[MUD-Dev] A Brief History of Commercial MUDs

[Auli]

Auli wrote:
> Jessica Mulligan wrote:

>> If you're asking for a ranking of commercial MMOGs based on
>> subscribers prior to the current Big Three, you're asking the wrong
>> question.  Until Meridian 59 launched in 1996 and UO launched in
>> September of 1997 with flat monthly rates, billing for commercial
>> MMOGs was mainly on a per minute/hourly basis (with a brief period
>> of free access to AOL's games from 12/96 to about 7/97).

> Sierra's The Realm was also first realeased in late 1996.  It
> probably reached peak popularity around January of 1998 with an
> estimated 25,000 subscribers.  The subscription model was a flat
> yearly rate of $49.95.  I think it is generally overlooked because
> it never propagated to more than one server (probably because of the
> subscription model).  It has since been purchased by the UK company
> Codemasters and is still running.  With the demise of Meridian 59
> that probably makes it the longest runnng commercial MMORPG to date
> (assuming a single server doesn't disqaulify it from the term
> massively, it did have peak player useage of around 3000
> simultaneously).  If anyone can find Steve Nichols he may be able to
> correct me somewhat, I am going on my recollections as a player and,
> later, an admin.

>   http://www.realmserver.com

Hmm, I read my own writings and find need of a correction.  How about
instead of "longest running MMORPG to date" I rephrase that as
"longest running graphical MMORPG still available".  That seems more
accurate.

Dwayne A. Hall

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