Online gaming has seen a significant rise in popularity since it first entered the commercial market. People can now almost effortlessly set up and play games with strangers on the other side of the world on their phones, PCs, and consoles.
In this article, we’ll explore the history of online gaming, from its early text-based titles to immersive, mass-multiplayer experiences.
The Beginnings of Online Gaming
Before the internet, online gaming was possible through its precursor, ARPANET. Users could connect their computers and terminals to a central mainframe computer to interact almost in real-time. This gave birth to MUDs, text-based games that simultaneously allowed multiple users to participate in a virtual world.
Programmers expanded on these basic designs with chat functions and player groups. Commercial games soon followed, with 1984’s Islands of Kesmai introducing online role-playing games to the public, while MASX LINKS debuted action games in 1986.
The Rise of Multiplayer and Massively Multiplayer Games
In the 1990s, the rapid growth of the internet and the development of LAN (local area network) enabled more users to connect and play with each other, leading to a boom in online gaming. Quake and Doom were landmark titles of the mid-1990s that highlighted how online gaming had evolved beyond its text-based beginnings.
Massive multiplayer online games, or MMOGs, emerged in the late 1990s, with Ultima Online (1997), Lineage (1998), and EverQuest (1999). World of Warcraft, released in 2004, was the most popular, beloved for its humour and fantasy setting, reaching a peak of 12 million subscribers in 2010.
The Mobile Gaming Revolution
The earliest known mobile phone game—a version of Tetris—appeared on the Hagenuk MT-2000 in 1994. Three years later, Nokia released Snake, the iconic title that allowed players to control their character in four directions via the phone’s number pad. Nokia also released its N-Gage, a specialised gaming phone, but it wasn’t commercially successful.
Following the launch of the iPhone in 2007, touchscreen smartphones quickly became widespread, paving the way for mobile gaming to achieve breakout success. Many games took advantage of the intuitive touchscreen controls and cemented mobile gaming as a major entertainment platform.
Today, people can play matches of realistically simulated pool or immerse themselves in science fiction worlds on their phones. They can even enjoy free bingo games purely for fun.
The Future of Online Gaming: VR and Esports
Electronic sports, or esports, are competitive video games millions play worldwide. Most are fighting games, first-person shooters (FPS), or multiplayer online battle arena games (MOBA), the latter of which is the most popular among players and viewers.
The industry is expected to continue experiencing growth and a larger pool of professional players in the coming years. Some games are turning to virtual reality (VR) for a more immersive experience. Players can put on headsets or goggles to simulate physically interacting with others in a natural way that looking at a screen can’t replicate.