Online Gaming

Chats
You can talk to friends and other opponents by using a headset. When playing text-based games, you can type conversations to gamers about game tactics, cheats, and you can offer or receive help while in the game.

Cheats
Some websites will have a cheat section where you will find the latest codes, hints, strategies, walkthroughs (advance past that level), and flat out ways to beat the level. You will develop special abilities and can learn how to defeat particular opponents by learning their supernatural power. Some games or game systems have a strategy guide that you receive in the mail which outline moves, or how to beat levels.

Compatibility
A lot of online games are produced specifically for Xbox, PlayStation etc. If you are using a PC, these companies have produced games that you can download onto your computer. From a console, you can play online with the proper Internet provider or modem adapter. Sony PlayStation 2 uses both and doesn’t charge additional fees. Other systems require that you purchase an adapter and then pay either monthly or yearly fees to play people online.

Cost
The online gaming community is huge. There can be over 150,000 players on a game at any given time. A lot of the games are free to download, others require a monthly subscription, and some are just a one-time fee for the game. With so many people playing, there is continuous revenue for those who require a monthly fee. Other gaming sites rely on advertisers.

Downloads
Transferring information from an isolated computer or system to your system is how people download games. Gaming websites bring you new graphics, sound quality, maps to help you navigate through the levels, videos, demos, movies, freeware, shareware, previews, trial versions of the game, patches (fix to problems that can occur on games) and wallpaper for your PC in addition to being able to download the games. These will specify which platforms they are compatible with. You can even create your own website and games from downloads.

Genres
Action (obstacles overcome by physical methods)
Action-Adventure (strategy and problem-solving; new levels; collecting objects for use are added)
Arcade Conversion (from the coin-operated arcade games into the home; less quality graphics, resolution and speed than real arcade games)
Board Games (you will find games like Monopoly)
Classics (old games that still possess replay value)
Card Games (you can play solitaire, poker, black jack etc.)
Massive/Multi-player Games
Puzzle Games (require the player to manipulate shapes and/or colors to solve it. Bejeweled, Columns, and Tetris are popular games)
Role-playing Games (on the computer, RPGs don’t focus much on a storyline or character interaction as with console RPGs. Instead, they are more on solving puzzles and keeping track of stats)
Shoot-‘em-up Games (these revolve around shooting enemies with various weapons and dodging them at the same time)
Simulation (they put you in the midst of action with such detail, it feels like the real deal)
Sports (you can play extreme or major sports)
Strategy Games (these are problems-solving or puzzle solving games)
 
Networks
Games played on a network allow individuals using a computer to play multiplayer games with people using a console. A modem, Internet, or online service connects the players. This way people can play against people instead of the computer. College campuses and workplaces often have local networks (not good if you’re supposed to be studying or getting work done).

Platforms

• Dreamcast (September 9, 1999, USA)
• Game Boy
• Game Cube
• Mac
• N-Gage
• Nintendo DS
• Nintendo 64
• Personal Computer (PC)
• PlayStation/PlayStation 2
• Sony PSP
• Wireless
• Xbox

Popular Online Games
Ultima Online, EverQuest, Asheron’s Call, Quake, Unreal and Tribe, The Sims Online, Dark Age of Camelot, Railroad Tycoon, Anarchy Online, Star Wars: Galaxies, Lineage

Screen Shots
Have a look at the game you are about to play or download. Screenshots give you a preview of the boards and graphics so you can decide if you want to play.

Game Consoles
Computers used to play videogames are called consoles, such as Nintendo or PlayStation. Xbox Live is an example of how consoles are getting involved with the online phenomenon. You can use these systems with online gaming packages that are compatible with the particular console. Unlike the earlier game systems, consoles now can play CDs, DVDs and be used as a burner.

The Industry
Updates are made to gaming websites regularly to keep players up-to-date with the latest events, games, and news related to video games. Not only that, but besides new and improved games that game devotees can access on the web, technology is keeping up with the demand of gamers. Online gaming became a preference over game consoles which couldn’t get high-speed internet access.

Now, leading developers of game consoles (i.e. – Sega and Microsoft) are bringing their once dial-up machines up to par with broadband access. Online gaming is about downloading a game, discovering cheats and secret codes, and beating level after level. Broadband access fuels online game participation around the world. The United States and Asia are the world’s largest gaming markets.

Television companies want to get in on the craze so they don’t lose their audience. G4 Media has an on-demand and interactive component so people can enjoy game entertainment in their homes. The idea is that they can surf the web from their TV connections.