RPG’s originated from the rise of table-top role-playing games. The first of these was created by Gary Gygax and is referred to today as Dungeons & Dragons. This game involved the player creating their own imaginary character, and then sticking with that character throughout the game. Random events shaped who that character became. Following the table-top role-playing games came the development of the first console video role-playing game (v-RPG) called Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Treasure of Tarmin. This game, which came out in 1982, involved basic 2-Dimensional graphics that allowed players to visualize their character as they advanced through the game. Nowadays, RPG’s have expanded into vast, 3-Dimensional worlds, where the player has the freedom to do pretty much whatever they want. Games such as Fallout and Skyrim allow players to create a whole new virtual persona in a whole new world. The ability to customize these characters anyway the player wants gives the player a new attachment to the game that can not be created any other way. The decisions made in the game come directly from the player, and consequently, affect the game accordingly.
Furthermore, RPG’s have now entered into a new era of gaming. This era includes Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPG’s). This new shift in gaming now allows players to interact with other players from all over the world. So, not only can players freely customize their players the way they want, but they also have the ability to freely interact with other people who have that same ability.
The popularity of these types of games can directly connect to our society today and our culture values as a whole. To start, MMORPG's have completely shifted society’s perspective about “geeks.” In the past, people who played a lot of video games were often seen as a social outcast because the person seemed to enjoy the virtual world more than the physical world. However, as video games, specifically MMORPG’s, became more popular, the perception of players evolved. Due to the the fact that these games now allow gamers to socialize while playing, players are seen as less “geeky,” and more “cool.” Along with these, comes the ease in which access to these games became. Most MMORPG’s are a download away on any computer or console, so the freedom to have the game is open. This allows the gaming community to grow at a rapid rate, increasing its impact on society.
Another aspect of RPG’s and MMORPG’s is the fact that the player has the ability to express multiple identities, both inside and outside of the game. In What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy, James Paul Gee talks about three separate identities involved with gaming. The first is the virtual identity which is the in game character and the relationships formed in the game. The second is the real-world identity which is the player who sits down and plays the game. The third is known as the projected identity which is the essentially the connection between the player and the avatar they created. The projected identity is the bridge between reality and virtual reality. Oftentimes in RPG’s, players create an “ideal” character who exemplifies all the traits they admire most in a real-world identity. This shows that players in today’s society use video games as an outlet to express who they want to be and how they want others to see them.
In conclusion, RPG’s are a major part of today’s society. This is due in part to the rising number of players and the ease of access to play them. In addition, RPG’s allow players to dream and go above and beyond what they can in a “real-world” scenario.
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