I. History of Online Gaming According to Aradhana Gupta, online games really blossomed after the year 1995 when the restrictions imparted by the NFSNET (National Science Foundation Network) were removed. This resulted in the access to the complete domain of the internet and hence multi-player games became online ‘literally’ to the maximum possible degree of realism. Today, most of the online games that are present are also free and hence they are able to provide ample resources of enjoyment without the need to spend a single penny.
According to Dachary Carey, the history of online gaming includes contributions by many different companies and entities. Online gaming began as multiplayer gaming, but has evolved to include online gaming servers and massively-multiplayer online gaming setting.
1. Multiplayer games started in 1972 with PLATO PLATO was a joint project of the UNIVERSITY of Illinois and Control Data Corporation, which enabled students to interact with other terminals for the purpose of education and computer aided learning.
In 1972, new interfaces enabled students to begin creating games, and the world of multiplayer gaming began.
2. MUD was the first network game MUD in 1978 spawned a genre of network based games, enabling players on the network to interact and explore the MUD game world. MUD games ultimately paved the road for MMORPGs, with the concept of a shared world.
3. MAD on BITNET was the first worldwide multiplayer game In 1984, MAD appeared, and it was the first game to enable worldwide connectivity.MAD was a MUD accessible to anyone on the worldwide computer network, and it lasted for two years.
4. Maze War fueled development of server-host gaming Simultaneously to the development of MUDs and BITNET, a game called Maze War, which originated with NASA in 1973, was helping to fuel development of server-host gaming. Maze War paved the way for two computers connecting directly in a peer-to-peer connection, computers connecting to a server and games hosting on the server with local workstations.
5. Neverwinter Nights was the first graphical MMORPG ?aunched to AOL customers in 1991, Neverwinter Nights was the first graphical MMORPG. It was integral to the development of future MMO games.
6. Doom paved the way as a first person shooter multiplayer game Doom made major landmarks as a first-person shooter game with multiplayer capabilities in 1993. You should connect and play with others via local network, or you could direct dial to other folks via your modem. Dom also spawned the creation of DWANGO, an independent service that matched players up online to promote multiplayer gaming. . Quake paved the way for modern multiplayer gaming Quake was similar to and followed Doom in 1996, but it was revolutionary for the development of one extremely important bit of technology: client-side prediction. Quakeworld introduced the concept of client-side prediction, which drastically reduced lag and made it possible for multiplayer to game simultaneously without significant server delays. 8. Ultima Online was the beginning of MMOs Massively multiplayer online games really took off with the release of Ultima Online.
Quakeworld refined the technology, and Ultima Online introduced game world where players could freely interact and pummel each other. Today’s online gaming owes much to these predecessors.
II. Effects of Online Gaming According to Science Daily (Oct. 22, 2007), Joshua Smyth, Associate professor of psychology in The College of Arts and Sciences of Syracuse University, recently conducted a randomized trial study of college students contrasting the effects of playing online socially interconnected video games with more traditional single player or arcade-style games.
Smyth’s research found that online, socially integrated multiplayer games create greater negative consequences (decreased health, well-being, sleep, socialization and academic work) but also garner far greater positive results (greater enjoyment in playing, increased interest in continuing play and a rise in the acquisition of new friendships) than do single-player games.
Based on the facts of Searle Huh of University of Southern California and Nicholas David Bowman of Michigan State University in April 26, 2008, with the growing popularity on online video games, there have been anecdotal reports suggesting that these games are highly addictive, with some gamers spending in excess of 40 to 5 o 50 hours per week playing. Thus, research into individual characteristics that lead to excessive play is warranted.
Computer games as a leisure activity have become an ever-increasing part of many young people’s day-today lives (Griffiths ;Davis; Durkin, 2006). More recently, with the rapid diffusion of broadband Internet services and high-end graphic cards for computers and console systems, online videos-games—games played over a certain online networks- have become more popular and attractive than ever before (Sherry ; Bowman, in press).
In the history of online gaming, Aradhana Gupta stated that online games blossomed after the year 1995 while Dachary Carey stated that the history of online gaming includes contributions by many different companies and entities In the effects of online gaming, based on the facts of ScienceDaily in October 22, 2007, Joshua Smyth found out that online socially integrated multiplayer integrated multiplayer games create greater negative consequences but also garner far higher good results than do single player games, while Searle Huh and Nicholas David explained that online games are highly addictive.
This shows that online gaming is really addictive, especially to students.
2.2 Local literature about the effects of online games
According to Philippine Communications Today by Maslog C. of 1998, one social problem that has been observed is that the Internet cafe observed is that the Internet cafe has become mainly game centers. About one-half to m two-thirds of the computer in a typical Internet cafe, according to one study, are devoted to games (violent and gory games).
The use of the remaining computers was roughly split between browsing, email, online chat, word processing and research. The Internet cafes have become not just game centres. They are becoming centres of addiction among the youth, mostly boys, including elementary school pupils. According to one concerned Internet cafe entrepreneur, “Internet cafes are seducing youths to a new form of addiction, one which may not destroy their bodies as drugs do, but, which is certainly twisting their minds. To the young, play is reality and reality is play”.
2.3 Foreign literature about online games
According to Helsingin Salomat, a cross-national World Health Organization study carried out in 2002 and published in June shows that around 20% of Finnish boys between the ages of 13 a and 15 spend more than three hours a day at the computer playing online games. The figures for “heavy user” girls in the same age group are only between 2% and 3%. In terms of the large gender difference, Finland was among the most striking examples in the entire study. Based on the facts of J.A Jacko in 2009, according to the empirical evidence, researchers found out a sense of presence, commonly defined, as “sense of being there” is an important factor for the online game users. Both studies stated that online games are really addictive to anyone who are hooked here.
