Big Game

Sydney Morning Herald

Saturday February 16, 2008

Eliot Fish

Millions of people are linking up to role-play online.

If you've got an internet connection, chances are you have dabbled in some form of online gaming. Whether it's a game of Scrabble on Facebook or an epic quest through the wilds of World Of Warcraft, connecting with other players is fast becoming the preferred way to play.

The origins of online gaming lie in the text-based "multi-user dungeons" of the 1980s. Essentially just chat-rooms with role-playing functionality built in, these became popular with students in networked university labs. Players would log on and role-play via reams of descriptive text. The hook was being able to interact anonymously with strangers behind the mask of an invented character.

"The most compelling aspect to online gaming is having a persistent character that develops through the adventures you have in the online world," says John De Margheriti, the chief executive of Bigworld, an Australian online gaming company.

As three-dimensional graphics technology has evolved, visually enticing worlds have come into play - worlds compelling enough that people are willing to pay to play. The 1997 fantasy game Ultima Online became the first true massively multiplayer online game after attracting a few hundred thousand monthly subscribers.

Today it's the lush escapism of World Of Warcraft (www.worldofwarcraft.com) that has seen the number of people logging on to online games skyrocket. As De Margheriti explains, "There are about 20 million people [playing massively multiplayer online games], of which half play World Of Warcraft. And it's growing at a considerable rate ... It's now possible to build worlds with millions of players."

In Second Life (www.secondlife .com), players socialise, browse virtual stores and even do business using an in-game currency called Linden that translates to real-world cash.

Whether you're looking to challenge someone to a battle of wits or only want to

hang out with friends, playing online may prove more fulfilling than just prodding away for a high score.

© 2008 Sydney Morning Herald

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