Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

This chapter presents the historical background of the study entitled, Some
Innovations of Technology and Skills Developed on Online Games

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The general concept of this study is to show the

evolution/development/innovation of online games through the years that made it the
most downloaded application or even played throughout the world. This study will also
tackle about the development of online games through the years, being the most
profitable income of developers, and how technology affects its fast growing
development that made it famous to millions of gamers around the world.

An online game is a video game that is either partially or primarily played through
the Internet or any other computer network available .Online games are ubiquitous on
modern gaming platforms, including PCs, consoles and mobile devices, and span
many genres, including first-person shooters, strategy games and massively multiplayer
online role-playing games (MMORPG).

The design of online games can range from simple text-based environments to the
incorporation of complex graphics and virtual worlds. The existence of online
components within a game can range from being minor features, such as an
online leaderboard, to being part of core gameplay, such as directly playing against
other players. Many online games create their own online communities, while other
games, especially social games, integrate the players' existing real-life communities.

Online game culture sometimes faces criticisms for an environment that might
promote cyberbullying, violence, and xenophobia. Some gamers are also concerned
about gaming addiction or social stigma. Online games have attracted players from a
variety of ages, nationalities, and occupations. Online game content can also be studied
in scientific field, especially gamers' interactions within virtual societies in relation to the
behavior and social phenomena of everyday life. It has been argued that, since the
players of an online game are strangers to each other and have limited communication,
the individual player's experience in an online game is not essentially different from
playing with artificial intelligence players. Online games also have the problem of not
being permanently playable, unlike purchased retail games, as they require
special servers in order to function.

The online games dates back to the early days of packet-based computer
networking in the 1970s, An early example of online games are MUD, including the
first, MUD1, which was created in 1978 and originally confined to an internal network
before becoming connected to ARPANet in 1980. Commercial games followed in the
next decade, with Islands of Kesmai, the first commercial online role-playing game,
debuting in 1984, as well as more graphical games, such as the MSX LINKS action
games in 1986,the flight simulator Air Warrior in 1987, and the Famicom Modem's
online Go game in 1987. The rapid availability of the Internet in the 1990s led to an
expansion of online games, with notable titles including Nexus: The Kingdom of the
Winds (1996), Quakeworld (1996), Ultima
Online (1997), Lineage (1998), Starcraft(1998), Counter-Strike (1999)
and EverQuest (1999). Video game consoles also began to receive online networking
features, such as the Famicom Modem (1987), Sega
Meganet (1990), Satellaview (1995), SegaNet(1996), PlayStation 2 (2000)
and Xbox (2001). Following improvements in connection speeds, more recent
developments include the popularization of new genres, such as social games, and new
platforms, such as mobile games.

They continued the development of technology is making online games more

vivid and exciting, and this certainly is a pleasure for gamers the world over. But do you
know about the history of online games as well as their developments year to year?
Well, in this article we will cover a topic specifically for online games lovers and for
anyone interested in gaming to increase our knowledge about the history from the
beginnings of online games. Each item described here is based on a variety of sources,
not merely listening to stories.

The first heyday of online games was started when Ultima Online, Asheron’s Call
and EverQuest had no rivals. Those three online games were inspiring programmers to
develop online games in general.
The first competition took place in May 2001- April 2002. Those three online games sold
poorly. In Ultima Online’s case, low sales were caused by Electronic Arts cancelling a
deal to make Ultima Online 2, the second version of Ultima Online. The decision was a
big disappointment among so many online games lovers. The cancellation was caused
by a capital problem. Electronic Arts focused on its efforts in spreading first Ultima
Online all over Asia, such as Japan, Korea, Indonesia, India, and so forth. At this period,
most of Ultima Online lovers changed their hunting to other new online games that were
coming.

By 2003, the competition was more crowded due to the wave of newcomer
games such as Dark Age of Camelot, World War II Online, Motor City Online, etc. Old
online games were trying to keep their costumers among newcomers’ attacks. The
newcomer wave was growing until the last quarter of 2004. Along with Warcraft’s
emergence, the number of online games player were increasing rapidly. It was the start
of an online game revolution.
We should know that the trends related to the film industry also affect the online games’
trends. The emerging of some myth-based films like Sparta and Lord of the Rings
creates productions of some myth-based online games like the Lord of the Rings
Online, Soul of the Ultimate Nation, and the most popular one, Stormfall Age of War,
one of Plarium games. Some online games were transforming into what called “money
sources.” Every player can trade the collected points, weapons and facilities with other
players and gets the money. That is the big difference between conventional games and
online games. The online games can provide more benefits instead of providing
enjoyable gaming activities only.

Now, playing online games is becoming easier. We no longer need to use

complicated browsers—as we did in the past. We can use our regular browser and even
we don’t need to pay any money! By looking for more info at various games forums
available on the Internet, we can know what recommended online games providers are.
We can find a lot of new friends all over the world. As long as we have Internet
connection, we can play so many online games anytime and anywhere.

Chapter 2

SOME INNOVATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY AND SKILLS DEVELOPED ON ONLINE

GAMES

Since its commercial birth in the 1950s as a technological oddity at a science fair,
gaming has blossomed into one of the most profitable entertainment industries in the
world.

The mobile technology boom in recent years has revolutionized the industry and
opened the doors to a new generation of gamers. Indeed, gaming has become so
integrated with modern popular culture that now even grandmas know what Angry Birds
is, and more than 42% of Americans are gamers and four out of five U.S. households
have a console.

The Early Years

 The first recognized example of a game machine was unveiled by Dr. Edward
Uhler Condon at the New York World’s Fair in 1940. The game, based on the ancient
mathematical game of Nim, was played by about 50,000 people during the six months it
was on display, with the computer reportedly winning more than 90% of the games.

