| A century ago, the term 'games' would have referred | | | | The standalone computer games and video game |
| to either field sports or games like Chess. With the | | | | parlors though still hold their ground, it is online gaming |
| advent of technology and more recently, the | | | | that is gradually cementing its roots in the ground. |
| Internet, the term has taken a new meaning. Online | | | | Most of the online game portals generate their |
| gaming has gained massive popularity over the last | | | | revenue from advertisements. Is it easy to host |
| few years. People no longer play games in the | | | | games online? Have you noticed the video game |
| comfort of their homes but also in cyber cafes and, | | | | consoles lined up outside restaurants or in shopping |
| as techies will vouch for it, in offices! | | | | malls? Have you even been to a game parlor? The |
| Online gaming offers a lot of flexibility to gamers - | | | | coin-operated machines there are the original arcade |
| flexibility to decide where to play, when to play, | | | | game units. With the advent of the Internet, they |
| what to play, with whom to play. With this kind of | | | | took shape into online games, now easily facilitated |
| gaming, gamers do not need to install games on their | | | | by Flash, making it easier for websites to host such |
| computers or game consoles anymore. Furthermore, | | | | games. |
| most of the online games are available for free. | | | | Recently, big-shots like EA Sports have entered the |
| Online gaming is becoming increasingly popular as it | | | | online gaming market. Social networking websites are |
| sets a stage for social networking. Multi-players | | | | adding games to their features to attract gamers. |
| games make gaming competitive, hence more | | | | Last year, in a report by the market research |
| interesting. The latest trend in online gaming is | | | | company, NPD Group revealed that sixty-two |
| community gaming. This April, Cafe website opened a | | | | percent of all gamers play games online. In a recent |
| social gaming service. | | | | report, it revealed that forty-two percent of the US |
| In August last year, Park Associates, a market | | | | population plays games online. |
| research and consulting firm, published a report from | | | | According to a February 2008 report by |
| its research on online gamers in the US. Based on its | | | | MMOGCHART, World of Warcraft, an online game |
| findings, the firm categorized gamers into six | | | | devised by Blizzard has continued to dominate the |
| segments, namely, occasional gamers, incidental | | | | subscriptions in the online-games' market, with 62.3 |
| gamers, leisure gamers, dormant gamers, social | | | | percent of the subscriptions market share, with |
| gamers and power gamers. The report also declared | | | | RuneScape following next with 6.9 percent. |
| that online gaming will become a 4-billion dollar | | | | Currently, with one-fourth of online gamers in the |
| industry by 2010 in the US alone. | | | | age group of 2-12, it is evident that this segment of |
| The interactive world of the Internet was | | | | gamers will demand more advanced and innovative |
| revolutionized by Flash and Java, making online | | | | games in the years to come, promising a tremendous |
| gaming a lucrative and rewarding activity for netizens. | | | | rise in the online gaming market. |