Advances in Online Gaming

A century ago, the term 'games' would have referredThe standalone computer games and video game
to either field sports or games like Chess. With theparlors though still hold their ground, it is online gaming
advent of technology and more recently, thethat is gradually cementing its roots in the ground.
Internet, the term has taken a new meaning. OnlineMost of the online game portals generate their
gaming has gained massive popularity over the lastrevenue from advertisements. Is it easy to host
few years. People no longer play games in thegames 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 oftook shape into online games, now easily facilitated
gaming, gamers do not need to install games on theirby 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 itonline gaming market. Social networking websites are
sets a stage for social networking. Multi-playersadding games to their features to attract gamers.
games make gaming competitive, hence moreLast year, in a report by the market research
interesting. The latest trend in online gaming iscompany, NPD Group revealed that sixty-two
community gaming. This April, Cafe website opened apercent 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 marketpopulation plays games online.
research and consulting firm, published a report fromAccording to a February 2008 report by
its research on online gamers in the US. Based on itsMMOGCHART, World of Warcraft, an online game
findings, the firm categorized gamers into sixdevised by Blizzard has continued to dominate the
segments, namely, occasional gamers, incidentalsubscriptions in the online-games' market, with 62.3
gamers, leisure gamers, dormant gamers, socialpercent of the subscriptions market share, with
gamers and power gamers. The report also declaredRuneScape following next with 6.9 percent.
that online gaming will become a 4-billion dollarCurrently, 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 wasgamers will demand more advanced and innovative
revolutionized by Flash and Java, making onlinegames in the years to come, promising a tremendous
gaming a lucrative and rewarding activity for netizens.rise in the online gaming market.