Monday, April 7, 2014

RPG's and MMORPG's (part 1)


Playing games used to be done around a table with a board game or a pack of cards, but gaming has undergone rapid changes in only a single generation. Before video games, table-top role-playing games (RPG's) were in their infancy in the late 1970's, with emerging giants like Dungeons and Dragons taking the lead for almost two straight decades. Many years later, table-top gaming is still alive and well, though statistics show that D&D's new rival, Pathfinder, has been consistently more popular in recent years. Computer and gaming console versions of RPG's have done well in the past, but none so well as their Massive Multiplayer Online iterations (MMORPG for short.) Early MMORPG's such as Everquest were immensely popular and extremely addictive, but the current reigning champion, for several undisputed years, is World of Warcraft. (WOW.) Just this weekend, a new contender has reared its head and entered the ring, at least in beta form: Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. It will soon be available on PC's, gaming consoles, and will even have dedicated apps for smartphones. What is it about MMORPG's that makes them so addictive and, as a result, so immensely successful? This week I'll share my experience from my weekend and the few hours I spent with the Final Fantasy XIV beta.

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