• , Wednesday, April 7, 2004 12 AM

Only a few years ago, online games still lurked on the fringe of American culture. One category catered to young males interested in wreaking havoc -- at others' expense. And then there were the complex, virtual communities that more closely mirror the real world in their social interactions. Today, those never-ending online "massively multiplayer" games like "EverQuest" have matured into mainstream, vibrant attractions, drawing hundreds of thousands of paying customers -- male and female.

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