Insert Coin The Arcade is dead and no one seems to have noticed or cared. Once a place where young people and adults gathered to play video games and interact with each other, this physical meeting place has become a “virtual arcade” online. The inherent replacement for the arcade was multiplayer online games (MMOG), which were apparently introduced, as arcades gradually disappeared, MMOGs allow many users (players) sometimes in the tens of thousands to connect and to interact with each other at the same time. time. These games originated on personal computers (PC) and made their transition to home consoles (Playstation, Xbox and Nintendo); Games that have versions for PC and home consoles are called cross-platform. 85% of MMOGs are still PC-based (Windows-based systems), with many popular MMOs being cross-platform on home consoles and Apple computers. When looked at as nothing more than a fad or the next internet trend, it's obvious that MMOGs are here to stay. MMOGs can be divided into two distinct categories, the first being Pay to Play (P2P). These games usually require the player to purchase the game at a retail price of between $20 and $65 and then pay a monthly subscription fee, usually between $10 and $15, in order to play the game. The most popular P2P games are World of Warcraft (WoW), Final Fantasy XI (FFXI), Eve and Lord of the Rings Online (LoTRO). These games are more polished (a term used to describe the overall experience and environment of a game, as a more finished product) and usually come from large game developers who can afford the high production costs required to make it. creation of these games. WoW cost $15,000,000 to make, while LoTRO costs around $9,000,000 in production cost. The second category is Free to P...... middle of paper ...... th MMORPG, and MMOFPS have had cross-platform in mind, almost since the first day of game development. MMOGs have made the subject to intense scrutiny, with many reviews claiming they are a waste of time, and many players find themselves so fascinated by the games that they put personal hygiene, work, school, friends and family behind the game. Other critics claim that random acts of violence that have occurred around the world (Columbine shooting, DC Snipers) are nothing more than reenactments brought on by extended play. There are warnings that warn users that prolonged gaming can have adverse health effects and that you should not neglect your friends, family, work, or school. It's still up to the person to know when to say when. Home computers and video game consoles MMOGs killed the arcade, if everything goes in cycles what will kill MMOGs?