Online gaming has taken the world by storm, especially over the past three years, with the explosion of mobile devices worldwide. There aren’t many people in the western world that do not own a smartphone, and digital technology allows for high resolution graphics, and fast real-time response. The gaming industry has always been popular, but it is only in the last few years that gaming has moved out of its circle of enthusiasts, and into the world of the mainstream Internet.
Online bingo
This is Britain’s favourite game, and it has seen a huge revival in the last 3 years, with hundreds of registered online bingo sites in the UK alone. Sun Bingo is the one that everyone seems to be playing, and with games starting every few minutes, the player doesn’t have to wait long to start playing. Bingo was very popular in the post-war days, with bingo halls evident across the UK, yet an ailing economy and social changes, such as the public non-smoking rules, which came into effect in 2007, saw many bingo halls closing. Online bingo became popular in the early 2000’s, and its popularity has steadily grown, with global revenues exceeding $1 billion in 2012.
A social activity
Social interaction between players is called social gaming, and with multi-player platforms, one can chat in real-time with other players across the world. This could take the form of a role-playing game, where the player adopts a fictitious character, and is able to communicate with other players, possibly opponents or fellow team players. Social network sites also run games for their followers, and one can really build up an impressive list of friends, from online gaming alone!
Is there an addiction?
Addiction is a concern for any modern society, whether drugs, alcohol, or gambling, the temptations are there for all. Researchers have linked excessive gaming to extreme personality traits, and providing a person exercises a level of discipline, playing online games can be a healthy pastime that relieves stress. Here is an interesting article that asks the question, Are video games addictive?, and it provides some understandable answers. Parents should keep a watchful eye on their children, and if it becomes evident that they are spending too much time playing online games, perhaps some intervention is necessary. Computer games are addictive by nature, as this is one of the prime requirements of a good game, to keep the player coming back for more.
The mobile device
Perhaps the main reason for the huge increase in popularity of online gaming is the arrival of the smartphone. Like it or not, the smartphone is here to stay, and as far as online gaming is concerned, the use of mobile devices, coupled with the development of Internet speeds, has caused a surge in online gaming, and it shows no signs of slowing up.
Online gaming has assumed a strong following, as people from all walks of life are logging in and playing their favourite games, and the trend is for faster, better games in the near future.