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The playing of computer games across a network
connection, usually in competition with other players. Many games,
especially those of the shoot-'em-up genre such as doom, are now designed to
be played by lost of people simultaneously, either on the internet or across
a local area network. Players connect to a central computer, which
controls the gaming environment and manages the interaction among the
participants. Some kinds of online games, such as muds, are simple
text-based programs demanding little by way of raw processing power but
rather more by way of logic. More contemporary games typically involve
complex 3D graphics, dramatic sound effects and a lot of physical
interaction between players and their environment.
Online games can
support hundreds or sometimes thousands of simultaneous players. Because of
their complexity and high degree of realism, they have provided inspiration
for researchers into new forms of virtual reality and even teleworking.
Instead of dingy mazes full of axes and chainsaws, people are building
online offices full of filing cabinets and fax machines. Such is progress. |