However, the first game system designed for commercial home use did not
emerge until nearly three decades later, when Ralph Baer and his team released his
prototype, the “Brown Box,” in 1967.

The “Brown Box” was a vacuum tube-circuit that could be connected to a

television set and allowed two users to control cubes that chased each other on the
screen. The “Brown Box” could be programmed to play a variety of games, including
ping pong, checkers and four sports games. Using advanced technology for this time,
added accessories included a light gun for a target shooting game, and a special
attachment used for a golf putting game.

According to the National Museum of American History, Baer recalled, “The

minute we played ping pong, we knew we had a product. Before that we weren’t too
sure.”

Magnavox-Odyssey, The “Brown Box” was licensed to Magnavox, which

released the system as the Magnavox Odyssey in 1972. It preceded Atari by a few
months, which is often mistakenly thought of as the first games console.

Between August 1972 and 1975, when the Magnavox was discontinued, around
300,000 consoles were sold. Poor sales were blamed on mismanaged in-store
marketing campaigns and the fact that home gaming was a relatively alien concept to
the average American at this time. However mismanaged it might have been, this was
the birth of the digital gaming we know today.

Onward To Atari and Arcade Gaming

Sega and Taito were the first companies to pique the public’s interest in arcade
gaming when they released the electro-mechanical games Periscope and Crown
Special Soccer in 1966 and 1967. In 1972, Atari (founded by Nolan Bushnell, the
godfather of gaming) became the first gaming company to really set the benchmark for
a large-scale gaming community.

The nature of the games sparked competition among players, who could record
their high scores … and were determined to mark their space at the top of the list.

Atari not only developed their games in-house, they also created a whole new
industry around the “arcade,” and in 1973, retailing at $1,095, Atari began to sell the first
real electronic video game Pong, and arcade machines began emerging in bars,
bowling alleys and shopping malls around the world. Tech-heads realized they were
onto a big thing; between 1972 and 1985, more than 15 companies began to develop
video games for the ever-expanding market.

DEMOGRAPHICS

The assumption that online games in general are populated mostly by males has
remained somewhat accurate for years. Recent statistics begin to diminish the male
domination myth in gaming culture. Although a worldwide number of male online
gamers still dominates over female (52% by 48%), women accounted for more than half
of the players of certain games, including PC games.

The report Online Game Market Forecasts estimates worldwide revenue from online
games to reach $35 billion by 2017, up from $19 billion in 2011.

The Roots Of Multiplayer Gaming As We Know It

During the late 1970s, a number of chain restaurants around the U.S. started to
install video games to capitalize on the hot new craze. The nature of the games sparked
competition among players, who could record their high scores with their initials and
were determined to mark their space at the top of the list. At this point, multiplayer
gaming was limited to players competing on the same screen.

The first example of players competing on separate screens came in 1973 with
“Empire” — a strategic turn-based game for up to eight players — which was created for
the PLATO network system. PLATO (Programmed Logic for Automatic Teaching
Operation), was one of the first generalized computer-based teaching systems,
originally built by the University of Illinois and later taken over by Control Data (CDC),
who built the machines on which the system ran.

According to usage logs from the PLATO system, users spent about 300,000
hours playing Empire between 1978 and 1985. In 1973, Jim Bowery released Spasim
for PLATO — a 32-player space shooter — which is regarded as the first example of a
3D multiplayer game. While access to PLATO was limited to large organizations such
as universities — and Atari — who could afford the computers and connections
necessary to join the network, PLATO represents one of the first steps on the
technological road to the Internet, and online multiplayer gaming as we know it today.

At this point, gaming was popular with the younger generations, and was a
shared activity in that people competed for high-scores in arcades. However, most
people would not have considered four out of every five American households having a
games system as a probable reality.

Home Gaming Becomes a Reality

In addition to gaming consoles becoming popular in commercial centres and

chain restaurants in the U.S., the early 1970s also saw the advent of personal
computers and mass-produced gaming consoles become a reality. Technological
advancements, such as Intel’s invention of the world’s first microprocessor, led to the
creation of games such as Gunfight in 1975, the first example of a multiplayer human-
to-human combat shooter.

While far from Call of Duty, Gunfight was a big deal when it first hit arcades. It
came with a new style of gameplay, using one joystick to control movement and another
for shooting direction — something that had never been seen before.

In 1977, Atari released the Atari VCS (later known as the Atari 2600), but found
sales slow, selling only 250,000 machines in its first year, then 550,000 in 1978 — well
below the figures expected. The low sales have been blamed on the fact that Americans
were still getting used to the idea of color TVs at home, the consoles were expensive
and people were growing tired of Pong, Atari’s most popular game.

When it was released, the Atari VCS was only designed to play 10 simple
challenge games, such as Pong, Outlaw and Tank. However, the console included an
external ROM slot where game cartridges could be plugged in; the potential was quickly
discovered by programmers around the world, who created games far outperforming the
console’s original designed.

1200px-Atari-2600-Light-Sixer-FLThe integration of the microprocessor also led

to the release of Space Invaders for the Atari VCS in 1980, signifying a new era of
gaming — and sales: Atari 2600 sales shot up to 2 million units in 1980.

As home and arcade gaming boomed, so too did the development of the gaming
community. The late 1970s and early 1980s saw the release of hobbyist magazines
such as Creative Computing (1974), Computer and Video Games (1981) and Computer
Gaming World (1981). These magazines created a sense of community, and offered a
channel by which gamers could engage.

Magazines like Computer and Video Games and Gaming World provided BASIC
source code for games and utility programs, which could be typed into early PCs.
Games, programs and readers’ code submissions were accepted and shared.

In addition to providing the means for more people to create their own game
using code, early computers also paved the way for multiplayer gaming, a key milestone
for the evolution of the gaming community.

