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.