MMORPGs - Crash Course Games #12

So we ended the last episode with casual gaming and a more connected gaming community, but these connected communities started much before smartphones and Facebook. Today, we’re going to talk about MMORPGs - or Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games. These games, usually found on PCs, are often nicknamed “life-games” as they have no definitive ending. MMORPGs trace their histories back to early text-based games that were inspired by the the real life RPG, Dungeons and Dragons, which we’ll talk about in a future episode. And with the creation of the Internet, these games have slowly evolved to support shared gaming communities that have exploded in popularity and variety with games like EVE Online, World of Warcraft, and the upcoming No Man’s Sky. But these games and their communities aren’t just interesting to players, they’re also informing us about how civilizations and their economies work. And the economies in these games are actual economies that have real-world monetary value. MMORPGs represent a larger shift that was happening in the gaming community towards livable game worlds as players like never before were becoming a part of the games they were playing. Want some Crash Course Games merch? Check out our beautiful Snake-inspired mugs! http://store.dftba.com/collections/cr... Also, Crash Course is on Patreon! You can support us directly by signing up athttp://www.patreon.com/crashcourse Thanks to the following Patrons for their generous monthly contributions that help keep Crash Course free for everyone forever: Alyssa Nolden, Mark, SR Foxley, Kristina Lavoie, Sandra Aft, Eric Kitchen, Simun Niclasen, Eric Knight, Ian Dundore, Brian Thomas Gossett, Nicholas Bury, Daniel Baulig, Jessica Wode, Moritz Schmidt, Caleb Weeks, Tim Curwick, Alex S, Brian Roberds, Mayumi Maeda, Jeffrey Thompson, Montather, Noora Althani, Steve Marshall, Kathy & Tim philip, Robert Kunz, Jason A Saslow, Jirat, Jacob Ash, Christy Huddleston, Chris Peters, and Sheikh Kori Rahman. Want to find Crash Course elsewhere on the internet? Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/YouTubeCrashC... Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/TheCrashCourse Tumblr - http://thecrashcourse.tumblr.com Support Crash Course on Patreon: http://patreon.com/crashcourse