The real revolution in gaming came when LAN networks, and later the Internet,
opened up multiplayer gaming.

Multiplayer gaming over networks really took off with the release of Pathway to
Darkness in 1993, and the “LAN Party” was born. LAN gaming grew more popular with
the release of Marathon on the Macintosh in 1994 and especially after first-person
multiplayer shooter Quake hit stores in 1996. By this point, the release of Windows 95
and affordable Ethernet cards brought networking to the Windows PC, further
expanding the popularity of multiplayer LAN games.

The real revolution in gaming came when LAN networks, and later the Internet,
opened up multiplayer gaming. Multiplayer gaming took the gaming community to a new
level because it allowed fans to compete and interact from different computers, which
improved the social aspect of gaming. This key step set the stage for the large-scale
interactive gaming that modern gamers currently enjoy. On April 30, 1993, CERN put
the World Wide Web software in the public domain, but it would be years before the
Internet was powerful enough to accommodate gaming as we know it today.

The Move To Online Gaming On Consoles

Long before gaming giants Sega and Nintendo moved into the sphere of online
gaming, many engineers attempted to utilize the power of telephone lines to transfer
information between consoles.

William von Meister unveiled ground breaking modem-transfer technology for the
Atari 2600 at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas in 1982. The new
device, the CVC GameLine, enabled users to download software and games using their
fixed telephone connection and a cartridge that could be plugged in to their Atari
console.

The device allowed users to “download” multiple games from programmers

around the world, which could be played for free up to eight times; it also allowed users
to download free games on their birthdays. Unfortunately, the device failed to gain
support from the leading games manufacturers of the time, and was dealt a death-blow
by the crash of 1983.

Real advances in “online” gaming wouldn’t take place until the release of 4th
generation 16-bit-era consoles in the early 1990s, after the Internet as we know it
became part of the public domain in 1993. In 1995 Nintendo released Satellaview, a
satellite modem peripheral for Nintendo’s Super Famicom console. The technology
allowed users to download games, news and cheats hints directly to their console using
satellites. Broadcasts continued until 2000, but the technology never made it out of
Japan to the global market.

Accessing the Internet was expensive at the turn of the millennium.

Between 1993 and 1996, Sega, Nintendo and Atari made a number of attempts
to break into “online” gaming by using cable providers, but none of them really took off
due to slow Internet capabilities and problems with cable providers. It wasn’t until the
release of the Sega Dreamcast, the world’s first Internet-ready console, in 2000 that real
advances were made in online gaming as we know it today. The Dreamcast came with
an embedded 56 Kbps modem and a copy of the latest Planet Web browser, making
Internet-based gaming a core part of its setup rather than just a quirky add-on used by a
minority of users.

The Dreamcast was a truly revolutionary system, and was the first net-centric
device to gain popularity. However, it also was a massive failure, which effectively put
an end to Sega’s console legacy. Accessing the Internet was expensive at the turn of
the millennium, and Sega ended up footing huge bills as users used its Planet Web
browser around the world.

Experts related the console’s failure to the Internet-focused technology being

ahead of its time, as well as the rapid evolution of PC technology in the early 2000s —
which led people to doubt the use of a console designed solely for gaming. Regardless
of its failure, Dreamcast paved the way for the next generation of consoles, such as the
Xbox. Released in the mid-2000s, the new console manufacturers learned from and
improved the net-centric focus of the Dreamcast, making online functionality an integral
part of the gaming industry.

The release of Runescape in 2001 was a game changer. MMORPG (massively

multiplayer online role-playing games) allows millions of players worldwide to play,
interact and compete against fellow fans on the same platform. The games also include
chat functions, allowing players to interact and communicate with other players whom
they meet in-game. These games may seem out-dated now, but they remain extremely
popular within the dedicated gaming community.

The Modern Age of Gaming

Since the early 2000s, Internet capabilities have exploded and computer
processor technology has improved at such a fast rate that every new batch of games,
graphics and consoles seems to blow the previous generation out of the water. The cost
of technology, servers and the Internet has dropped so far that Internet at lightning
speeds is now accessible and commonplace, and 3.2 billion people across the globe
have access to the Internet. According to the ESA Computer and video games industry
report for 2015, at least 1.5 billion people with Internet access play video games.

Online storefronts such as Xbox Live Marketplace and the Wii Shop Channel
have totally changed the way people buy games, update software and communicate
and interact with other gamers, and networking services like Sony’s PSN have helped
online multiplayer gaming reach unbelievable new heights.

Every new batch of games, graphics and consoles seems to blow the previous
generation out of the water. Technology allows millions around the world to enjoy
gaming as a shared activity. The recent ESA gaming report showed that 54% of
frequent gamers feel their hobby helps them connect with friends, and 45 used gaming
as a way to spend time with their family.
 Call-of-duty-4-modern-warfare-coverBy the time of the Xbox 360 release, online
multiplayer gaming was an integral part of the experience (especially “deathmatch”
games played against millions of peers around the world for games such as Call of Duty
Modern Warfare). Nowadays, many games have an online component that vastly
improves the gameplay experience and interactivity, often superseding the importance
of the player’s offline game objectives.

“What I’ve been told as a blanket expectation is that 90% of players who start
your game will never see the end of it…” says Keith Fuller, a long time production
contractor for Activision.

As online first-person shooter games became more popular, gaming “clans”

began to emerge around the world. A clan, guild or faction is an organized group of
video gamers that regularly play together in multiplayer games. These games range
from groups of a few friends to 4,000-person organizations with a broad range of
structures, goals and members. Multiple online platforms exist, where clans are rated
against each other and can organize battles and meet-ups online.

