Online game
An online game is a video game that is either partially or primarily played through the Internet or another computer network.
Description
Online games are ubiquitous on modern gaming platforms, including PCs, consoles and mobile devices, and span many genres, including first-person shooters, strategy games, and massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG).
The history of online games dates back to the early days of packet-based computer networking in the 1970s. An early example of online games are MUD, including the first, MUD1, which was created in 1978 and originally confined to an internal network before becoming connected to ARPANet in 1980.
Commercial games followed in the next decade, with Islands of Kesmai, the first commercial role-playing game, debuting in 1984, as well as more graphical games, such as the flight simulator Air Warrior, released in 1987.
The rapid availability of the Internet in the 1990s led to an expansion of online games, with notable titles including Quakeworld (1996), Ultima Online (1997), Starcraft (1998), and Counter-Strike (1999). Video game consoles also began to receive networking features, such as the PlayStation 2 (2000) and the Xbox (2001).
Following improvements in connection speeds, more recent developments include the popularization of new genres, such as social games, and new platforms, such as mobile games.
Online game sessions are hosted by a game server, which can be a dedicated computer managed by the game company or a gamer organization, or the computer of one of the players. The design of online games can range from simple text-based environments to the incorporation of complex graphics and virtual worlds.
The prominence of online components within a game can range from being minor features, such as an online leaderboard, to being part of core gameplay, such as directly playing against other players. Many online games, especially MMORPG, create their own online communities, while other games, especially social games, integrate the players' existing real-life communities.
Traditionally, researchers thought of motivations to use computer systems to be primarily driven by extrinsic purposes and have designed these systems accordingly; however, use of online games is by intrinsic motivations such as fun, relaxation, competition, achievement and learning, which considerations must drive their design.
Online game culture sometimes faces criticisms for an environment that might promote cyberbullying, violence, and xenophobia. Some gamers are also concerned about gaming addiction or social stigma.
Online games have attracted players from a variety of ages, nationalities, and occupations.
Online game content can also be studied in scientific field, especially gamers' interactions within virtual societies in relation to the behavior and social phenomena of everyday life.
See also
External links
- Online game @ Wikipedia
