What was actually the first MMORPG on consoles?

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MMORPGs have been on everyone’s lips, especially since World of Warcraft. However, the genre dates back many years and it is only in the recent past that more games have been released on consoles. In this special, we get to the bottom of what the first console MMORPG actually was.

What was the first MMORPG on consoles? Officially titled Phantasy Star Online by SEGA. The game was released in 2000 for the Dreamcast and is listed by Guinness World Records as the first ever console MMORPG.

The gameplay of the game is very similar to the sequel Phantasy Star Online 2:

  • You could create a character from three different classes.
  • You only met other players in lobbies and could then enter the adventure zones together as a group.
  • You fight your way through the zone, at the end of which a boss awaits.
  • In the cities, on the other hand, you could trade, heal yourself, use the bank and upgrade your equipment.
  • There was a chat for exchanges between the players, which could even be operated on the SEGA with a connected keyboard.

    • In 2008, however, the servers in America were shut down, and in 2010 in Japan as well. However, the successor Phantasy Star Online 2 got the New Genesis expansion in June 2021, which made the game more of a classic open-world MMO.

    We have integrated the gameplay of PSO1 for you from the YouTuber DiamondGB:

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    Console MMORPGs are only now becoming really popular

    What console MMORPGs came after? It took a good two years until the next console MMORPG was released: Final Fantasy XI for the PlayStation 2. In the years that followed, most games were not released for the console either.

    If you think of the most successful and influential MMORPGs, you probably have titles like WoW, EverQuest, Ultima Online, RuneScape or EVE Online in mind. All these games have one thing in common: They were only released for the PC – RuneScape is now also available for mobile.

    How does it look today? Only in the recent past, for example due to the success of Destiny, Final Fantasy XIV and ESO, have new MMORPGs been published for consoles. These include, for example:

  • DC Universe Online
  • Neverwinter
  • BlackDesert
  • Bless Unleashed
  • Skyforge

    • You won’t find some of the biggest titles – such as WoW, Lost Ark, GW2 or RuneScape – on the PlayStation and Xbox.

    The first “real” MMORPG appeared in 1997

    What was the first MMORPG ever? Here the spirits differ a little.

  • Some call Maze War the beginning of MMOs. However, the game was purely text-based.
  • Island of Kesmai had its first commercial success with an associated graphic in 1985. However, only 6 players could gamble here together and also had to type a lot themselves.

    • Where does the term MMORPG come from? The history of the genre in 2 minutes

    However, the name “MMORPG” was coined by the game Ultima Online and its developer Richard “Lord British” Garriott. Ultima Online offered the opportunity to experience a free role-playing game in a graphical environment. The players developed their heroes based on skills, explored a large country and were able to learn trades such as craftsmen or fishermen.

    You can find out more about the development of the MMORPGs here:

    What was the first MMORPG?

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