Greatest online gaming experience

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Over the past few months I have gone over several topics about online gaming.  In this post I will discuss several different areas that interest me and have kept me within the gaming community.  Communication is one of the big things I look for in games, it allows to bridge cultural gaps and communicate with people from all over the world.  Another feature I enjoy is convergence of consoles to include different features that make online gaming that much better as well as get them noticed among the vast majority of media that are beneficial to users.  Finally an area that I have yet to get involved with, but am interested in is the concept of making money through the use of online games.  Over the years I have been lectured about time wasted playing games and how there are better things to do.  Now with all of these features and advances I will be able to say gaming is beneficial after all.

Gaming now consists not only of online computer games but also casual gaming through Facebook or phone apps and also console games that present online content.  Personally I am interested in all gaming and the entertainment aspects, but having advanced so much over the past several years online gaming is changing the way people interact with one another.  It used to be only nerds played video games and had “online friends” but now it is well above minority for individuals to play online games and communicate with friends online.  A recent article on Gamasutra.com explains how developers are looking at what players want and how communication seems to be top priority when new games come to the market.  Players want the best communication system and want to reach others anywhere anytime.

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Another area of interest is pertaining to consoles.  In a recent article by Daniel Frankel, on paidcontent.org, the topic of converged gaming consoles is discussed.  Consoles like Wii, Xbox, and Playstation are now each capable of internet access and provide consumers with more features like television/Netflix, picture sharing, and even display ads like commercials.  Through this integration of multiple mediums we see consoles as more than video game entertainment one aspect that entices consumers to buy.

Finally we see new ideas about making profit through gaming.  One example of businesses and individuals having power to make money in an online community was Second Life.  It didn’t get as much hype as predicted but it did help push users to profiting in real life through games.  In an article from TheAtlantic.com describes individuals’ making money through the use of paypal and Ebay by selling in-game items and personal developers being able to have success with their own games.  Such successes could include games like Minecraft, long ago with Halo, Little Empire or FarmVille.

Overall I feel gaming will still advance and be integrated in our lives just like many other media.  Entertainment is important for people and will continue to make it part of our everyday experiences.

Mobile vs. Computer gaming

In several of my past posts I have mentioned qualities of online games that users look for most and want in game.  With online games becoming more and more popular due to advances in technology we see the growth of the gamer community and a larger number of casual gamers.  In this post I will be discussing changes in this community and features that gamers are looking for in today’s game industry.

Detailed graphics and screen quality are important and casual gamers may not have a preference for these aspects but that may be due to the easier accessibility of mobile online games through the use of smart phones and tablets like iPads. 

This video showcases the LG Optimus and its 3D capablities for mobile phone gaming.  The video is from last year but it allows the audience to see what is coming with mobile gaming and the advancements that are competing with consoles.  Many consoles are working at making the shift to more movement and 3D based graphics and phone companies also taking interest is good for their market. 

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This last week iontab.com had an article introducing upcoming new titles for the Android and the iPhone.  These games do seem fun but offer the same old content that past games have shown only in a new prettier packaging.  Being an avid gamer myself I think playing online games on phone platforms extremely limits the content with available features such as communication and open-world, with a nearly seamless environment and visual of all players and world in real time.  One cause to these limitations is due to access capabilities of Internet on the go as well as the data plan size the user has with their phone company. 

In the previous article Dark Legends is one of the upcoming games to be released.  Androidapps.com released a recent article that explains why mobile gaming is advancing and how Dark Legends plans on being a contributor.  This game will cross platforms and allow players to interact with those playing on desktop browsers or even those playing through Apple iOS version.  This interests me because I have always liked online games that cross platforms; it causes less stress when deciding on platforms and still allows interacting with friends.

Another article that describes partnerships between developers and mobile gaming producers was relesead recently from the Wall Street Journal.  In it Telefonica and EA games partner to bring users games like Sims, Fifa, and Monopoly.  Users will again be able to bridge between platforms and play and experience the game together.

This video is another great example of how producers are developing previously popular console games and adapting them to a mobile phone format to reach all potential audiences and maximize profits.  

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The game in this video is Lego Harry Potter; Lego games have been extremely popular in the past and as we see in the video the mobile version is comparable in features and content to the console version; another reason for the increase in mobile gaming.