The Early Days of Modern Video Gaming
When you hear the word “gaming,” many people automatically think of highly competitive gaming and technological toys. But today, gaming has evolved into much more than that. Today, a wide variety of different types of games are available to play on the Internet. These range from casual, social games that you can play with your friends over a web browser to intense games that involve skill and strategy. Whatever type of game you enjoy most, it is possible to find an Internet game for anyone.
Most online gaming utilizes dedicated game engines or platforms to provide these highly detailed games. The graphics and audio are top notch, providing an excellent playing experience. But even the best graphics and audio can be insufficient for some players, who want a real sense of realism. In this case, online gaming provides options for providing safety settings. If you play a game that uses dedicated game engines, you won’t need to worry about losing all of your progress if you lose connection with a friend or lose your computer’s security protections.
Online gaming platforms and software allow players to create a profile that defines what they are looking for in their online gaming experience. For example, a player might want to make sure that they are able to customize the appearance of their character according to their gender, hair color, eye color, skin tone, clothing, and interests. In fact, personal computers now come with many specialized features that allow you to customize many aspects of your gaming experience, giving you the ability to create a virtual world that accurately reflects your true identity.
Some have questioned the long-term effects of video games on society. However, there are numerous studies out there that show that ESL (English as a Second Language) gamers are the most susceptible to communication and interaction problems within the United States. These studies reveal that ESL gamers are experiencing many more issues with discrimination and exclusion, even after being subjected to stereotypical portrayals in popular media outlets such as video games and movies. Furthermore, the majority of these gamers have found that despite the hardships that they face, they can still connect with other gamers and form strong social communities.
One interesting correlation between ESL gamers and society is the emergence of MMORPG (Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games). Popularized by companies such as Blizzard Entertainment and Valve Corporation, these massively multiplayer online role playing games offer a unique opportunity for immigrants and foreigners to immerse themselves in the American dream. For example, in the game World of Warcraft, a player’s entire social life is impacted by what group they belong to. Whether members belong to a Horde or a Alliance guild, the various actions and accomplishments that they achieve will determine how much honor they earn and how much gold is stored. As an example, a player who joins a Horde guild may find that they begin to climb the levels faster and be invited into higher ranked groups, which allows them to obtain more gold, gear, weapons, and armor.
Although these characteristics of the early 1980s are no longer commonly seen in today’s online gaming world, they are indicative of many of the core principles of MMORPGs. Social interaction, group interaction, and the accumulation of wealth are all features of MMORPGs. In fact, these features are central to how MMORPGs have changed since their conception. Today’s MMORPGs offer a high quality of game play and endless possibilities to the players willing to invest their time. Furthermore, the interactivity that occurs within MMORPGs is oftentimes even greater than that which occurs within conventional multiplayer gaming communities. Finally, because MMORPGs frequently require large investments, most players prefer to play them online rather than on dedicated gaming consoles.