The plot of .hack is set in the early part of the 21st century. In this world, the Internet has spread across the planet, creating a unified global network which controls everything from the stock market to vending machines. At the center of this network is a popular virtual-reality massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) called The World. Players from all around the world play this game, which has been made available in over 20 different languages. However, problems begin to arise when players begin mysteriously falling into comas while playing the game.