| games have been the source of entertainment of | | | | A lot of gaming consoles have chosen to |
| a lot of people for the longest time. It all started | | | | incorporate online play in their systems. This has |
| out with simple 2-d games such as Pong, Donkey | | | | allowed players from across the globe meet and |
| Kong, Pac Man, and Space Invaders. People would | | | | play games with each other. The trouble with |
| gather in arcades, play these games and socialize. | | | | multiplayer games is that you have to find |
| Soon enough, video games would evolve along | | | | someone to play with, if in case you are bored |
| with other technology. Nowadays, it has become | | | | with the usual A.I. With online gaming, the chances |
| a multi-billion dollar industry, and has intertwined | | | | of having someone to play with are very high, |
| itself with other businesses as well such as | | | | because of the millions of players playing online, |
| merchandise, and music. There even was a time | | | | even on the weirdest hours of the day (different |
| when gaming sales surpassed DVD sales. | | | | time zones mean primetime all the time). You can |
| What’s great about it is that it’s | | | | even choose to download new games on the |
| highly a social activity, not only because gamers | | | | Internet instead of having to go to a store to buy |
| talk about the latest releases and how they | | | | one. Some games even provide upgrades that |
| finished off the last level, but because of the level | | | | can be downloaded online. |
| of interaction of multiplayer games as well. | | | | The MMORPG revolution |
| Using Local Area Network | | | | The acronym “MMORPG” seems |
| Computer networking has done a lot for the | | | | to be slowly becoming a household name. It |
| gaming industry. It has allowed endless options for | | | | stands for Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing |
| multiplayer game play, and it has become the | | | | Game”. These types of games are RPGs |
| source of income of a number of businesses. | | | | in the sense that you play the role of a particular |
| There are a number of shops that are dedicated | | | | character, start out fresh, develop its abilities |
| to LAN gaming, and it has become one of the | | | | through the game, get new gear (weapons, |
| ways for people to interact. Game fanatics are | | | | armor, potions, etc.), and finish quests. The |
| able to play games together either as a team, as | | | | difference is that MMORPGs are vast virtual |
| foes, or as battling individuals. These players have | | | | worlds that are inhabited by A.I. characters, and |
| a lot of games to choose from; they could be a | | | | the characters of the players. This means that |
| platoon of marines one day, and a group of | | | | players all over the world can play at the same |
| traveling fantasy characters on another. The | | | | time and interact with each other. A lot of these |
| potential of LAN gaming is very big, but another | | | | games let players join certain groups such as |
| type of computer network seems to take it a bit | | | | guilds and battle other groups. Imagine being in a |
| further. | | | | group of 30 players, and battling the characters |
| Gaming Through the Internet | | | | of other groups. |