Massively multiplayer online first-person shooter

Massively multiplayer online first-person shooter game (MMOFPS) mixes the genres of first-person shooter and massively multiplayer online games, possibly in the form of web browser-based games, in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual world. In other words, an MMOFPS is a real-time, online gaming experience to be played within a massive in-game area which features a large number of simultaneous players in a first-person shooter fashion. These games provide large-scale, sometimes team-based combat.

However, due to the inherent fast-paced, strategic nature of this genre, players must rely on their physical coordination and cognition, and thus, there is an emphasis towards player skill rather than player statistics, as no number of in-game bonuses, or similar, will compensate for a player's inability to aim and think tactically.

Neocron is sometimes considered the first MMOFPS, most consider it a hybrid of MMORPG and first-person shooter, with the later PlanetSide allowing 399 players all to fight together on the same map. Some may consider Zipper's MAG an MMOFPS as it allows up to 256 players to fight together on the same map.

The biggest MMOFPS to date is PlanetSide 2, sequel to the original game. It is able to support up to 1,200 players in a single map, or continent of the game with a max cap of 4,800 players on a single server fighting across different continents. A recent notable MMOFPS was Dust 514, developed by CCP and intended to integrate with the MMORPG EVE Online.

Many MMOFPSs feature living economies. Virtual items and currency have to be gained through play and have definite value for players. Such a virtual economy can be analyzed (using data logged by the game) and has value in economic research; more significantly, these "virtual" economies can affect the economies of the real world.

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