First graphical MMORPG videogame

The first MMORPG to use graphics to create its world rather than text was Neverwinter Nights, developed by Stormfront Studios and published by SSI for US internet service provider AOL. Based on the Dungeons & Dragons rulebook, Neverwinter Nights ran from March 1991 to July 1997. Players had to pay per hour to play the game, and the servers were so small that they would queue to join the game. A new Neverwinter Nights game was released in 2002, developed by Mass Effect studio Bioware, but this was a single-player RPG rather than an MMO.