| There was a time when people would rave about | | | | equipment, help each other with quests, battle |
| 2-D arcade games such as Pac Man, Pong, and | | | | each other, and fight monsters side-by-side. |
| Space Invaders. Since then, the gaming industry | | | | Some games of this genre allow the players to |
| has turned itself into a moneymaking behemoth, | | | | have their own professions so that they can earn |
| and has connected itself to other industries as well | | | | the currency of the "world" that they are in (it's |
| such as music, merchandise, and advertising. Video | | | | usually gold and silver). These games have |
| games nowadays come in different forms and | | | | become so addictive, because there are so many |
| genres, and one of the most exciting types of | | | | things that you can do in the games. The |
| gaming is through computer networking. | | | | interactive world that you are playing in can be so |
| Playing with LAN | | | | big, that traveling from one place to another could |
| Gamers of all ages have enjoyed video games | | | | take you a long time. Some gamers have been |
| through the magic of a local area network. This | | | | so addicted that there even has been a story of |
| connects a series of computers together, and | | | | a guy that was divorced by his wife because of |
| enables them to share information. Through LAN, | | | | his MMORPG addiction. Well, as long as you are a |
| players are able to link their games together, and | | | | responsible individual then there should be no |
| can play multiplayer games battling each other, | | | | problem at all with playing these types of games. |
| and even team up. Some of these games come | | | | Virtual items |
| in the form of first person shooters where the | | | | People have become so serious when it comes to |
| players can be a team of S.W.A.T. officers, a | | | | these MMORPGs, that it has even come to the |
| military group, secret agents, interstellar soldiers, | | | | point of them buying items used inside the game |
| and the list goes on. A lot of other genres are | | | | and using real money. Some would spend |
| also present and make great games because of | | | | hundreds of dollars to acquire items, or even |
| LAN capabilities. | | | | strong characters. There are particular websites |
| The rise of MMORPG | | | | where you can auction such items. There are |
| Massively multiplayer online role-playing games | | | | some cases where this is outlawed because you |
| have been on of the more popular type of | | | | don't actually buy a tangible item. |
| games lately. These are your usual role-playing | | | | Computer networking has made the possibilities of |
| games where you control a particular character, | | | | gaming endless. There are countless more |
| start out with menial equipment, and do a lot of | | | | innovations to come, and who knows what the |
| quest in order to become stronger and gain | | | | next trend might be. It's a great thing that |
| money. MMORPGs have taken this even further. | | | | technology such as the Internet and local area |
| Because of the Internet, players are now able to | | | | networks are able to bring us better |
| interact with each other in a virtual environment. | | | | entertainment. |
| In the game, players may choose to trade | | | | |