Beach Volleyball Online is one of the few true sports MMOs available today. It features a large persistent world that allows for character development – players can improve their skills and increase attributes by gaining experience both on and off the volleyball court. Beach Volleyball Online also incorporates many elements of traditional MMO gameplay such as classes, crafting, level progression, and the ability to gain new skills. It successfully combines the action, playability, and precision of console games with the character development, exploration, and community aspects usually associated with MMOs.
The game’s developer, Radiance Digital Entertainment, has a history working in the console sports area, including CEO Monte Singman, who was a lead programmer for the original John Madden Football published by Electronic Arts. Radiance also has a deep knowledge of Asian MMOs, and by combining these two strengths were able to create Beach Volleyball Online, which has been over three years in development.