat MMO. It's a 2D side-scrolling adventure that allows players to create maps, skins and friends - and then to blow the holy hell out of 'em. Age rating: Old Glory
What have I missed out?
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