submit urlsubmit rss feedadd directory

article

Online games refer to video games that are played over some form of computer network, most commonly the Internet. The expansion of online gaming has reflected the overall expansion of computer networks from small local networks to the Internet and the growth of Internet access itself. Online games can range from simple text based games to games incorporating complex graphics and virtual worlds populated by many players simultaneously. Many online games have associated online communities, making online games a form of social activity beyond single player games.

Early online games


Online games started in the 1980s with MUDs, simple multiplayer text-based games, often played on a BBS using a modem. These games were frequently based on fantasy settings, using rules similar to those in the tabletop role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons. Other styles of games, such as chess, Scrabble clones, and other board games were available. Since continuous connectivity was often expensive as access was frequently charged on a per-minute basis, some games were set up as play-by-email games.

First-person shooters


During the 1990s, online games started to move from a wide variety of LAN protocols (such as IPX) and onto the Internet using the TCP/IP protocol. Doom popularized the concept of deathmatch, where multiple players battle each other head-to-head, as a new form of online game. Since Doom, most first-person shooter games contain online components to allow deathmatch/arena style play.

More on [ Online game ]


directory of related categories

 

 

 

 
directory of related topics

Games :: Surfer Rewards
Games :: Programming

 
Online RSS feed
About.com Internet Games: What's Hot Now

Lich King Reputation Guide
Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:05:49 -0000
One of the best ways to prepare your World of Warcraft character for dungeons on heroic difficulty is by earning some of the many reputation rewards offered in Wrath of the Lich King. Numerous new factions have been introduced in the expansion, and reputation can now be earned by "championing" certain dungeons. This is a guide to the factions in Wrath of the Lich King, including links to all the reputation rewards currently available in Northrend.
Free Online Mahjong
Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:05:49 -0000
Mahjong (or Mah-jongg) is a tile-matching game that originated in China over a century ago. Today it is played all over the world, and like many other traditional games, there are now a multitude of free online variations of Mahjong you can play in a Web browser. These are some of the better free Mahjong games I've come across so far.
Eve Online Review
Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:05:49 -0000
Eve Online gives you a chance to build an empire in space and rise to the pinnacle of galactic domination. Almost 2 years old, the game continues to grow. The recent free Exodus expansion added a long list of new features, and shortly after its release Eve set records with over 12,000 concurrent players in a single online world.
Top Multiplayer PC Games 2007
Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:05:49 -0000
It was an extraordinary year for PC games, particularly first-person shooters. It's torture to have to choose between great titles like Team Fortress 2, Call of Duty 4, Quake Wars, Unreal Tournament 3, and Crysis, even if you can afford more than one of them. There were some excellent releases in other genres as well, notably The Burning Crusade expansion back in January, and World in Conflict, a fresh approach to real-time strategy.
Wizard101 Review
Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:05:49 -0000
You're a young wizard being trained in the ways of magic at the Ravenwood School of Magical Arts under the watchful eye of headmaster Ambrose. As you learn to harness mystical powers, you'll be tasked with saving the school from the evil Malistaire Drake. Wizard101 is an online game for kids that has many of the trappings of an adult MMORPG built around an unusual card-based combat system, and it has been capturing the imagination of people of all ages.
Top Multiplayer Games of 2006
Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:05:49 -0000
2006 was definitely a landmark year for consoles, but, with a few notable exceptions, titles from earlier years continued to dominate the PC game space. One of the most highly-praised new releases was Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, a single-player game which walked away with quite a few Game of the Year awards. There were, however, some excellent multiplayer PC games that came out this year. These are my picks for the top online games that arrived in 2006.

 
Subscribe to Online RSS feed

Online related videos
Voyage Century Online - Open Seas
Next Video
Online related videos

 

HOMEADVERTISINGABOUT US

articlesartsbusinesscomputersgameshealthhospitalshomekids & teensnewsmobilephysiciansrecreationreferenceregionalscienceshoppingsocietysportsworld


Submit a Site About Become an Editor