The Move Toward Mobile

Since smartphones and app stores hit the market in 2007, gaming has
undergone yet another rapid evolution that has changed not only the way people play
games, but also brought gaming into the mainstream pop culture in a way never before
seen. Rapid developments in mobile technology over the last decade have created an
explosion of mobile gaming, which is set to overtake revenue from console-based
gaming in 2015.

Clash-of-clans has a huge shift in the gaming industry toward mobile, especially
in Southeast Asia, has not only widened gaming demographics, but also pushed
gaming to the forefront of media attention. Like the early gaming fans joining niche
forums, today’s users have rallied around mobile gaming, and the Internet, magazines
and social media are full of commentaries of new games and industry gossip. As
always, gamers’ blogs and forums are filled with new game tips, and sites such as
Macworld, Ars Technica and TouchArcade push games from lesser-known independent
developers, as well as traditional gaming companies.

The gaming industry was previously monopolized by a handful of companies, but

in recent years, companies such as Apple and Google have been sneaking their way up
the rankings due to their games sales earnings from their app stores. The time-killing
nature of mobile gaming is attractive to so many people who basic games such as
Angry Birds made Rovio $200 million in 2012 alone, and broke two billion downloads in
2014.
 More complex mass multiplayer mobile games such as Clash of Clans are
bringing in huge sums each year, connecting millions of players around the world
through their mobile device or League of Legends on the PC.

The Future

The move to mobile technology has defined the recent chapter of gaming, but
while on-the-move gaming is well-suited to the busy lives of millennials, gaming on
mobile devices also has its limitations. Phone screens are small (well, at least until the
iPhone 6s came out), and processor speeds and internal memories on the majority of
cellphones limit gameplay possibilities. According to a recent VentureBeat article,
mobile gaming is already witnessing its first slump. Revenue growth has slowed, and
the cost of doing business and distribution costs have risen dramatically over the last
few years.

Although mobile gaming has caused the death of hand-held gaming devices,
consoles are still booming, and each new generation of console welcomes a new era of
technology and capabilities. Two industries that could well play a key role in the future
of gaming are virtual reality and artificial intelligence technology.

The next chapter for gaming is still unclear, but whatever happens, it is sure to be
entertaining.

Virtual reality (VR) company Oculus was acquired by Facebook in 2014, and is
set to release its Rift headset in 2016. The headset seems to lean perfectly toward use
within the video games industry, and would potentially allow gamers to “live” inside an
interactive, immersive 3D world. The opportunities to create fully interactive, dynamic
“worlds” for MMORPG, in which players could move around, interact with other players
and experience the digital landscapes in a totally new dimension, could be within arm’s
reach.

There have been a lot of advancements over the last few years in the world of
language-processing artificial intelligence. In 2014, Google acquired Deep Mind; this
year, IBM acquired AlchemyAPI, a leading provider in deep-learning technology; in
October 2015, Apple made two AI acquisitions in less than a week. Two of the fields
being developed are accuracy for voice recognition technology and open-ended
dialogue with computers.

These advances could signify an amazing new chapter for gaming — especially
if combined with VR, as they could allow games to interact with characters within
games, who would be able to respond to questions and commands, with intelligent and
seemingly natural responses. In the world of first-person shooters, sports games and
strategy games, players could effectively command the computer to complete in-game
tasks, as the computer would be able to understand commands through a headset due
to advances in voice recognition accuracy.
 If the changes that have occurred over the last century are anything to go by, it
appears that gaming in 2025 will be almost unrecognizable to how it is today. Although
Angry Birds has been a household name since its release in 2011, it is unlikely to be
remembered as fondly as Space Invaders or Pong. Throughout its progression, gaming
has seen multiple trends wane and tide, then be totally replaced by another technology.
The next chapter for gaming is still unclear, but whatever happens, it is sure to be
entertaining.

Online Games Development

The continued development of technology is making online games more vivid

and exciting, and this certainly is a pleasure for gamers the world over. But do you know
about the history of online games as well as their developments year to year? Well, in
this article we will cover a topic specifically for online games lovers and for anyone
interested in gaming to increase our knowledge about the history from the beginnings of
online games. Each item described here is based on a variety of sources, not merely
listening to stories.
The first heyday of online games was started when Ultima Online, Asheron’s Call
and EverQuest had no rivals. Those three online games were inspiring programmers to
develop online games in general.
The first competition took place in May 2001- April 2002. Those three online games sold
poorly. In Ultima Online’s case, low sales were caused by Electronic Arts cancelling a
deal to make Ultima Online 2, the second version of Ultima Online. The decision was a
big disappointment among so many online games lovers. The cancellation was caused
by a capital problem. Electronic Arts focused on its efforts in spreading first Ultima
Online all over Asia, such as Japan, Korea, Indonesia, India, and so forth. At this period,
most of Ultima Online lovers changed their hunting to other new online games that were
coming.
By 2003, the competition was more crowded due to the wave of newcomer
games such as Dark Age of Camelot, World War II Online, Motor City Online, etc. Old
online games were trying to keep their costumers among newcomers’ attacks. The
newcomer wave was growing until the last quarter of 2004. Along with Warcraft’s
emergence, the number of online games player were increasing rapidly. It was the start
of an online game revolution (Moran, 2015).
We should know that the trends related to the film industry also affect the online
games’ trends. The emerging of some myth-based films like Sparta and Lord of the
Rings creates productions of some myth-based online games like the Lord of the Rings
Online, Soul of the Ultimate Nation, and the most popular one, Stormfall Age of War,
one of Plarium games. Some online games were transforming into what called “money
sources.” Every player can trade the collected points, weapons and facilities with other
players and gets the money. That is the big difference between conventional games and
online games. The online games can provide more benefits instead of providing
enjoyable gaming activities only.
Now, playing online games is becoming easier. We no longer need to use
complicated browsers—as we did in the past. We can use our regular browser and even
we don’t need to pay any money! By looking for more info at various games forums
available on the Internet, we can know what recommended online games providers are.
We can find a lot of new friends all over the world. As long as we have Internet
connection, we can play so many online games anytime and anywhere.

