The Growing Realm of Online Gaming

A fair number of internet users spend time playing computer games. There are many kinds of games available online. MMPORGs, or massive multiplayer online role-playing games, are immensely popular, but there are other games online that have just as many fans. Internet gaming is changing, however. And fortunately for the gamers out there, the change is making better games more accessible than ever.

The History of Gaming
Games as a form of entertainment have existed for countless generations. As we have found more leisure time, we have enjoyed more games. In the last fifty years games have developed at record speed. Card and board games are still popular, but have given way to a huge wave of internet and personal computer gaming.

The first computer games were developed in the 1960s and 1970s, although the original idea of a video game was patented in 1948. The games were simple in nature and restricted to special kinds of computers. Then, as personal computers developed, games such as Spacewar! and King’s Quest became popular.

Computer games advanced with new technology such as the joystick and other peripherals as well as advanced 3D graphics. Tomb Raider was one of the first PC game to use 3D graphics, and the realism of games then increased exponentially.

With the advent of the internet, gaming took another turn. Games were now available on countless websites. Some games were free to users to be played directly on the site. Many more were available for download after registering or paying a fee. The internet was also the medium needed to expand traditional PC games. MMPORG games exploded thanks to the internet, and smaller, but still social, games exist as well.

Modern Internet Gaming
Today websites are offering more than ever to enthusiastic gamers. For years the best games were reserved for those who took the time to register or pay to access a certain website or get access to downloads. Memberships ranged in price, but many were willing to pay to have access to the best graphics and cutting-edge technology.

Gaming sites have begun to realize that restricting access isn’t working as well as they would like. Piracy and blatant theft have cheapened the value of the membership or downloadable games. Some individuals pay to access or download a particular game only to copy it and sell or give it to others. This frustrated the game producers immensely.

So they came up with the best solution they could. If they can’t control the distribution of a paid game, they would simply make it free. Gaming sites are moving away from downloadable games and instead focusing on game play directly online. Many still encourage or require a registration of some kind, but you are no longer required to purchase and download large files to experience the ultimate gaming these sites have to offer.

Advances in technology are accelerating and this includes games. Graphics and elements using Flash or Shockwave have made computer games almost lifelike. Designers and companies spend hundreds of dollars and hours to create these games only to be slapped in the face by theft and copyright infringement. The game creators are slapping back at pirates by hitting them where it hurts. A pirate can’t sell a great game if it happens to be available free online. And that is a great perk for the rest of us.

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