Insert CoinThe 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 moved online to a "virtual arcade." The inherent replacement for the arcade was multiplayer online games (MMOGs), which were apparently introduced, when arcades were phased out, MMOGs allow many users (game players) sometimes tens of thousands to connect and interact with each other at the same time. time. These games originated from personal computers (PCs) and moved to home consoles (Playstation, Xbox and Nintendo); Games that have both PC and home console versions are called multiplatform. 85% of MMOGs are still PC-based (Windows-based systems), and many popular MMOs are cross-platform on home consoles and Apple computers. Once considered nothing more than a fad or the next internet trend, it's clear that MMOGs are here to stay. MMOGs can be divided into two separate categories, the first of which is 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, typically between $10 and $15 in order to play. 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, like a more finished product) and usually come from major game developers who can afford the high production costs to make these games. WoW cost around $15,000,000, while LoTRO costs around $9,000,000 to produce. The second category is Free to P...... middle of paper ......th MMORPG, and MMOFPS have cross-platform in mind, almost from day one of game development. MMOGs have come under scrutiny, with many critics saying they are a waste of time, and many players find themselves so enraptured 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 re-enactments caused by prolonged gaming. There are disclaimers warning users that prolonged gaming can have adverse health effects and that you should not neglect friends, family, work or school. It is still up to the person to know when to say when. Personal computers and home game consoles MMOGs killed arcades, if everything goes in cycles, what will kill MMOGs?