Some of the best roleplaying games for the PC over the last few years have come in the form of the MMORPG, massive multiplayer online roleplaying games. These games come in both a pay-to-play format and free format. Some of the best pay-to-play MMORPGs that are currently available online are listed below.

World of Warcraft - Definitely the number MMORPG on the market right now. World of Warcraft and its expansion packs have become a cult phenomenon in the world. They have pushed the boundries of what a successful MMORPG can become. Blizzard has done a wonderful job with this fantasy-based game and shows no signs of slowing down in the near future.

Lord of the Rings Online - Primarily a PvE-based game, Lord of the Rings Online has incredible mainstream appeal and is doing very well in the industry. It has garned very high reviews from many professional gaming reviewers. The game is targeted to the more casual gamer market.

Eve Online - One of the longest running MMORPGs available today. Eve Online is a sci-fi online roleplaying game. It is well known for its almost true to life corporate and industrial espionage stories. The game is known to be one of the biggest time sinks in the industry, but has garnered a cult following amongst its fans.

Final Fantasy XI - Currently, FFXI is the lone representation in the MMORPG market for the massively successful Final Fantasy series. The game is hugely popular in both Asia and North America. It has released multiple successful expansion packs and still maintains a current and steady player-base, even after being out on the market for several years.

Warhammer Online - The newest game on this list, Warhammer Online is also the most PvP-oriented game listed here. It was initially marketed as the biggest challenger to dethrone World of Warcraft from the top of the MMORPG market. Although it did not succeed in accomplishing this, the game has still become quite a successful one in its own right.

City of Heroes / City of Villains - This game has both the best, and the worst, of the superhero roleplaying genre. The original game, City of Heroes, was massively successful upon release. It spawned the follow-up game, City of Villains, which is both an expansion and another game in its own right. Currently, it is the biggest superhero MMORPG on the market.

There are many other great MMORPGs that are not listed here. One of the most anticipated games in the industry is currently Star Wars: The Old Republic. It has a tentative release date of late 2010. It will be the first MMORPG will full character speech support integrated into the game. Hopefully, other games in the industry will continue to push the envelope like these great games.

Eric McCormick writes about the Best Online RPG Games and Top RPG Games.

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