For almost as long as the internet has been around, there have been online video games. All you had to do was create an account and download the client and you became immersed in a virtual world populated with other players from around the globe. People could form parties to go questing or just socialize with avatars controlled by actual living beings. Dreamcast was the first console to offer online capabilities to its players and games like Fantasy Star online exploded in popularity. But even the casual gamer can notice very different qualities between online and offline games that give each one enjoyable, and at the same time, not so enjoyable aspects.
