The things you're searching for.	June 21, 2001

The Onset of Anarchy Computer games are a constant part of the Lycos 50, but we have yet to see one of the new wave of multiplayer role-playing games make the list. That could change next week with the release of the long-awaited Anarchy Online. Anarchy Online is a "massively muliplayer online role-playing game," but what is that exactly? People often have this vision of the computer gamer as an asocial teenager hiding from the world, going one-on-one with his computer. But multiplayer online games allow people to interact in an online world with other gamers all over the world. Unlike a game like Half-Life (currently #38), multiplayer RPGs are about more than shooting and killing. Characters develop friendships with other characters, shop, build houses, and make and break partnerships that have to do with politics and economics, not just an itchy trigger finger. The two most famous examples of multiplayer online games so far are EverQuest and Ultima Online, but Anarchy Online will be the first one of these games to revolve around a science fiction theme. The creators are tossing in some other wrinkles as well, including a detailed storyline that will gradually unfold over four years as the game progresses. Gamers have been watching the development of Anarchy Online for over two years now and it already has a huge following because of public testing. There are currently more than 200 fan sites devoted to the struggle between the Omni-Tek Corporation and the rebellious clans, on a planet named Rubi-Kai 30,000 years in the future. Anarchy Online searches have hovered at low levels for the last few weeks as the game went through testing. But the word must have gotten out to gamers this week that Anarchy will be released in North America on June 27. Last week Anarchy Online searches tripled, and if that wasn't enough they quadrupled this week. Last week Anarchy Online received about two-thirds as many searches as EverQuest, and twice as many as Ultima Online. If it grows at a similar rate next week, we'll see it in the Lycos 50. The world of multiplayer online gaming will get even more interesting in 2002, with the development of Star Wars Galaxies. This multiplayer game set in the Star Wars universe is already getting queries on Lycos even though it is still early in development. Many experts feel that these massive multiplayer games are the future of computer gaming. We'll have to watch the Lycos user curiosity to see how they feel about that statement, but when it comes to Anarchy Online the interest is strong. * * * Two notes: First, thanks to reader Jeff Bradshaw for alerting us that the U.S. Postal Service may have risen in popularity this week because of an increase in S-class rates (we think that means Standard bulk mail). Second, the Don and Mike Show, #6 on last week's Top Radio list, had me on yesterday. They figured I should point out the reason I had not heard of them before doing this list -- I've never lived somewhere that they broadcast. Anyway, they were good fun and I want to thank them for having me on even though I dissed them slightly. No word yet from the other nineteen hosts...

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Send mail to Aaron at ASchatz@lycos-inc.com.