While games for computers and the like have been around quite some while one may ask which web technologies have been the main driver for the fast diffusion and rising success of online games? Let me point out & explain the most important ones (in my opinion) to you:
- Macromedia / Adobe Flash
Although there are some browser based games out there relying purely on HTML/CSS and PHP code, the game experience usually is not the best you can expect. This changed slightly with the introduction of AJAX and extended Javascript possibilities (e.g. enabling “drag&drop” in browsers) but Flash is by far superior. Funny enough, although Flash development is by no means a piece of cake a huge community of semi-professional developers releases new more or less exciting games every week. Flash enabled the previous “desktop only” experience of games (e.g. moving objects, vectors, embedding sounds, transitions, effects, extended gameplay) to be ported to the web.
- Broadband internet penetration
The aforementioned Flash technology was considered to be dull and contradicting the basic principles of the internet (back in 1998). Today, the penetration of broadband internet access (DSL, cable and even mobile) is significantly higher which in my view contributed to the huge success of casual online games. More extensive productions (embedded video in games) can be delivered to players and waiting times are reduced dramatically. Additionally, no clock is ticking (as it was back in ol’ modem times) so the amount of time spent with any game greatly increased.
I assume the online games will continue to rise with new technologies (and possibilities) arising and the trend away from the classic OS to the cloud-based web approach. It’s only a matter of time until we see a big publisher offering a web-only game (other than World of Warcraft).
Online Games
acceptance, broadband, development, diffusion, flash, games, penetration, technologies
Christmas-time = holidays = time for Online-Games? Regarding 75 % of the internet-users, the answer would be a clear yes. According to a study of deutsche-startups.de and Innofact, 78 % of the women and 72 % of the men out themselves as Online-Gamers. While women mostly like to play educational games, fungames and build up plays, men feel comfortable with action-games, strategy-games and racing games.
Gamers prefer browser games and massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs): 24 % of them play browser games, 14 % of them MMOGs, weekly, 12 % respectively 7 % play daily.
In the longer term, offine games are likely to fall by the wayside.
Online Games
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Skill games are online-games which are based on the skill of a player. They are to be distinguished from luck games offered on casino websites. Winning a skill game depends – as the name implies – mainly on the skill of the player. When playing attentive, capable and with knowledge, the player is in control of the game success.
In the area of skill games, Online Providers are specialized in offering real-money-winnings by playing against real opponents. Lots of online-game-players are triggered by that kind of competition. The possibility to gain real money through better, faster play or solving riddles challenges them to a daily duel. Tournaments are sold like hot cake. Like this, skillgaming is also seen as a sub-category of e-sports.
Gaming, Online Games
flash, free, games, luck, online, skill
Contrary to skill games, winning in games of luck depends on coincidence. Still, there are several categories of games of luck. At pure games of luck like Roulette and Craps, winning or losing exclusively depends on coincidence and in no way on the skills of the player. Whereas at games like Black Jack, the player gets more room for decision. Thus his success depends the more on his skill the more decisions he has to make.
At Poker or the poker variety game Texas HoldEm Poker – which are very popular online games as well – all players have the same chanc of winning. There is no permanent bankholder – like at Roulette or Craps – who with his so-called bank-advantage is favored by the rules of the game.
And yet, most online games of luck are watched strictly by the eye of the law.
Gaming, Online Games
free, gain, gambling, jackpot, money, online, play
Over the past few years online gaming has become one of people’s most favorite free-time activities.
While everything started with text-adventures and board games like chess, today only the sky is the limit: Whether you like word games, puzzle games, logic games or the popular trivia and guessing games, or even action-, adventure- or strategy games – you’ll find computer games of every possible margin on the internet. Online versions of famous games like Solitaire, Mahjong, Free Cell, Sudoku, Yatzy or Memory as well as Skat, Rummy, Canasta or Bingo have become essential for internet users.
Basically, there are two common categories of online games:
- Firstly, there are the browserbased games which use Plug-ins like Java or Flash or are purely HTML based. Most often you play those games directly from the hosting server and don’t need to download special client software.
- Secondly, there are the Multiplayer Online Games, which work peer-to-peer or in a client-server-cooperation. For those formats, you generally need to download software to play the games. One popular example are the ego shooter games.
Significant for both categories is the possibility to play with a large number of players at the same time. The number of players varies from several hundred to several hundredthousand. This phenomenon is called Massive Multiplayer Online Gaming.
Online Games
free, friends, games, online, play