Learn about the evolution of online gaming and what the industry looks like today.
First, you need to rewind the clock to the 1980s – specifically, 1984.
During 1984, BITNET developed and released MAD, which was the first-ever game that could be accessed by a global computer network.
Shortly after this, SGI Dogfight (a flight simulator game) was released in 1986. This game used Internet Protocol for the first time in history, although it was limited to a single network. Despite this, SGI Dogfight was quite popular, and nobody at the time realised how much of an iconic moment in history it was. Sure, it was a very basic game with limited features, but it effectively started the ball rolling for the online gaming industry that you know today.
So, what exactly has changed from 1984 to 2023? In just under 40 years, so much has altered that it’s hard for the human brain to comprehend. Take a closer look right here at exactly how online gaming has evolved.
The Rise of Online Casinos
Casinos have always been a huge part of Western culture. Therefore, it wasn’t surprising when the first online casino hit the internet in 1994.
At the time, this was revolutionary. Prior to 1994, the only way you could play casino games was by visiting a land-based casino in your best suit and tie. However, this all changed in the blink of an eye after the emergence of the first online casino.
Fast forward to 2023, and there are now over 2000 – yep, 2000 – online casinos on the internet. Every day, millions of people sign into their online casino accounts to play realistic and highly immersive casino games online that mirror the real-life experience. Best of all, you can play on your smartphone, PC, laptop, or even tablet — essentially, the freedom is yours!
Online slots are the most popular type of online casino game. This is why lots of players use sites like SlotsOnlineCanada.com where they can play slots online for free, without having to download them first. No doubt about it; the future of casino gambling is online, and it’s all thanks to fan favourite games like online slots.
Bigger Servers
The number of people playing video games around the world has skyrocketed. According to Statista, there will be 3.1 billion gamers by 2027, which is almost half of the global population!
Due to the fact that so many people – young and old – are now playing video games, companies have had to switch to bigger dedicated servers to handle player traffic. Sometimes, popular online games have more than one million players, which is why big servers are essential.
DLC
DLC (Downloadable Content) has changed online gaming forever. DLC is essentially extra content that players can download online after buying the base version of a game.
The first instance of DLC can be traced back to 1997 for the game Total Annihilation, but it wasn’t until the 2010s that DLC really started to become a part of the culture. In 2023, almost all online games come with some form of available DLC. It’s now an industry norm — and people love it.
Party Chats
In the old days, you could play online games with friends, but you weren’t able to talk with them. This has all changed now as party chats are part and parcel of the online gaming experience.
A party chat is a virtual chatroom that you can join with friends (or strangers) when playing online games. Here you can talk via microphones, which is great for in-game communications if you’re on the same team.
Moving into the future, video party chats are expected to take over traditional audio party chats.
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