The Origin of Role Playing Games
For people who are unfamiliar with the origins of role playing games, they should be aware that role playing games started way back in the 1970s with the release of the popular video game Dungeons and Dragons. The game is still in existence today but offers a more improved experience. Role playing games include games in all aspects and areas of computer games including: action, horror, sports and a wide variety of game genres in contemporary existence.
By definition, a role playing game is a game where the participants in the game assume the roles of certain fictional characters in preestablished but unfinished stories. These participants can then determine what their characters do in order to complete the story and all this falls in according to some preset rules and guidelines. A role playing game is played over a series of episodes and rarely has the parties in game competing as winners or losers in the traditional concept of other games such as board games. Role playing games are of a more interactive nature and involve certain aspects of collaboration with others.
Dungeons and Dragons which was officially the first role playing game in existence was created in 1974 by TSR in Wisconsin, USA and the games established a wide cultlike following. After the game maker had originally hoped to sell about 50,000 the games sold into the millions all over the developed world, most especially in the United States. The advent of computer roleplaying games lead to the dearth of most new role playing games established during that period.
Newer games resulted that allowed people to adopt independent roles and play the games over a networked environment such as the Internet. These games introduced the widely publicized concept of open gaming. Open gaming allows freedom somewhat like the open source movement where other publishers can develop various components for interaction with the game software but may not alter the main elements of the game.
There is another different format of role playing game where the game is played in the improvisational theater format. Players do not describe their characters actions but act them out often garbed in full costume. There are also other varied forms of role playing games which may be carried out played over the Internet using various protocols like TELNET and IRC. These games are popularly called MUD's or Multi - User Dungeons and may operate in a text based environment.
Chan Peng Joon is an avid gamer and writes about World of Warcraft gold guides, strategy and tips on thewarcraftguide.com
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