Meridian 59: The Very Last Survivors of the Very First MMO

Janine "Iris Ophelia" Hawkins' ongoing review of gaming and virtual world style

There's a fascinating new post on The New Yorker's website about what remains of the very first 3D MMO, Meridian 59, which is still hanging on to a small but loyal playerbase nearly 20 years after its initial release. Suffice it to say this article is a must-read for anyone with a deep attachment to an MMO that could arguably be considered past its prime. 

A game that's been around for the better part of two decades has understandably had its fair share of ups and down, and even as Meridian 59 has bled users over the years those that have stayed bear both a sense of community with each other and a sense of obligation to the game:

Meridian 59’s lingering population has kept playing not only out of social obligation but out of grim necessity. “You couldn’t quit, really,” Matt Dymerski, an author from Ohio, and one of the game’s best-known residents, said. “The game needed you. All your friends needed you. If you didn’t show up, the game would die.” Some nefarious players occasionally attempted to force the game’s population to quit the game, in order to cause a type of virtual Armageddon. “This actually happened four or five times in the game’s ongoing life span,” Dymerski recalled. “Each defeat generally required a huge update or change of ownership to draw the population back.”

It's easy for anyone who's been dedicated to their virtual world of choice for years to relate to the stories these players offer. Whether you've been rolling with the same guildies for a decade or you just can't bear to throw away your oldest flexi-skirts, the history of Meridian 59 is full of very unique and very interesting lessons. Read the complete article here, or check out Meridian 59 for yourself.

Tweet

Iris Ophelia (@bleatingheart, Janine Hawkins IRL) has been featured in the New York Times, and has spoken about SL-based design at the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan and with pop culture/fashion maven Johanna Blakley.</

Comments

[Tavish]

I remember that Trip Hawkins was at the head of 3DO, as well as formerly being the boss at EA. Has always struck me as a douche, lacking in humility or sense. Has had plenty to say negatively about things like Apple over the years. Not that prescient a guy, despite the big mouth.

[bradley]

I just now heard about this game, and I have installed it on my computer to test it out.