Massively

After MUDs dominated the online role-playing scene in the 80s, the 90s saw the birth of the "graphical MUD" -- another precursor to the Massively Multi-Player Online Role-Playing Game. These games weren't quite massive by today's standards, but they were graphical, persistent worlds in which players fought monsters and socialized.

The first of these games, Neverwinter Nights, launched in 1991. This top-down, 2D dungeon-crawler shared its Forgotten Realms D&D setting with 2002's popular 3D game, but not much else. It was available only to America Online subscribers, and was developed by multiple prestigious teams. At launch, the game cost a whopping 6 US dollars to play per an hour; that's nearly $10 in today's money!

bladekeep.com

31/03/08