"Multiplayer" redirects here. For other multiplayer games, see Game 搂 Multiplayer
A multiplayer video game is a video game in which 馃攽 more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time, either locally on the same 馃攽 computing system (couch co-op), on different computing systems via a local area network, or via a wide area network, most 馃攽 commonly the Internet (e.g. World of Warcraft, Call of Duty, DayZ). Multiplayer games usually require players to share a single 馃攽 game system or use networking technology to play together over a greater distance; players may compete against one or more 馃攽 human contestants, work cooperatively with a human partner to achieve a common goal, or supervise other players' activity. Due to 馃攽 multiplayer games allowing players to interact with other individuals, they provide an element of social communication absent from single-player games.
History 馃攽 [ edit ]
Some of the earliest video games were two-player games, including early sports games (such as 1958's Tennis For 馃攽 Two and 1972's Pong), early shooter games such as Spacewar! (1962)[1] and early racing video games such as Astro Race 馃攽 (1973).[2] The first examples of multiplayer real-time games were developed on the PLATO system about 1973. Multi-user games developed on 馃攽 this system included 1973's Empire and 1974's Spasim; the latter was an early first-person shooter. Other early video games included 馃攽 turn-based multiplayer modes, popular in tabletop arcade machines. In such games, play is alternated at some point (often after the 馃攽 loss of a life). All players' scores are often displayed onscreen so players can see their relative standing. Danielle Bunten 馃攽 Berry created some of the first multiplayer video games, such as her debut, Wheeler Dealers (1978) and her most notable 馃攽 work, M.U.L.E. (1983).
Gauntlet (1985) and Quartet (1986) introduced co-operative 4-player gaming to the arcades. The games had broader consoles to 馃攽 allow for four sets of controls.