The Context of the MMORPG

An MMORPG is an online role playing computer game hosted on a server computer (usually belonging to the publisher), whereby a large number of users can create and develop avatars (characters) to interact with each other in a virtual world. The main thing that distinguishes MMORPGs from other online RPGs is the persistent world that it is based in.

A persistent world is an environment that is hosted on a communal server that evolves and can be modified by players or developers. This means that when a user is away from the game, they can potentially return to find that things have changed.

 

Most MMORPGs are commercially developed and marketed, such as Vendetta online and World of Warcraft. Customers pay either a one off fee to purchase the title or a subscription to be linked to the persistent world. Many of the larger games require both.

The subscription of these games is required to ensure maintenance and development of the online world that the game is based in, something that has never been required in the game industry's past. This implies that MMORPGs have the potential to expire when the server closes down. The lifetime of an MMORPG if not popular could be a very short one indeed.

Common Attributes

MMORPGs have been around and developing for a decades, and still share the same common attributes. which are...

- A traditional role play environment, involving missions, enemies and loot.

- A character customization and development element, usually involving experience points (or XP).

- An economy, based on trade of weapons, health potions or food, armour, commodities and services.

 

 

- Guilds or clans of united users who play for a common cause.

- Moderators or game masters (GM's) who supervise the online world and usually have the power to prevent unfair play.

- Non Player Characters (NPC's) who can interact with the world as if they where another user. Only are controlled by the server computers Artificial Intelligence (AI). These are often referred to as "bots"

Reports and Articles

The world of the MMORPG has been a topic for headlines since their creation in 1984, and it's not surprising when you consider the huge impact it's had on people. The amount of bizarre and interesting occurrences that have happened in these alternative universes raise all kinds of questions as to what's normal, what's legal and what it's all about.

Islands of Kesmai, created by Kelton Flinn and John Taylor is thought to be the first MMO costing a whopping $6 - $12 an hour to play depending on the desired connection speed. I haven't been able to find out how many players there where in this game, only that according to Flinn himself "serious players paid the bucks" implying the $12 charge.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MMORPG

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islands_of_Kesmai

Accessed 5-10-2006

The value of the in game virtual currencies has also been leaking into reality. After all the value of an item is only dependant on how much someone will pay for it. A practice known in the world of MMO's as "Twinking" has become more and more popular and indeed profitable over the years. Twinking is where a player gains an advantage due to acquiring characters, gold and other upgrades through a means that doesn't involve standard in game play. This twinking had taken the form of players purchasing items with real money through online transactions.

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/issue/25/3

Accessed 07-11-2006

This report can be accessed offline here

This article written by Mark Wallice explains how the virtual economy's and markets within these games has effected real world economy and trade.

according to this report the current going rate for a World of warcraft gold piece is $0.10 with people spending extremely large amounts of money on weaponry, characters and virtual land.

 

 

There have been a few recent developments within the genre with games developers directly addressing this issue by creating an exchange rate for their virtual currency. In the games "Entropia Universe" and "Second Life" a player can deposit or withdraw funds from their virtual accounts with real money.

The following reports show how serious quantities of money are being exchanged in the Entropia Universe every day.

These Files have been saved from the internet and can be viewed from the CD by clicking the icons. The links for these reports are added beneath each report. All where accessed on 7-11-06.

Gamer Spends $26,500 on Virtual Land: BBC report of a record amount of money spent on a virtual item within the Entropia Universe.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4104731.stm

$100,000 spent on Virtual Space Station: BBC report of how the record was smashed.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4374610.stm

$200,000 Turnover for Entropia Universe in one month:Jackie Lacambra reports the booming virtual economy of Entropia

http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=151156

500,000 Members of Entropia: David Radd updates us on the population of the Entropia Universe

http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/news/?id=14132

Cash card taps virtual game funds: BBC news report about the effects of the introduction of a virtual - real money cash card.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4953620.stm

So it's clear from these reports that MMORPG's are being treated extremely seriously by their players, and becoming more like alternative existences than games.

For Kyu Nam Choi, this is certainly the case. His alternative existence has reached truly extreme proportions.

Lost in Cyberspace: Tim Guest tells the story of Kyu Nam Choi

Scanned from The Telegraph Magazine dated 12th march 2005

 

The Music

So like my employer John Bergman Told me in his first email, It appears that people spend huge amounts of time in these games. Given the context, what is the place for music in such an environment?

According to my survey around the virtual world of vendetta online. It would appear that over half of all players turn off the in game music while playing. Many of them play their own mp3's in the background using a media player. The problem with this is that it involves switching between the music player and the game whilst playing. This can cause huge problems for people. Firstly, an MMO cannot be paused due to the persistent world it exists within, making it potentially risky to leave it for any amount of time unattended. Secondly the game might crash whilst attempting to switch back to it, which could cause a huge problem to those undergoing deals of thousands of pounds.

So what about the atmosphere of the games. Surely the developers wish to express one using music to their audience. For those who listen to the in game music, they would need long tracks and a lot of variety. This would make it illogical for the music to be stored on the players computers (as they are now). Perhaps the option of streaming music that changes once in a while.

It has been suggested by the users of vendetta online, that there should be a selection of music for each area of the game, so that if you get fed up of a track; Instead of turning it off all together, one would change the track within an in-game menu. And that this selection would be updated monthly or quarterly.

So what about the potential future for music in MMORPG's?

I would imagine that MP3 players within the games (possibly in the form of personal PDA's or in game menus) will be introduced quite soon. Also, as it is a requirement that the user is online whilst paying. The possibility of an internet radio in the games is likely. That way, if the developers wish to create their own stations for the game's, they can. This would create the possibility for news, weather, and other reports to be made about the online universe's.