If you’re old enough to remember waiting (what seemed for hours) for your computer to connect to dial-up so that you could play a game online, you might be having a “kids, these days…” kind of moment.
Younger generations of online gamers will never understand the constant worry of being “kicked” offline in the middle of a heated online battle with another gamer or having to deal with a slow computer and less-than-realistic graphics. One of the plus sides of being an online gamer longer than anyone else is the having the opportunity to see how gaming has evolved.
Want to take a trip down memory lane? Let’s see how online gaming has changed.
Before The New Millennium
It’s often strange to think of a time when we couldn’t just automatically “connect” where ever went. If you were a kid in the 1990’s or even at the turn of the millennium, you might remember dial-up Internet. It was a big deal and a game changer in the world of online gaming, but it was still less than ideal and was unreliable, to say the least.
Even before the Internet existed (the World Wide Web became public in 1991), people were playing games on their computers via floppy disk; the first “video game” made its appearance at the World’s Fair in 1940.
A few years after the World Wide Web came on the scene, Local Access Network or LAN parties become the popular way to get together with others and play multiplayer games.
If you were a gamer during this time, you probably have many fond memories of spending countless hours in a dark basement, losing track of time, and playing all the “latest and greatest” games with friends.
Noticing the popularity and success of LAN parties, major gaming manufacturers, like Sega and Nintendo, tried their hand at online gaming by using cable providers, but the success fell flat due to expensive internet and slow, unreliable connections.
Post-Y2K Online Gaming
As many of us remember, the dawn of a new millennium was a bittersweet mix of fear and excitement. When we all awoke on the first day of 2000, we knew that technology, as we knew it, hadn’t ended.
Soon after the new year, the popularity of internet-ready consoles grew (what seemed like overnight); seasoned and new gamers, alike, were immersing themselves in games for XBox and were experiencing a whole new way to enjoy online gaming.
Online Gaming Today
If you haven’t watched online gaming evolve over the last decade or more, you may not think it’s all that impressive, but it’s safe to say that online gaming today is better than it’s ever been. With wide access to fast Wi-Fi, mobile responsive sites, and games designed for all types of devices from consoles to smartphones, online gaming can be easily enjoyed 24/7 and from anywhere.
Despite the mixed reviews, other technology like VR has improved and expanded the opportunities for online gaming; not only can you play online casino games, but you can visit on and walk into one without leaving your home! We can also expect to see more AR (augmented reality) games in the future like Pokémon Go.
Most online gamers, depending on their preference of games, would say that the variety, quality of graphics, and other features of today’s games are impressive. One of the nice things about options in the online gaming world is if you’re craving a “classic” game from decades ago, you’re likely to find it and can play it online – for free!
