MMORPG | What is MMORPG and why is it so popular?

How come these massive multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPGs) gain such massive popularity in such a relatively short time? Even though the internet gaming industry offers variety of online games, including wide range of massive multiplayer online games, it seems that the MMORPGs attract larger cults of followers. 

Have you always fantasized on leading an army force into a ruthless battle at the enemy's territory or are you looking for an opportunity to externalize the shy little woman hidden inside your masculine body? Today's variety of multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPGs, with the first M stands for massive), allows each and everyone of us to let out in the open the latent Attila the Hun (and/or any other fictional characters of choice). 

What is MMORPG?

Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game is the cyberspace embodiment of classic role playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, except in a much larger scale. Thanks to the wide accessibility of broadband internet connections, today's most popular online role playing games sites have millions of registered members and they can host tens of thousands of players at the same time. 

Like their predecessors, the text-based role playing games, the leading team in today's MMORPGs is fantasy and in rarer cases science fiction. For example, Everquest takes place in a 14-races world in which elves, dwarves, ogres, cat people, lizard people and human beings fight monsters and other mean creatures on their treasure hunting crusade. The sci fi massive multiplayer role playing game Anarchy Online is set in the year 29842 when the working class Clans rebel against the evil mega-corporation Omni-Tek.

Why are the MMORPGs so Popular?

Massive multiplayer online role playing games, or more accurately the mass of gamers, have been the center of psychological and sociological researches. Many of these studies focused on the relations between the gamers and their virtual characters, gender swapping and the creation of life-like relationships in the cyber sphere. However, not many have dealt with the inevitable question – why do this massive multiplayer online role playing games gain such massive popularity? 

Perhaps because the answer is very predictable; these massive multiplayer online role playing games tend to appeal different gamers for variety of reasons: they are wrapped by an appealing 3D graphics appearance and there isn't a dull moment in them. MMORPGs allow people to be someone else, and even for just a few hours: live in different space and time (or inside a never ending story) change their looks, sex and literally get out of their skin. Multiplayer online role playing gamers can interact with other gamers and even experience the entire range of human emotions towards their game partners, and all under the safe and protective umbrella of their homemade avatars.