When you think of Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (for now on referred to as MMORPGs, because we’re nerds and we know what that stands for) you most likely think of World of Warcraft or, if you are old school enough, Everquest.

There have been many MMORPGs, but most nothing as successful as World of Warcraft. In the world of MMORPGs World of Warcraft is Oreos while everything else is Hydrox. And just like Hydrox, many of these have ceased to exist.

If you’ve never played a MMORPG it might be hard too see how you could become attached to a fake world. But many of us literally spent hundreds, maybe thousands, of hours developing our characters that lived in this world and hanging out with our online friends. And let me ask you this: If there were two worlds you lived in, one where everyday you go to work and sit at a desk for 8 hours, go home and eat your cruddy dinner, watch reruns of Frasier and then worry about how you’re are going to afford the new tires for your car and the other world you defeat enemies, are considered a champion and have enough gold to buy any horse you want, which world would you rather live in?

Here are three better worlds that have ceased to be:

The Matrix Online

When MxO launched in 2005 it showed much potential. It was promised that everything that happened in this game would be considered part of the Matrix storyline, giving players a chance to determine what would happen to all the characters from the trilogy. Players were given the choice of fighting for the humans, machines or exiles to help decide the stories fate. The game had constant live events, meaning certain story lines could only be participated in if you were online at the right time, causing the feeling that you had to constantly check in to see if your help was needed to steer the story in the direction you desired.

Unfortunately the game launched with a ton of bugs causing many people to quit. After a few months Sony purchased the game and ceased operation of the live events. Unfortunately the game wasn’t built to really stand alone without them. The game consisted of mostly just the same missions over and over and the storyline became obviously pre scripted, showing the players had to real effect on how the story would go.

The large city blocks, fun community and unique was still enough to keep the game going for four years before the servers were shut for good in 2009.

Star Wars Galaxies

A game based on the hottest Sci-Fi property out there? How could it go bad? Well, it actually did alright, until a couple years in Sony, the publisher of the game, decided to make some major changes to the way the game played. While it may of been alright for new players, long time players did not think so and left the game in mass.

The game still managed to last another 6 years though, giving it a pretty good run. The servers were shut down in 2011, which made sense since a new Star Wars MMO was being released.

The Sims Online

Okay, this game doesn’t really deserve to be on this list. Because no one misses it. But the game did manage to last almost 6 years, meaning someone must of liked it. The game is fresh on mind because I happen to see a thrift shop selling a copy of it today for $3. Anyone buys that will be pretty disappointed when they find out the game is unplayable due to the servers being down. Although, the new Sim City is pretty much unplayable for the same reason.

The Sims Online also lead to this amusing story on The Daily Show: