Offline Multiplayer Games (Local)Īlso known as Single-System Multiplayer, players share a single gaming unit (console or PC). Multiplayer Games are further divided into two different categories - based on the way the players are connected with each other. Other phenomenal titles include the 2009 Minecraft and some mods for ARMA 2 (2009) gave rise to the popularity of multiplayer survival and battle royales by the mids of the 2010s. The 2003 Warcraft III Mod known as Defense of the Ancient (or simply DotA) fanned the popularity of a new multiplayer sub-genre called MOBA which eventually gave rise to other similar games. Multiplayer Games cover a wide array of gaming genres, some of the most popular genres are shooting and racing. Some of the earliest large-scale networked multiplayer games include the StarTrek-based title called STAR, a naval war simulation called OCEAN, and a Dungeons and Dragons-style RPG called CAVE - all of which were developed and released around the 70s. An early example of local multiplayer is the space-themed combat shooter Spacewar! that was released back in 1962.
Before that time, multiplayer games are mostly played in a local unit or gaming console.
Real-time multi-user titles weren't developed until around the 1970s.