How Technology Has Changed Gaming

If you were to compare gaming today with the ancient gaming industry of 10 or
15 years ago, it would feel like looking at a black and white picture of your great
grandparents and trying to find the resemblance.

Technology has grown by leaps and bounds over the years, and nowhere is that
more apparent than the gaming industry. Just taking a look back at what we had ten
years ago, we can see how new technologies in both the online gaming and online
casino industries have evolved.

Here are the top 4 technological improvements that have radically changed the way
games are being played.

1. Online Play – The great thing about online play is that it connects people with other
like-minded gamers from all over the world. When it was first introduced in games,
there was an annoying lag time and the internet connection was often pretty shaky,
which would make playing the game pretty frustrating.
2. Better Graphics – Go online and find a website that allows you to play the original
Super Mario Bros, it was one of the best games back in its in heyday. Now go and
play Mario Kart. The graphical differences are night and day, and can make one
wonder how we suffered through such pixilated graphics. As 3D games and VR
games become more and more popular, we’ll be able to experience games in a way
that was hard to imagine just a few shorts decades ago.
3. Games are everywhere – Having a mobile device to play a game on isn’t new,
Nintendo GameBoy and Sega Game Gear were available in the late 80’s and early
90’s. But the ease of access, free downloads and a wide range of games, from learn
to read games, to playing real casino games and everything in between. In fact,
mobile games are so popular that there were several apps that paid over five million
dollars for a 30 second ad during the NFL Super Bowl.
4. Cloud Based Technology – This technology is anticipated to be a real game
changer for gamers. In addition to freeing up space on the computer, phone or game
 console, cloud based technology will make games more accessible for everyone.
One of the biggest issues that gamers have is making sure that their device has
enough memory or good enough specs to properly play the game. Playing a game in
the cloud, frees up the gamer from making a significant investment when purchasing
a computer or console without sacrificing for the quality of the game.

5. Artificial Intelligence has grown by leaps and bounds

Even a multiplayer video game where you don’t have anyone to play against is a dull
and dreary experience. And that’s where the role of Artificial Intelligence comes into
play. Technically, AI has been around from the very beginning of the gaming industry.
It is not anything innovative; it was there all the time when you were playing Pong.
But what is actually new is the fact that AI is beginning to mimic humans more and
more each day now.

In video games today, enemies may go for war tactics like flanking. They may
throw a grenade when they are unable to get your clear visual. This is something
very similar to real life warfare. AI is getting more intelligent with each passing year.
In addition, it’s already gotten to the point where it is training a computer-controlled
player to act like a human. AI can certainly be regarded as the biggest technological
advancement in video games, since it’s the one that’s quite responsible for the
existence of video games.

6. Online play is an icing on the cake

With the advent of online gaming, multiplayer games received their much deserved
recognition. At one point, online play even became a must have element that was
responsible for the success of a new release. Thanks to the evolution of MMORPG
(Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game), online gaming has become an
entirely different experience today.

At present, gamers can engage and play with fellow gamers online irrespective of
their geographical locations. Interestingly, the unrivalled champion of this area—
World of Warcraft—has more than eight million subscribers. This means that eight
million people are connected to each other through an online society. You can also
enjoy a game of slots with a person sitting in other corner of the world using sites
such as All Slots Casino. However impossible it might have been a few decades
back, it is a reality today. Online Play is a separate world of its own presently.

7. The third dimension looks wonderful

 Two dimensions have their own limitations. You can do only so much with
them—top-down, platformers, and views. The possibilities of what you can do are
going to be exhausted eventually.

Three dimensional games were already present in the 1980s, for instance, there
were games like Red Racer. However, early platforms didn’t look that appealing and
were also convoluted to an extent.

Now, most games are three dimensional games. With the betterment of
graphics software, they are even looking better. The stride to the third dimension has
changed something fundamental regarding the way games look and feel.

8. Graphical upgrades are so much enhanced

Let’s be honest here. Pong was not a beautiful game. It didn’t have
complicated textures, shaders, or sprites that are found in all modern games today.
As time passed, there have been major strides in the way graphics are provided or
rendered on gaming platforms.

Technology has apparently allowed for enhanced graphics by means of

hardware upgrades. The Pong era, on the other hand, had limited processors. As a
result there wasn’t much that could be done to do away with choppy performance.
Today is the scene of high-speed hardware, which allows for more instructions,
pixels, and shading—even on an enormous scale.

9. Portability has made gaming convenient

In the obsession of making everything portable, how could we leave gaming

behind? Gaming consoles were miniaturized and made easily transportable. The
result? People could now game anywhere any time. They just needed to press the on
switch, and entertainment took care of the rest. This meant no more having to tow
around TV and consoles to play a game against a friend.

Apparently, the technology behind portable gaming has lagged a bit for a
while. But the uniqueness about being able to game any time anywhere is just
undeniable. It was actually this innovation that led to cell phones and mp3 players on
the bus

Effect of Addiction to Computer Games on Physical and Mental Health

Addicted gamers spend so much time playing that their personal relationships
get neglected and sometimes disappear altogether. Among addicted gamers who are
married, up to 50 percent report a strain in their marriage as a result of their addiction.
Addicted gamers also neglect the responsibilities of everyday life such as school and
work.

It’s not just neglect that costs addicted gamers their relationships. Some of them
talk so much about their game of choice – to the exclusion of everything else – that
people no longer want to be around them. They can’t, or won’t, engage in real world
conversations or be a source of support or encouragement to friends and family.
Because their friends talk about other things, they begin to feel left out, which in turn
causes them to feel irritated or offended. It doesn’t occur to them that they’ve chosen to
be left out by devoting all their time to gaming.

