Multiplayer video game

You can play video games with friends.

You can sit on a couch to play together. This is called couch co-op. Some games use a split screen. This lets each person see their own view.

You can also play using the Internet. This lets you play with people far away. You can work as a team to win. Or you can play against each other. It is fun to talk and play together.

Multiplayer video games let more than one person play together.

You can play with a friend in the same room. This is often called couch co-op. Some games use a split screen. This gives each player their own view of the game.

You can also play on different computers. A LAN is a local network that connects devices nearby. People often meet for LAN parties to play this way.

Many people play online using the Internet. This lets you play with others far away. You can work as a team to reach a goal. You can also compete against other people. Some games are massively multiplayer. These games have many people playing at once. For example, World of Warcraft has millions of players.

In some games, players have different roles. This is called asymmetrical gameplay. One player might have different skills than another. This can make the game feel new and exciting. People love these games because they can talk and play with others.

Multiplayer video games are special because they let many people play together. Instead of playing alone, you share the game world with others at the same time.

You might play with a friend sitting right next to you on the same couch. This is often called couch co-op. Some games use a split-screen to show each player their own view. You can also work as a team to reach a goal. Other times, you might compete against other human players to win. This social side makes these games very different from single-player games.

There are many ways to connect with other players. Some people use a local area network, or LAN, to link computers nearby. This is how people host LAN parties to play together.

Other players use the Internet to play over a wide area network. This lets you interact with people from a great distance. Sometimes, games are even played by sending emails back and forth. You can also play turn-based games where players take turns using one controller. This is sometimes called hot-seat gaming.

Multiplayer gaming has a long and interesting history. One of the earliest examples was a game called Spacewar! created in 1962. Steve Russell and his team made it for the DEC PDP-1 computer at MIT. Later, arcade games like Pong and Tank became very popular in the 1970s and 1980s. In the 1980s, home consoles brought these games into living rooms. Games like Super Mario Bros. on the NES introduced new ways to play together. Later, games like Doom and Warcraft helped make LAN gaming famous.

Some games are so big they are called massively multiplayer. These include MMORPGs, which are role-playing games for many people. World of Warcraft is a very famous example of this. In 2008, it had over 10 million players. By 2010, that number grew to 12 million players. In 2023, it even won a Guinness World Record for being the best-selling MMO. Other games, like League of Legends, use asymmetrical gameplay. This means players have different roles or abilities to make the game exciting.

Playing online can sometimes be tricky due to network speeds. Players talk about "ping" to describe the delay in their connection. A fast connection helps you react quickly to what is happening. If the connection is slow, you might experience lag or packet loss. This can make it feel like your actions are not happening correctly. Even so, millions of people enjoy these games every day. In 2020, most households in the United States had someone who played video games. About 65% of those gamers played with others online or in person.

A multiplayer video game is a digital experience where more than one person plays within the same game environment simultaneously. Unlike single-player games, these titles allow for social communication and interaction between human contestants. Players may choose to compete against one another to win. They might also work cooperatively to achieve a common goal. Some players even take on the role of supervising the activities of others. This social element is a defining characteristic that separates multiplayer gaming from solo play.

There are several distinct ways that players connect to one another. Local multiplayer, often called "couch co-op," occurs when people play on the same computing system. This can involve using a split-screen to give each player an individual view of the action. Another local method is "hot-seat" gaming, where players take turns using a single controller or keyboard. Beyond a single system, players can use a Local Area Network, or LAN, to link multiple devices in one location. This is frequently seen at LAN parties.

Networked multiplayer, or "netplay," uses a Wide Area Network, such as the Internet, to connect players over great distances. This allows individuals to interact regardless of their physical location. Some games are designed to be "massively multiplayer," meaning they support a very large number of people at once. These include Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) and Massively Multiplayer Online Real-Time Strategy games (MMORTS). Some games, like certain MUDs or RuneScape, do not even offer a single-player mode.

Connecting over the Internet introduces specific technical challenges related to network performance. Players often discuss "latency," which is the delay in communication between a player and a server. This is commonly measured as "ping" using ICMP packets. A player with a 50-ms ping can react much faster than someone with a 350-ms latency. Other issues include "packet loss" or "choke," where data fails to reach the server. In fast games like first-person shooters, this might cause a player's actions, such as firing a bullet, to not register correctly.

The history of these games stretches back to the mid-20th century. In 1962, Steve Russell and his colleagues at MIT developed Spacewar! for the DEC PDP-1 computer. This was one of the earliest instances of multiplayer interaction. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, the arcade scene popularized multiplayer through titles like Pong and Tank. The 1980s brought multiplayer into the home with consoles like the NES and Sega Genesis. Later, the late 1980s saw the rise of LAN gaming with titles such as Doom and Warcraft: Orcs & Humans.

Specific innovations have shaped how we play today. In 1973, the PLATO system hosted some of the first real-time multiplayer games, including Spasim, an early first-person shooter. In 1987, MIDI Maze became the first multiplayer 3D shooter on a mainstream system, supporting up to 16 players via a MIDI interface. Designers like Danielle Bunten Berry also made significant contributions with games like M.U.L.E. in 1983. Furthermore, some modern games use "asymmetrical gameplay." In this style, players have different roles or abilities, such as in the MOBA genre with League of Legends or hero shooters like Overwatch.

The scale of multiplayer gaming is massive. In 2008, the MMO World of Warcraft had over 10 million registered players. By 2010, that number reached 12 million. In 2023, it earned a Guinness World Record as the best-selling MMO. The popularity of gaming is also widespread in society. In 2020, the majority of United States households had an occupant who played video games. Among those gamers, 65% played multiplayer games either online or in person.