Online Games for the PC - Online Gaming

Most popular multiplayer online games for the PC.

Multiplayer gaming is a great way to compete and socialise at the same time; large numbers of players can interact with each other through the gaming medium and experience a virtual world together.  To play, players will take on the identity of a fictional character based in a fantasy world.  This fantasy world can also be known as a persistent world and is always openly available where events are constantly occurring.

Once of the most popular games in the persistent world setting is the “World of Warcraft” (WOW).  This particular game has fast grown to become the biggest subscription based MMORPG with 7.5 million players worldwide.  The WOW has evolved as a series of games with the first being Warcraft: Orcs & Humans which was published in 1994 by Blizzard Entertainment and the latest being World of Warcraft.  All the warcraft games are set in a fictional universe called the Warcraft Universe and it is here that parts of the game are located.  There are various areas within the universe ranging from the homeworld of Azeroth to the Outland of Draenor.  The World of Warcraft game is set in Azeroth and picks up four years after the end of the previous game of Warcarft III: The Frozen Throne.  It will please many fans of the game that an expansion pack entitled; World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade will be available from January 2007 which will provide additional races and also a new profession of jewel crafting.

The market has seen some competition to WOW, with the launch of the game Guild Wars or Guild Wars Prophecies as its also known.  This game charges their players in a different way to the other games in that only a one off fee is payable rather than a monthly subscription; this meant that competition quickly became fierce between brands.  The game is set in the Guild War Universe and other games have followed in the series with the latest being Guild Wars Nightfall.  This particular game has been designed to have a competitive edge; players are able to select characters with the highest ability in order for them to compete against other players’ characters.
When selecting the characters for Guild Wars Prophecies, the game allows the players to choose from six professions.  Of these six professions, there are various attributes to consider when selecting the chosen character. 

Dungeons & Dragons also has to remain one the best known and best loved MMORPG in current times.  The game is a fictional one with each player assuming the identity of a particular character and as the play develops so does the interaction of the characters.  The characters can be grouped together and as such are known as a party.  The party’s events and choices for the storyline are outlined by the Dungeon Master, it is he that controls everything to do with the game.  There are a large number of rules associated with this game and there are specific manuals to assist players to get to grips with the rules in a clear manner.

There are of course many games to choose from when considering MMORPG, some of these games will require the player to pay a monthly or annual subscription in order for them to continue playing.  Many gaming websites now allow players to download games for free; however, these tend to be of the smaller variety and not the larger branded games as details above.