This lack of social interaction that results from obsessive gaming can have long-
term social consequences. An addicted teenager won’t develop effective social skills,
which will hinder his ability to develop and maintain healthy relationships in college and
beyond. Suddenly, he’s 21 but has the social skills of a 15-year-old. He doesn’t know
how to make friends, talk to girls, or just “hang out” and enjoy people’s company. The
social awkwardness created by the isolationism of gaming addiction, unfortunately,
feeds the addiction. The gaming addict will likely retreat back to his online world where
relationships are easier and already waiting for him.

Physical consequences of gaming addiction include carpal tunnel, migraines,

sleep disturbances, backaches, eating irregularities, and poor personal hygiene. Some
of the physical consequences of video game addiction can lead to social consequences
as well. For instance, an addicted gamer who loses sleep because he’s playing so
much simply doesn’t have the energy to invest in relationships. Lack of sleep may also
make him irritable and difficult to be around.

The influence of technology in the field of gaming continues to grow at a rapid

pace. As computer and video games have increased exponentially in popularity over
time, they have caused significant impact upon popular culture. This form of
entertainment has spawned many fads. Video game culture has evolved in time,
particularly in connection with internet culture. Today, one can see the impact of
computer and video games in politics, television, popular music, and Hollywood. A lot of
research is conducted to study its effect on lifestyle and behaviour of the wow power-
levelling-gamer especially kids. Online game is the most sought leisure activity followed
by kids now days. Computers play a major role in shaping the future of kids.

Days are gone when children loved to indulge in outdoor activities, rather than
running or playing outside children spend most of their time playing online games.
Online games surely have an impact on minds of kids' .Taking into consideration it
positively is a great mind exercise and helps kids explore many new things. It includes
improvement in recursive and proactive thinking, increased sociability, and improved
interpretive skills. Research shows that the children who played online games were
more active and had sharper minds than their other counterparts. Some video
games have been specifically designed to teach people about a certain subject, expand
concepts, reinforce development, understand an historical event or culture, or assist
them in learning a skill as they play.

Computer and videogames also receive much more negative critics because games are
often coined with issue such as mindless entertainment, enhanced social recluse,
sexism and consumerism. Research shows that kids who play violent video games
showed an increase in emotional arousal - and a corresponding decrease of activity in
brain areas involving self-control, inhibition and attention. There was a research
conducted on a group of children where two action games were included the first game
was the high-octane but non-violent racing other was the ultra-violent. The team divided
children into two groups, and randomly assigned the kids to play one of the two games.
Immediately after the play sessions, the children were given MRIs of their brains. The
scans showed a negative effect on the brains of the kids that played ultra-violent for 30
minutes. That same effect was not present in the kids who played non-violent. Children
all over the world seek love and peace from video games, in order to escape abusive
parents, siblings, and classmates.

The psychological effects of computer games

Some video games lead to aggressive behavior others lead to aggressive

thoughts. Much of the debate about gaming deals with the relationship between
aggressive behavior and the negative content found in the games. Some studies have
purported that there is a correlation between depression and playing computer games.
Some psychologists and parents' groups have criticized video games because they
believe they cause children to sit alone infront of computer for many hours in a row,
interacting with a machine (although chatting can be considered a more socially open
environment) rather than running and playing outside as they exercise and improve their
social skills by playing with other children. They claim that video games can be even
more addictive to children than TV and therefore more likely to isolate them socially in
this way. People often think that increased game usage necessarily means increased
depression, alienation, and lost of sense of community.

Everyone who plays video games has a different reason for playing and the
usage of the game leads to different effects for each individual person. Childhood
upbringings, peer influences, pressures at school, and family issues are all factors that
have a strong connection with the effects of gaming on individuals. So if a person's
reality doesn't counter that which is on the computer and television screen, than a child
may aim to make the game he plays a reality. From this idea we see school shootings,
increased drug usage, and depression. Sure video games maybe therapeutic for some
people, but the small amount of people who are negatively affected by gaming impact
many. So just like one alcoholic can cause a car accident that can kill twenty people,
increased promotion of violence coupled with real life graphics can do the same thing.
The developers and their games

Popsicle Games, Squeaky Wheel Studio, Moocho Brain, Monstronauts, Keybol

Games, and Unlibox were the six teams set up at the “Asia New Stars” section of Tokyo
Game Show 2016. Some of the games demoed were developed for mobile devices.
Others were for PC. Their genres ranged from platformers, to puzzles, to turn-based
strategy.

Popsicle Games found their success in mobile gaming. They are focused on
making “bite-sized fun for everyone.” The games they featured were Super Daivolter
Z, Scratch 2 Win, Kong Want Banana, and Darkest Light. The studio has a penchant for
making pop culture references. Daivolter Z for example, takes inspiration from popular
mecha anime Daimos and Voltes V.

Squeaky Wheel Studio is composed of only three members. They aim to be “a

developer of thematically unique PC trategy and simulation games" and "make
entertaining games that bring attention to current affairs in developing countries." Their
game, Political Animals, is a turn-based strategy game that parodies politics in
developing countries. Players get to be a presidential candidate with an arsenal of
crooked spies, journalists, and staff – all of which can be mobilized to outsmart the
opposing candidate with tactics to sway and manipulate the voting populace. Sound
familiar?

Moocho Brain Interactive Designs, a studio whose proposed mission is to "code

for a more joyful world one line at a time," demoed the intriguing Paper Worlds. While
it’s still in development, Paper Worlds is already an eye-catching piece. It’s a puzzle-
platformer with a twist. The levels are played on paper which you can fold in different
ways. In order to solve the puzzle and escape the paper, you must figure out the right
way to fold the paper so you can maneuver your character through the game. It's a
representation of the small team's manifesto of "forging dreams into interactive art."

