Instructor

James Morgan

Document Type

Final Class Paper

Publication Date

4-2026

Keywords

MMO, Gaming, Nostalgia

Abstract

Since the advent of online gaming, MMORPG video games have allowed players to socialize and collaborate within the bounds of a virtual world. For many, these online worlds were an escape from their daily lives, a place where they could meet people with similar interests and embark on adventures impossible in real life.1 While many of the early MMORPG games faded into obscurity after the genre lost its shiny new sparkle, there are still a handful today that maintain player counts in the millions even after nearly two decades of operation. Specifically, World of Warcraft, Runescape, and Final Fantasy XIV are all well over ten years old, and still releasing bi-yearly content updates. How is it that these specific games continue to meet player demands and maintain attention despite their age and various cycles of failure and success? At first glance, one might assume that the constant need to innovate is the reason that these games continue to thrive despite their age, but on closer inspection, player emotion and memory rooted in nostalgia might have a bigger role to play than initially thought.

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