Video games and online games have been popular since the evolution of the internet, but in recent years, the popularity of online gaming has grown at a rapid pace and it’s easy to see why. Since the first video games back in the 1950s, gaming has transformed and evolved with the advances in technology. From the first arcade games to the first consoles, to virtual reality, gaming has changed and transformed drastically. The birth of online gaming can be traced back as early as the 1970s, but online gaming and its popularity around the world only began in the 1990s when the internet became more mainstream.
Convenience
The launch of video games and online games offered players all over the world an even more convenient way of playing their favourite games, without the need to travel to an arcade hall to play games or even the need for a gaming console. With the advances in technology in recent years, players have easy access to the internet which means thousands of online games and free games.
Around 2007, games started becoming more and more accessible on mobile devices and today, players have the flexibility to play on the go. In fact, mobile games are the third most popular types of apps that smartphone owners use and they’re even competing with their video game console counterparts.
Technology
When online games first started popping up on the internet, it wasn’t so easy to appeal to the masses because computer technologies were not nearly as advanced as they are today and the internet was not something that every household could afford. Additionally, the internet capabilities back then were too slow to offer a good gaming experience.
As technology progressed and internet speed became faster, the world’s first massively multiplayer online game, World of Warcraft, was launched in 2009. The next generation of consoles also changed which allowed players to play online together with smooth gameplay, HD graphics, and cinematic animations.
Variety
As the internet became more affordable and gaming consoles started being mass-produced, gaming shifted from playing in arcades and commercial centers to playing from the comfort of home. This meant that online games were now available to the masses and the increase in popularity saw the innovation of different types of games like massive multiplayer games, RPG (role-playing games) for adults, free games for kids, and first-person shooter (FPS) games. There are even live casino games available at thousands of online sites for players who want to get the casino experience from home.
The increasing popularity of online gaming can be attributed to many factors, from advances in technology to the first multiplayer game that had over 10 million subscriptions. With the shift to mobile gaming in recent years, online gaming offers a lot of flexibility, convenience, and even variety for the player. Whether you want to play free games online or play with your friends in real-time in a massive multiplier online games, the choices really are endless. As technology continues to advance and move into new territories like augmented reality and virtual reality, the future of online gaming is set to be exciting and innovative.