Monstronauts, a team of ten, makes fun mobile games with a polished and
colorful style – one of which is Pocket Arcade, which lets players relive classic arcade
titles. They get to play a selection of arcade games, earn tokens and collect toys just
like in the '90s when arcades were at their most popular. Developed in collaboration
with another studio, Kuyi Mobile, Pocket Arcade currently only features 3 arcade
games. They plan to add more in the future, says this team that describes themselves
as "a bunch of passionate geeks."
 Keybol Games is run by just one man, Bari Silvestre. Silvestre showcased Kill
the Plumber, an “anti-platformer” where the objective is to literally kill the protagonist
who looks a lot like Nintendo's Mario, the most iconic character in platformer games –
and videogames, overall. He’s also at TGS 2016 to promote his new game Tower
Fortress, a fast-paced action title with old-school platformer-style graphics. A
demonstration of the game appears below.

Unlibox from Quezon City was formed in 2013. Their first game, Heroes
Above, is a multiplayer strategy game for mobile that brings together elements
from Plants vs Zombies and Clash of Clans. In the game, you select heroes to help you
defend your crystals from the enemy team, and at the same time take down the
opposing team’s crystals.

Last but not the least, Games by Nico's Lithium City, was also on display at
Sony's indie showcase down at Hall 9. Its trailer released in June 2016 is shown below.

Unlibox from Quezon City was formed in 2013. Their first game, Heroes
Above, is a multiplayer strategy game for mobile that brings together elements
from Plants vs Zombies and Clash of Clans. In the game, you select heroes to help you
defend your crystals from the enemy team, and at the same time take down the
opposing team’s crystals.

Last but not the least, Games by Nico's Lithium City, was also on display at
Sony's indie showcase down at Hall 9. Its trailer released in June 2016 is shown below.

Their mission is to connect with the international gaming market and gain honest
and unbiased feedback for their games, the developers told Rappler. According to the
them, despite the language barrier, their games have gained a lot of positive feedback.

While not always full, their booths have gained enough interest to consider the
trip a success. Pocket Arcade, Tower Fortress, and Kill the Plumber for example, drew
in numerous visitors, and their respective developers believe it is most likely because
Japan is said to have a large market for arcade and old-school video games.

Some of the teams are also currently looking for publishers who they believe can
help their games reach a wider audience.

Different beginnings, same passion

All of the teams and the members made the jump to the gaming industry through
various ways. Some of them are young artists that either formed a group to build
something for themselves, or were brought into the company by more veteran
developers. Artists Eru Petrasanta and Steve Abanto, for example, were invited by
Moocho Games' head Khail Santia to collaborate on Paper Worlds.
Others started off as programmers, web developers, or artists in different industries.
Keybol Games' Bari Silvestre, for instance, made websites and blogs before jumping
into game development.

All of them however were drawn in to gaming development for their love of video
games. Silvestre muses that he was inspired by the classic platforming games he
played on the iconic Family Computer. Tristan Angeles, design director of Squeaky
Wheel, mentions an equally iconic series, saying that Sid Meier's definitive 4X strategy
series Civilization partly inspired Political Animals

The challenges of being an indie developer in the Philippines

Despite the varied backgrounds, the devs agreed on one thing: Being a gaming
developer and finding success in the Philippines is not easy. Said James Chua of
Popsicle Games: "Making games is actually the easy part. Publishing and marketing
[are some] of the hardest [aspects]." It's not easy to find the support, sales, and
resources required to move forward.

Funding is important for them to sustain their development, and some of them
feel that it’s easier to gain funding and support from other countries than the Philippines.
As a result, they tend to seek publishers outside the country.

On the consumer side, selling their games to the local gamer is just as hard, they
said. The Philippine market is different from the international market. Compared to the
foreign gamers, Filipinos aren’t really open to purchasing mobile games. If Filipinos
want to play paid mobile games they will often resort to piracy, they said.

The country’s notoriously slow internet is also a problem for the developers.
Many Filipinos are devoid of a smooth online mobile gaming experience because of the
slow internet and so they tend to just stick to offline games. The slow internet makes it
hard for developers to collaborate as large assets and files take time to download and
upload. Other countries with better Internet services will logically be able to collaborate
and coordinate faster.

For the veteran developers in the group, the lack of formal education and
experience in game development slows down growth and caps potential. Carlo Canlas
and Jonathan Simbahan of Monstronauts found it a challenge to learn game design and
development when they decided to develop games. In fact, most developers admit that
they are self-taught, resorting to online courses and YouTube tutorials to gain
knowledge and experience.

The future of Philippine game development industry is bright

 Despite the challenges they’ve encountered, everyone in the Philippine
delegation is hopeful for the country’s gaming industry. They all believe that the future of
the local gaming industry is bright.

The developers cite the growing number of colleges and universities offering
game development courses. While they still believe that self-teaching is a good way to
learn game development, being formally educated in game development gives students
a solid foundation to start their career. It will also give them the game development
experience they need before they even graduate and start looking for jobs.

Unlibox’s Ryan Canteras noted that there is a growing number of talented

developers in the country. He mentioned that many in the industry are already
technically proficient and that they now only need the right exposure and experience to
go global.

Finally, most of the developers believe that foreign gaming companies like
Ubisoft investing in the Philippines is a testament to the emerging talent pool in the
country and the growth of the local gaming industry. For them, the arrival of companies
like Ubisoft will also give local developers the experience they need to create top-notch
games in the Philippines.

Words for the aspiring developer

If you’re also thinking of starting in game development, the Philippine delegation

has some advice: Start now, start simple.

