The Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing games began to emerge in the late 1990’s on the back of the popular text-based MUD (Multi-User Dungeon) games like Zork that have existed since the late 1970’s. Many of the MMO RPG games are inspired by fantasy role-playing games like Dungeons and Dragons and offer gamers the opportunity develop a video game character by exploring and adventuring in large persistent virtual worlds, shared over the internet with other gamers across the globe.  The popularity of these games is showcased in the number of subscribers that these games have attracted, often number in the millions.

Aside from the action / adventure game play components in the game, many of the MMO RPGs offer a social element, were player can chat and interact with other players and form into community organisation termed Guilds.

Themes for these games include the popular Fantasy genre, but games also exist for fans of Science Fiction such as Eve Online, Star Trek Online and the eagerly anticipated Star Wars: Old Republic (SWTOR).

The great opportunity for gamers is that many of the popular MMO RPG titles have added a Free to Play option that allows gamers to download the game and access the game content at no charge. Generally these games are “freemium”, which means that there is content available for free, but gamers can choose to purchase additional content for the game via an in-game store. Great example of Free 2 Play games are Dungeons and Dragons Online, Age of Conan, World of Warcraft Starter Edition and Runes of Magic. For an up-to-date list, check out our Free Games page for more of these.

If you game on international servers, make sure you check out our Guide to Gaming Internationally.

MMO FPS or Massively Multiplayer Online First-Person Shooters allow gamers to play first-person shooters against thousands of other gamers connected across the internet.  A sub genre of MMO FPS also exists where the game play elements of a Role Playing Games are combined with First Person Shooters. Generally these games have a ranking system where players can gain experience and improve their characters and equipment and a retail element where gamers can purchase additional items for their character.

Aside from the FPS games, there are a number of other online shooters, covering many of the other genres like third person shooters, shoot 'em ups, including many free games. Examples of MMO shooter games include Gunz, Steel Legions, Gunshine, Global Agenda and War Inc.

Test your racing skills against players around the world. Racing Games are a popular video game genre that has embraced the online gaming community with the development of Massively Multiplayer Online Racing Games, with some of the top publishers producing titles for the gamers to enjoy.

One of the most notable titles is Electronic Art’s Need for Speed World, which they have introduced into their Play4free games category. EA also has another great contender in the MMO Racing genre, Ray City, which also offers a large persistent world city and separate lobby area for racing. Drift City from Project Torque is also worth a look as it offers a bunch of unique missions to complete and plenty of vehicles and parts to choose from.

If car racing games are not your thing, then check out Project Powder. Its a snowboarding MMO that’s just great fun to play.

All your bases are owned by us. Not something you want to hear. MMO RTS are Real Time Strategy games where gamers play across the internet with like-minded people across the globe. The genre is quite wide and allows for games to test their war gaming skills across a variety of settings and periods.

Company of Heroes Online offers gamers the chance to wage online warfare across Europe during WW2. There are 6 divisions to choose from, including the German Blitzkrieg to the Allied Airborne.

Supremacy 1914, winner of the iGame of the year for 2009 offers a multiplayer game for up to 30 players on one map. Units move real time across the map and gamers have control over infantry, artillery, tanks and airplanes. Played in a browser, so it make it quite convenient.

Travian is also a great game for budding strategists.  Set in the times of Romans and Gauls, gamers get the opportunity to prove themselves as worthy chieftains.

Fancy full scale aerial battles against worthy human opponents? Then MMO Flight games are the next evolution for you from the single player Flight Simulators. Like any other MMO title out there, MMO Flight games allow you team up and against other players and non playing characters (NPCs) to battle it out.

Worth checking out in this genre is Heroes in the Sky (H.I.S.) that offers both Player versus Player (PvP) and Player versus Computer-controlled Enemy (PvE). The game chronicles the events from the beginning to the end of World War 2. Offering up to 16 player combat, gamers can recreate battles from Europe to the Pacific.

If you fancy something more up-to-date, then you won’t be disappointed by Ace Online which offers futuristic epic aerial battles reminiscent of those insane scenes from Robotech. The game promises 4 fully customisable aircraft, massive mothership battles and in-game voice chat.

Sport game simulations are some of the most popular video game genres with gamers, but your fun doesn’t have to be confined to playing against the console or PC’s artificial intelligence. Sports MMO games are aplenty and offer gamers the chance to play a variety of sports against real opponents.

For the football fans there is FIFA Online, EA’s popular title now available as an online game.

Boxing fans can also check out Smashdown Boxsport Manager. Gamers are able to fight their way up to World Champion, create their own boxing gyms and develop the strength, stamina and skill of their boxers. There is a nice social element where gamers can appoint their friends as managers.

The need for gamers to test their combat skills with Fighting Games has extended to the global gaming arena across the internet and borne the Massively Multiplayer Online Fighting games. MMO Fighting games is a video game genre where the gamer controls an on-screen character and engages in close combat with opponents across the internet.

Generally, many of the MMO RPG games heavily feature melee combat for NPC combat, as well as PvP or player versus player combat. Standalone, pure Fighting MMO’s are not that prevelant, nonetheless there some interesting games to try out there like Toribash, a rag doll physics game, Zone 4: Fight District, a street fighting MMO and Rumble Fighter, a free 3D fighting MMO game.

Kids are not excluded from the Massively Multiplayer Online phenomenon. There are plenty of games available for children.

Farmerama is a Free to Play browser-based game MMO, where kids can live as a humble farmer, making the best of life and tending your greatest asset: your land. There's a farmhouse, barn, mill, water tower and manure pile on this field for you to use. Voted best European Browser game.

Free Realms puts our junior gamers in a jaw-dropping free virtual world where they can do whatever they want, whenever they want! There are many roles to choose and friends to be made online. The game also offers a host of really cool mini games. Backed by Sony Online Entertainment.

Just always remember to check the online age ratings before your let your children play the game.