Online gaming has had several enhancements in the past few years. From the old text based games to today’s full blown physics oriented RPGs, there have been great steps of progress. With games becoming more of an all encompassing experience, it is only logical that there has come specific chat software, aimed towards allowing online gamers chat with people who are playing the same games, or are interested in the same niche of games. Here is a subjective list of the top services that are dedicated to help connect gamers.

Xfire
Xfire may be the most famous MMORPG chat software, simply because it comes bundled with most online and offline games. With a support of hundreds of games, Xfire is quite good software to begin your online gaming interactions.

Once you have downloaded and installed Xfire, it allows you to create an account and you are on the dashboard immediately. One good aspect is that Xfire does not take you to a different webpage to make an account via your browser. Also, Xfire seems to be in the know of things by offering the users a chance to ‘check their username’ within the window.

Once the user has their account in place, Xfire allows for a quick roundup of the games that are installed on the system. It asks the user permission to detect the games that are installed on their system. And with the number of supported games, it is quite a robust list.

What is important, Xfire supports even the niche games, like the new Dungeons and Dragons MMORPG, Dungeons and Dragons Unlimited: Eberron. Xfire also allows the users to capture in game video and broadcast it to their friends.

However, Xfire is not without its flaws. Apparently, there has been no visible GUI updates since the time Xfire first launched, it still has the staid dark blue GUI which has been its default since a past few years now. Of course, it does offer a lot of Skins, like Winamp does, and the hardcore game lover will find skins for DDO, Wolfenstein, World of Warcraft, but all in all, it’s the same GUI that has been done to death.

Another flaw is that Xfire also considers virtual worlds like Second Life, There, etc as MMORPGs. This may not come up as a flaw, but for the hardcore gamers out there, any software that compares virtual worlds to MMORPGs does come down a few notches.

TeamSpeak
TeamSpeak is MMOPRPG chat software with a potential. Once downloaded and installed, the user has to create an account using the software. The player is then given an option to connect to a server that is hosted. Each server is related to the games that the users are playing. Basically, the user has to know the server name to which they have to connect, which is something like an old school IRC.
Like Xfire, player can capture their plays and speak on voice. Player can also add a friend’s list, a service that is available in Xfire also. The interface of TeamSpeak will be very familiar to people who have used IRC before.

However, TeamSpeak has its flaws, as it seems that it caters to the more technologically adept group of players, those who can actually remember server names and go through connection steps. Also, TeamSpeak does not have features like detecting games and installing them from within the software. The GUI is also pretty simple; in fact, the entire TeamSpeak software reminds one of Mirc.

Ventrilo
This is MMORPG chat software that is quite popular amongst the game playing people all around the world. Ventrilo is also quite famous amongst the gaming world due to its simple to use interface and hassle free working.

If a person wishes to install Ventrilo, they should first download the relevant package. Once installed, and started for the first time, the first reaction of a new user would be that of utter surprise, because the initial window is a blank window staring at the user. It is only if the user goes through a default but long drawn help file that the user actually understands the working of Ventrilo.
Comparing Ventrilo, TeamSpeak and Xfire, Xfire comes first, simply because it is quite refined and is much more user friendly than Ventrilo and Teamspeak, the latter require the user to remember server names, whereas Xfire takes care of all that all by itself.

Roger Wilco
Roger Wilco is VOIP software that is quite often used by MMORPG enthusiasts all over the world.  Though Roger Wilco has been around for quite a while, it is in no way old and forgotten software. Roger Wilco has progressed a lot since it was first launched, being supported by gamespy.

One major drawback is the account creation aspect, where too much information is asked of a person, even before he/she decides whether he/she wants to use the software or not.

By Grzegorz Pietruczuk for FreeMMORPGs.com