These words of wisdom were all inspired from the developers’ humble
beginnings. They encourage aspiring developers to start learning whether it be through
free online resources or getting formal education through universities. They advise
developers to take inspiration from the games they play and learn from more
experienced developers.

And for them, it’s also important to start simple. They all agree that it’s more
practical and doable to create a simple game first before tackling huge “dream game”
projects. Starting small, with simple mechanics, will allow them to slowly do more and
create more over time.

They also want upcoming developers to understand that it will take a lot of time
and practice for them to achieve their desired game. It’s also important to be patient, to
be flexible, and also to be more involved with the industry’s community to learn more
and gain more experience.
11 Unbelievable Advances in Gaming Technology

Video games have come a long way since they crossed into the mainstream in the
1980s, but some amazing advances in their tech have made the future of gaming
even brighter. Here are a few examples.

1. Facial Recognition

3D scanning and facial recognition technology allows systems to actually create

your likeness in the gaming world (so you can create a custom avatar that looks
just like you), or to inventively transfer your own expressions to other digital
creations. On top of that, the Intel® RealSense™ 3D camera could allow
developers to create games that adapt to the emotions of the gamer by scanning
78 different points on a person’s face. For example, a few grimaces at your game
screen means the system would dial down the game’s difficulty instantly.

2. Voice Recognition

Are you too lazy to pick up that controller? No problem! Voice controlled gaming
has been around for a while, but the potential of using the technology in gaming
systems has finally caught up to reality—computers are now able to easily
recognize voice commands from the user. Not only can you turn the console on
and off using this tech, but you can also use voice commands to control
gameplay, interact on social media, play selections from your media library, or
search the web, all by simply talking to your gaming system.

3. Gesture Control

Or, get rid of your controller altogether! Intel RealSense technology allows you to
play first person shooter games—or simply interact with your device—with just a
few waves of your hand. Using a 3D camera that tracks 22 separate points in your
hand, gesture control allows users to connect with their gaming experience by
using the natural movements of your body. For example, the game Warrior Wave
employs RealSense technology so you can use your hand (the outline of which
shows up on the screen) to lead a group of Ancient Greek soldiers to safety.

4. Amazing Graphics

We’ve come a long way from the days of basic 8-bit graphics in gaming. Cutting
edge advancements now allow gamers to experience games in fully rendered
worlds with photo realistic textures. The ability to increase playability with higher
image quality makes it seem like you’re right inside the game.
5. High-Def Displays

With gaming graphics this good, you need to have a bona fide way to show them
off. Enter Ultra 4K gaming. Though televisions with 4K capabilities (meaning it
must support at least 4,000 pixels) or 4K laptops (like the Intel-powered Lenovo
Y50) started out at thousands of dollars, their price points have steadily declined,
making this format the eventual standard in the way we watch the games we play.
With unbeatable colors and crispness, there’s nothing else that can come close.
And you thought 1080p looked good…

6. Virtual Reality

Though many virtual reality gaming consoles haven’t been commercially released
as of yet, those developing VR headset displays are poised to grant gamers a
fully immersive gaming experience the likes of which nobody has seen before.
You’ll actually be able to lose yourself in the game before you come back to
reality.

7. Augmented Reality

If the virtual world isn’t your thing, why not try out some games in ours? Not
confined to a TV or computer monitor, AR games allow for a perspective unique
to the gamer. They maneuver spaces within the real world and make the object of
the game applicable to real-life situations. For example, play table hockey on your
kitchen counter from any angle, or partake in some puzzles mapped out via
obstacles in your backyard.

8. Wearable Gaming

Whether it’s smartwatches or glasses, wearable games make gaming portable

without being too invasive. Companies that started by using wearable technology
for fitness applications are now aiming to incorporate entertainment into the mix
as well. Wearables aren’t only extensions of your body, but also extensions of the
gaming consoles you know and love.

9. Mobile Gaming

With the advent of smartphones, the gaming experience has been taken out of the
arcade and the living room and put into the palm of your hand. As evidenced by
the countless people on your morning train commute huddled over games on their
devices, mobile technology has made the love of digital gaming spread beyond
hardcore console-consumers and online gamers.
10. Cloud Gaming

Instead of creating video game systems that require more powerful hardware,
developers are looking to lighten the load with the cloud. Games no longer need
be limited by the amount of memory that discs or consoles have to offer. Using
the cloud opens games up to massive server-size limits where images are
streamed to your screen through the Internet.

11. On-Demand Gaming

Gamers can already watch and share live-streams of games, but what about
playing them? Much like similar movie streaming services, the ability to stream
video games is becoming more and more a reality and it could lead game
developers both big and small to compete for gaming glory.
 Chapter 3

Conclusion

This chapter presents the summary of the topic taken from Chapter 1 and 2

Where is online game technology heading to? 20 years back technology seemed
that it was front-line of the one that was about to come. And perhaps the same will
happen. While it’s not possible to predict the future, it is fair to say that virtual reality has
been a developing topic recently.

Computer games are the most popular entertainments in modern societies and
they target a variety of people in different ages. The addiction to the rivalry and
excitements of the games make them the most common recreational programs for
today's teenagers, so that they do anything to reach a higher level of the game, they
immerse in the game so much that they completely separate from their surroundings.
Challenging with the obstacles and reaching a higher level in the game, make the
players excited and losing the game make them anxious.

Video games are a smashing hit from the arcade to the comfort of your living
room. It has practically taken the kids by storm. Year after year new games, new
gadgets, and gaming devices were introduced to the market. In this computer age, we
are introduced to many online and downloadable games such as mine craft, League of
Legends, and Elder Scrolls Legends Gold.

In every turn of a decade, technology has highly impacted the gaming industry.
Technological advancements had shaped the arcade.