When online-based gaming started exponentially growing in the first decade of the 21st century, people flocked to cyberspace en masse. Although Virtual Reality as we know it today was still very much in the research and development phase at the time, virtual worlds already existed via the internet in the form of the myriad of virtual games that came out. At the time of pre-VR gaming, virtual worlds referred to games where people with avatars could interact and play with others online within a specific server-based environment usually brought to life with virtual games.

These games, though, may range from among several genres, and had people worldwide playing together by going online and logging into a specific multiplayer environment. Games like EverQuest, Ultima Online, Eve Online and even those community-based games on Facebook, each represented a virtual world of their own that users could visit and hang around in, to their heart’s content.

Unfortunately, some of these virtual games are no longer available today. There are virtual worlds that many have visited and loved, and their absence today online really has sparked a lot of nostalgia among their former gamers and fans who find it difficult to forget the beautiful experiences they had with them. We remember a few of these games and why online gamers were drawn to them.

Millsberry Online

Released in 2004, Millsberry came out at a time when kids from all over started to flock to the internet. Kids were such a huge target market that the commercial industry of the day took advantage of this by creating a multiplayer game for kids, which also served as a way to advertise products for the intended target market. Millsberry was released by General Mills and promoted many of its kid-targeted food products. Players created their avatars, engaged in games, or walked around town interacting with each other. Sadly, General Mills shut down the game in 2011.

Club Penguin

Said to be one of the most fun-filled and memorable multiplayer online games of its time, Club Penguin was released in 2005 as a virtual internet go-to where players could play games, earn in-game cash, buy lots of in-game stuff and live the dream life of a Penguin in the land of ice and snow. The game had a lot of interesting locations to visit, funny-looking avatars, pets, and events that drew players in by the crowd. Club Penguin however was closed down by Disney in 2017 causing the game to be sorely missed. However, if you're looking for games remotely related to it, check out our list of games like Club Penguin.

The Original FarmVille on Facebook

Released in 2009, FarmVille as an online community virtual game took both the Internet and Facebook by storm. Within a couple of years, it had amassed millions of players worldwide. Being a part of the Facebook game library no doubt contributed hugely to its success. The game was a farming simulator where Facebook players grew and maintained their farms by interacting in a virtual socio-economic setting. Facebook finally shut the game down in 2020. The original game is no longer available through FarmVille 2 and 3 still exist online as separate stand-alone games.

RAN Online

Released in South Korea in 2004, the game first expanded to Asia, then finally to the US. RAN was an MMORPG that focused on the rivalry between three schools. Players created avatars from any of the schools, and in various classes ranging from fighters to magic users. The goal was to capture two of three existing towers. Players from the same school had to work together to beat the others. The game had lots of in-game items obtainable by grinding or buying. RAN was a top-rated game in Asia and lasted till 2021, when it finally closed down.

City of Heroes

One of the most popular and played MMORPGs of the early 2ks. Coming out in 2004, City of Heroes was a super-action slugfest where powered heroes and villains fought it out for dominance in the game. The character creation options were said to be so detailed that no two avatars looked precisely the same. Each character class had a unique playstyle of its own. The game was challenging and social as heroes and bad guys had to team up to defeat each other. With addictive gameplay with so many players, even with its closing in 2012, City of Heroes is still missed today.