Early Online Gaming

Online gaming may seem like a recent development based on the success and spread of the Internet. However, since the early days of the web, we have seen the creation of communities based on users (who were physically separated) that communicated for entertainment purposes (i.e no simply for work or research).

In the early days of networking, MUDs (Multi-User Dungeon, Domain, or Dimension) are considered some of the first online games. They were role-playing games that worked on the PLATO system and used UNIX-based computers that appeared in 1977. MUDs, still around today, are text-based adventures where the moderators (and sometimes users, if they gain privileges) create the gaming environment through text description (Wikipedia, "MUD"). In other words, the MUD gaming worlds can constantly change and be reinvented by people’s description. In addition, because MUDs? do not use any visual graphics, they provide the opportunity for complex worlds and can be used on even slow connections (like dial-up). One could easily argue that it makes this type of community focused gaming experience more accessible than other games (assuming that the users are fluent or at least comfortable with text-only web interaction).

An well-known MUD is DikuMUD built in 1990 by computer science students at DIKU (Datalogisk Institut Københavns Universitet), in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was one of the first MUD to become extremely popular and widely available. It is considered the code source for MUDs: it is open source. DikuMUD is licensed: anyone can use it and modify it for their use, but under no circumstances can people make any profit from the code (as is or modified) (Wikipedia, “DikuMUD”).

The Web as an Interactive Community

However, the world of online gaming as we know it is different: with the current visual and interactive aspects of the web, it is not surprising that online games have developed to embrace the technology. Unlike MUDs, the visual aspect of contemporary online games make them easier to navigate and more accessible (although they can be less creative or more restraining because of the set pre-determined environments/worlds).

A great example of this genre of games is World of Warcraft (WoW). WoW is a MMORPG (multiplayers online role-playing game). In this model a player can interact with the environment (for example, programmed computer monsters) and/or with other real players (other players can be one’s allies or enemies). This game has gained a lot of momentum since its first release in 1994 (Warcraft: Orcs & Humans), to the extent that the game features in other media (such as on television in Jeopardy and South Park, or other online communities, such as YouTube).

Probably one of the most well-known internet phenomenon is the video (known as Leeroy Jenkins) of a group of gamers. This video is a great example the type of community you can find online: members are discussing an upcoming battle: they go so far as to plan their strategy with statistical breakdown of their potential survival rate... but because there are two kind of gamers in this world (those that calculate the odds and those that run in smashing things), the survival rate of the group drops dramatically! (Watch the clip).

Non-computer Online Games

Most often, online gaming refers to players using their computers to access the Internet and connect with their respective communities. However, there are other types of online multiplayer games: producers of gaming consoles (like PlayStation and Nintendo) are going online. Since 2002 they have been investing in the online technology, projecting that after only three years they would make approximately $1.8 billion.

Users can now connect to the Internet with their consoles and have the ability to interact with other players (this can be from simple one-on-one communication, playing head-to-head to communicating with multi-users, both with registered friends and with strangers). Nintendo’s DS uses Wifi techonology with games such as Animal Crossing, Tetris and Tony Hawk, which all have similar game strategies as more popular games like WoW.

New Audiences

However, game publishers are reaching broader audiences as they expand their platforms to the web. By focusing on the internet and its established communities, Nintendo is now trying to reach non-traditional users, such as women/girls and adults, not only targeting current gamers,. They are continuously developing games like like Brain Age (http://www.brainage.com/launch/index.jsp) and Electroplankton (http://electroplankton.nintendods.com/flash.html), which are not traditional games (in other words, these new games do not have the traditional missions or competitions).

As more non-traditional users start playing games, more are being developed for this new audience. Last year, a new game (Arden: The World of Shakespeare) was announced to soon appear online as an academic project for a not-for-profit game. This game is supposed to be built around Shakespeare’s plays and would be a MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online game, something similar to WoW).

Gamers are no longer the stereotypical teenagers (Kushner). Increasing, women of 35 to 54 are playing online. This new audience, the “grey market,” is growing and is becoming a considerable part of the audience: companies serving their needs make approximately $450 million annually from simple online advertising sales (Kushner). As gamers are being redefined to be more general or inclusive, we need to evaluate what needs are these games fulfilling. It seems clear that people are interested in online entertainment that provides user-interaction (being active participant using their computers or interacting with other people online).

(More information on women and gaming)

Book Publishing and Gaming?

It is often discussed that the gaming industry is slowly taking over the movie industry. Yet, no one worries too much about the publishing industry versus the gaming industry. I believe the assumption is that these are two very different industries, that the platform they use are so diverse that the gaming industry would not even affect books and magazines. This might be true, or it might be a method to avoid a possible growing concern. Like books and magazines, games provide entertainment. Books and magazines can also be quite visual and a feast for the eyes. If publishers and game producers are in a business to tell stories, publishers may need a new strategy to either compete or embrace gaming technology. Can we learn something from the gaming industry? If people respond positively to user interaction, how to we embrace it with books?