Online gaming is neither a new phenomenon nor one that is restricted to just guys. It is easy, however, to jump to those conclusions considering that some of the most popular games take advantage of recent advances in technology such as Flash to generate exciting video and audio effects. It is also easy to see how many think online gaming is mainly for men with titles such as World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy, and Guild Wars. However, recent studies show that this is simply just not the case.
The first online games were written by two players at MIT. Eventually this system grew that by 1972 it could host up to one thousand simultaneous users. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, new versions of online games were invented on various university mainframes. Eventually, these games would grow to be so popular that their use had to be restricted to the evening hours because of dwindling computer resources. Of course, the popularity of online gaming has recently taken off thanks to advances in both computers and affordability of internet services. The invention and rising popularity of plug-ins such as Flash and Java have led to even better computer graphics, video and audio. This has led to a whole new world of user interactivity. Online games range from those played by one person to entire complex worlds populated by thousands of players simultaneously.
However, it doesn't appear that online gaming will see a reduction in popularity anytime soon. A recent study of 1,500 online gamers showed that 60% played online games on a daily basis with many spending between ten and fifteen hours a week online in some sort of gaming scenario. Most respondents say they enjoy online gaming because it not only gives them a chance to relax, but it also stimulates their brain and relieves the stress of everyday life. The study also showed that the most popular time to get online is during the evening hours. This is not surprising as most people are home from work during this time. Online gaming sites begin to see an increase in activity around six with participation slowing as the clock gets closer to midnight. In addition, many of the survey participants say they get more satisfaction from online gaming than they do from watching television.
Online gaming is not just restricted to men. Recent years have shown an upward trend the in the number of teenage girls between the ages of twelve and seventeen and women between 55 and 64 in online gaming. In fact, in August of 2008 the total female gaming audience rose an astounding 27% to nearly 43 million online users. As a result, programmers are noticing the trend and there are now more online options for females including sites such as DressUpGames.com and I-Dressup.com. There are also virtual worlds for women including Neopets.
Today, online games cover everything from the vast virtual worlds of World of Warcraft to simple games such as chess which can be played versus others around the world. Other types of online games include sporting games, puzzles, arcade games, strategy and shooting games. Some are free, while others will charge a monthly subscription. Just like anything else, online gaming can become addictive. If players find themselves missing out on real world activities to play online games, that could be a sign of serious problems.
About the Author:
There's lots more information about online gaming at my site. If you liked this article click the link to read about several websites where online gaming is popular.
Google
Facebook
Twitter
Myspace
Yahoo
Digg
del.icio.us
Windows Live
Reddit
Blogger
Rain Concert
