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Doom made us focus on something which had existed before the game’s release, but Doom brought it to the mainstream, what am I talking about? Internet gaming. Whether it is network or modem, it spans a large majority of followers.
Through the passage of time, the single player aspect of games has almost always taken a back seat to multiplayer opportunities. Games are now being developed solely for the purpose of multiplay, for example Turok Rage wars or unreal tournament.
Now whilst Doom gave players a good challenge with nice levels, and monsters with decent AI, it was always the multiplayer which kept you up until 3.00AM, the opportunity to frag a few friends, or even complete strangers was more satisfying than completing single player, largely because a human opponent is almost always more challenging than a computer sapient.
However where Doom introduced the deathmatch, in 1996, Quake revolutionised it. That was over 4 years ago. There have been definitive changes in the industry, but still people think that the industry has taken a step backward.
The recent increase in online RPGs, has steered gaming into the unstable world of online gaming, however your view on whether this is good or bad depends on how you look at the situation as a whole.
The majority of the FPS have a multiplayer option as standard, like a radio in a car, they just look like they should be there.
Moreover, not since the release of Everquest last year, has the online gaming fad really hit store shelves. I use the word fad, because at the moment that is all it really is, something that has got really big, really fast, remember Furby?
In all of this relative chaos, is it not then possible for a crash? Well in theory it could happen, now companies are not just milking the licenses, but the genre as a whole. When you get too many of one thing, people get bored, and the more you have the quicker the boredom sets in.
Still with the recent (well sort of) releases of Unreal Tournament and Quake 3, the genre has exploded with life, and even more high quality releases will send the genre into uncharted territories.
Multiplayer may be the future of gaming, with faster connections, lower pings and less lag online gaming can rocket into a new dimension. If there were more support from companies more high quality products will be released, there is money to be made here, as we have seen in gaming networks.
In my opinion I would be deeply saddened if online gaming were a mere fad, however there is opposition in the face of developers. High school accidents in America have seen an increase in shootings, stabbing, etc...And still politicians see killing your friend online as an act of self-less violence.
As it stands now, online multiplayer is here to stay; however it could go either way. Multiplayer joins people together in a fun environment, and unites different ethnic groups, different nationalities, and different races in a way that no other can. It is a place where you can express yourself in a non-violent way, and in the future, this could become very important.
Thanks for reading. CM :)
However, ironic as this might sound, I think that it will be the Xbox that will provide the most reliable online service.
Why I think that?
Experience clearly. MSN messenger and gaming zone works a treat.
I think, not sure though, the Gamecube comes out (in japan) before the PS2 modem. So, the gamecube gets it second. After the dreamcast.
Did i mention that the gameboy colour has the internet?
> Sony will have online gaming before all of you.
Well yes, almost certainly, it has a big head start, but will it be better than its competitors?
Actually Microsoft are!
The had it as far back as the NES with swapping bank statements!!!
The 64 haad radnet and now the GC will have it properly!