This is an astonishing collection of ideas, information, and instruction from one of the true pioneers of Massively-Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games. MMOs from the Inside Out: The History, Design, Fun, and Art of Massively-Multiplayer Role-playing Games speaks to the designers and players of MMOs, taking it as axiomatic that such games are inspirational and boundless forces for good. The aim of this book is to enthuse an up-coming generation of designers, to inspire and educate players and designers-to-be, and to reinvigorate those already working in the field who might be wondering if it’s still all worthwhile.

Playing MMOs is about fun, immersion, and identity. Creating MMOs is about imagination, expression, and art. MMOs are so packed with potential that today's examples are little more than small, pioneering colonies on the shore of a vast, uncharted continent. What wonders wait beyond the horizon? What treasures will explorers bring back to amaze us? MMOs from the Inside Out is for people with a spark of creativity: it pours gasoline on that spark.

It:

• Explains what MMOs are, what they once were, and what they could – and should – become.
• Delves into why players play, and why designers design.
• Encourages, enthuses, enrages, engages, enlightens, envisions, and enchants.
• Doesn't tell you what to think, it tells you to think.

What you’ll learn

You’ll learn:

• Myriad ways to improve MMOs – and to decide for yourself whether these are improvements.
• What MMOs are; who plays them, and why.
• How MMOs became what they are, and what this means for what they will become.
• That you have it in you to make MMOs yourself.

Who this book is for

MMOs from the Inside Out is a book for those who wish to know more about game design in general and MMO design in particular. It's for people who play MMOs, for people who design MMOs, and for people who study MMOs. It's for people with a yearning to see beyond the world around them and to make manifest the worlds of their imagination.

Table of Contents

Part 1: How Game Developers See MMOs

1. MMO Design Insights

2. MMO Development: Systems and Security

3. MMO Operation: Community and Customer Service

4. Fun, Flow, Immersion, and Presence

5. The Past, Present, and Future of MMOs

6. Understanding MMOs Through Game Studies

7. Player Identity: Who Plays MMOs, Why they Play Them, and How They Play Them

8. The Constraints of Current MMO Production

9. Making a Difference by Reading This Book

Part 2: How the World Sees MMOs

1. Understanding the Language of MMOs

2. Society's Demands: A Virtual World's Place in the Real World

3. Society's Concerns: How Non-Gamers See MMO Players

4. The Business of MMOs: How Developers and Players Make Money

5. Government and Law: The Real Legal Issues Around MMOs

6. Morality: Religion and Ethics in MMOs