As an avid reader of Digisecrets, there’s a pretty high chance that you’re an uber-fan of all things technology; from computers and software, to smartphones and online games – and if you’re anything like me, then it’s likely that you’re hooked mostly to the latter. But, although there are many of us out there who like to engage in a little bit of online gaming from time-to-time, I bet I can guarantee that just as many as of us don’t have a clue where online gaming all started in the first place. Well, to educate you, here’s my very own run down of the history to online gaming:Â
Believe it not, online gaming started in the early seventies. Dial-up Bulletin Boards provided users with a way of playing games with others over the Internet – these were a very early base for what we now know as MMORPGs (Massively Multi-player Online Role Playing Games).
In the 1990s with technology such as Flash and Java, new gaming sites started popping up all over the internet. This is where the number of younger web users skyrocketed.
A lot of sites offered a paid subscription while some were free. These free-to-play sites simply made revenue through advertising.
These sorts of sites have stayed around ever since. We then saw the increase in online gambling sites where you could play online bingo as well as other games such as slots and roulette.
World of Warcraft, one of the most popular MMORPGs, came out in 2004 and now boasts a user-base of more than 11 million.
Not long after the launch of World of Warcraft, we then saw the console giants such as Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony bring out consoles that allowed for users to play against one another online. This brought multi-player games to a console environment and allowed users to play with others anywhere in the world.
Online Gaming Now
World of Warcraft continues to be popular with new expansions coming out all the time. There are other MMOs such as Diablo and the new Game of Thrones: The Seven Kingdoms game.
More casual gamers head to sites such as Kongregate to play free games. You might think that these games don’t hold much value against the big MMOs but that’s really not the case. Some of the games are very simple but provide addictive gameplay.
There are even more complicated games that immerse you in a world just like any console would. This is especially dangerous for office workers looking to kill an hour over lunch and finding themselves playing into the afternoon.
You can also test your gaming skills online and potentially make money from it. You might be showing real skill in playing an online poker match or just testing you luck in a game of roulette.
What’s Next?
There are hundreds of revamped casino sites, as well as a multitude of new games being released for PC that you can play online. Traditionally MMORPGs have sacrificed graphics for incredible gameplay but that’s not the case anymore. With faster servers and computers these RPGs now look as good as most other games.
The Playstation 4 will be on sale at the end of 2013 and this will lead to a flood of next generation consoles. There’s also the Wii U, the newest console from Nintendo that features a very innovative controller that allows interesting multi-player gaming at home.
As for online games sites, the games will continue to become more elaborate. Although, with so many complicated console and PC games, it’s the simple online games that really engage the users of these sites.
Ella Mason, an experienced freelance writer, wrote this article. Ella specializes in providing useful and engaging technology advice to others.