14 DAY TRIAL // Online MMO games tend to bring as many social-features as possible, no matter the genre of the game released. If we're talking about a first person shooter, there has to be a social aspect, somewhere in a peaceful area! If we're talking about a hack and slash game, there will definitely be a social aspect hidden in a tavern somewhere. The same happens with sports games - the latest (and probably one of the best examples) is CyberSports' Football Superstars, the social MMORPG that is currently in beta and which is expected to be released by the end of the year.
Basically, the game offers everybody the chance to create his own soccer player in a virtual world and live it like Beckham - if the film analogy is permitted. You will create your own character - male or female and begin your quest for glory by playing casual or ranked matches - three-a-side up to eleven-a-side, all of them with no AI, only human players (except from the goalkeepers).
When the match is finished, your character gets paid in Football Superstars currency, of which there are two types - dollars and bonds. The bonds (which represent the newly found way of paying for online games - microtransactions) are bought with real money and used to purchase special privileges or items. Your character's wages will increase depending on his or her level and all your income can be spent in the game's two virtual towns, which have the capacity to host millions of other football fans online at the same time - both us and the game developers hope that these will be the numbers they'll have to welcome the game.
Back to the social aspects, you can socialize in restaurants, pubs and clubs and visit shops where you can buy the latest football equipment or, as a real superstar, designer clothes. You can also go train in gyms to enhance your physical attributes, or flirt with the paparazzi in order to enhance your fame and status and gain access to the most exclusive clubs and venues. Why? Because life's like football: it gets more and more interesting online.