We all love to play games. There is no disputing the fact that each of us has played at least one game, be it mental or physical, in our lifetime. And the better we become, the more we prefer playing tougher ones, as we find pleasure only from something that challenges us. It’s the same in the case of online games as well. When it comes to online games, the more similar it is to the virtual environment to the real world or something that we may fantasize about, the more enjoyable it is. Then, too, if it can allow real time interactions with other players around the world, more than being an entertainment option, it will become part of our life. Massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) is a category of online games that combines all these features.

In simple words, MMORPGs is the integration of role-playing video games and massively multiplayer online games, thus giving users an enhanced gaming experience, which is why it has been widely accepted ever since it was launched in its new form. As with any other games that have a global reach, the availability of these games across platforms, even in the forms of apps that are downloadable, is one of the major factors that contribute towards its popularity. Apart from this, a lot of factors come together to make MMORPGs popular games not only among online gaming enthusiasts but also among others.

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For starters, the major attraction is the possibility of real time gaming experiences with hundreds of thousands of players across the world. Thus, it eliminates the possibility of any boredom that may result from playing against a single opponent, be it the computer itself or another person. Though the entire game can be played in an isolated manner, it rewards teamwork. Namely, peculiar characteristics of certain tasks make it necessary to team up to achieve them, thus guaranteeing the possibility of social interaction. Also, since a large number of players are playing simultaneously at any point of time, the gaming environment changes consistently. What this essentially means is that even when a gamer is away from the gaming world, his virtual world is constantly evolving. This renders a surprise element to the game and thus evokes a curiosity factor in the gamer.

Another factor that is closely related to the MMORPG gaming environment is the possibility of selecting a theme of ones’ choice, which can be anything based on the provider, varying from fantasy to fiction. The possibility of choosing a role play of one’s interest comes as an icing on the cake because this gives a gamer a feeling of being in a world he/she likes. Apart from all these options of customization, the game is challenging, too. In order to make the gaming experience a challenging one, like many other games, MMORPGs follows a level progression pattern. The level progression, which may be limited or not limited, usually happens through experience points or wealth accumulation.

MMORPGs aren’t just popular among gaming enthusiasts only either. These games are popular among some other groups as well, but for varying reasons. Psychologists and sociologists usually use these games as a tool for academic research, as the virtual environment provided by these games can be used to study people’s responses in similar real-life situations. It is also equally popular among economists doing research, as these games provide an ideal environment to simulate a virtual economy and identify effects of certain policies. Apart from all these, there are certain people who use these games to build character based abilities, experience, and wealth.

Ultimately, it’s not just one or two factors that are behind the popularity of MMORPGs, but rather a multitude of ones. Hence it is no surprise that MMORPG industry is booming, with no signs that it may fade out soon. And thanks to ever-improving audiovisual and computing technologies, these games are only going to get better.