Habitat (video game)
| Habitat | |
|---|---|
| Developers | Lucasfilm Games Quantum Link Fujitsu |
| Publishers | Quantum Link Fujitsu |
| Director | Chip Morningstar |
| Producer | Steve Arnold |
| Designers | Chip Morningstar Randy Farmer |
| Programmers | Chip Morningstar Randy Farmer Aric Wilmunder Janet Hunter |
| Artist | Gary Winnick |
| Platforms | Commodore 64, FM Towns, Microsoft Windows, Mac OS |
| Release |
|
| Genre | Massively multiplayer online role-playing game |
| Mode | Multiplayer |
Habitat is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed by LucasArts. It is the first attempt at a large-scale commercial virtual community that was graphic based. Initially created in 1985 by Randy Farmer, Chip Morningstar, Aric Wilmunder and Janet Hunter, the game was made available as a beta test in 1986 by Quantum Link, an online service for the Commodore 64 computer and the corporate progenitor to AOL. Both Farmer and Morningstar were given a First Penguin Award at the 2001 Game Developers Choice Awards for their innovative work on Habitat. As a graphical MUD it is considered a forerunner of modern MMORPGs unlike other online communities of the time (i.e. MUDs and massively multiplayer onlines with text-based interfaces). Habitat had a GUI and large user base of consumer-oriented users, and those elements in particular have made Habitat a much-cited project and acknowledged benchmark for the design of today's online communities that incorporate accelerated 3D computer graphics and immersive elements into their environments.