Quick definition:A game or mode in which more than one person plays at the same time, either together on a team, against one another or in a shared online world.
Meaning
Multiplayer describes any game in which several people take part together. It contrasts with single-player, where one person plays alone against the game. Participants may be teammates working towards a shared goal, rivals competing for the top position, or a mixture of both, as in team sports and many online shooters.
Technically, online multiplayer is demanding. The game must keep every player's view of the world in step, usually through a central server or by connecting players directly to one another. Delays in the connection, known as lag, can make characters jump or actions register late, so developers invest heavily in networking code to reduce such problems.
Multiplayer games also raise social questions, including how to match players of similar ability, how to prevent cheating and how to manage abusive behaviour. Moderation tools, reporting systems and rankings are common responses, and a well-run community can be as important to a game's lasting success as its design.
Origin:Playing with other people long predates video games, in the form of board games and sports. Early computer games let two people share a machine, and from the 1970s and 1980s, networked systems allowed several players to join one game. The arrival of home internet access in the 1990s and 2000s then made online multiplayer common.
Example:On a rainy Saturday, four cousins join the same online lobby from four different houses. They split into two teams for a round of a capture-the-flag game, speaking through voice chat. After the match ends, they stay in the lobby, switch to a cooperative mode and spend the rest of the afternoon tackling harder challenges together. Did you know?Multiplayer can be local, with players sharing a screen or room, or online, with players connected over the internet. Some games, known as massively multiplayer, host thousands of people in one persistent world, while others are designed for just two. Many titles today are built almost entirely around playing with others.
