subject: Is Online Gaming Too Addictive? [print this page] Online gaming is neither a new phenomenon nor one that is restricted to just guys. It is easy, however, to jump to those conclusions considering that some of the most popular games take advantage of recent advances in technology such as Flash to generate exciting video and audio effects. It is also easy to see how many think online gaming is mainly for men with titles such as World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy, and Guild Wars. However, recent studies show that this is simply just not the case.
In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of women and teenagers who are using more online gaming sites. In fact, the female audience in online gaming rose 27% to 43 million users by August 2008. Most of the games played are by teenagers aged twelve to seventeen and women aged 55 to 64. With this ever growing audience, there are now more sites catering to women than ever before. Some of these include DressUpGames.com and I-Dressup.com. If women are looking for a virtual world, those are out there too such as Neopets.
However, it doesn't appear that online gaming will see a reduction in popularity anytime soon. A recent study of 1,500 online gamers showed that 60% played online games on a daily basis with many spending between ten and fifteen hours a week online in some sort of gaming scenario. Most respondents say they enjoy online gaming because it not only gives them a chance to relax, but it also stimulates their brain and relieves the stress of everyday life. The study also showed that the most popular time to get online is during the evening hours. This is not surprising as most people are home from work during this time. Online gaming sites begin to see an increase in activity around six with participation slowing as the clock gets closer to midnight. In addition, many of the survey participants say they get more satisfaction from online gaming than they do from watching television.
Online gaming is not just restricted to teenage boys and men. Recent years have seen a significant surge in the number of teenage girls and women who participate in online gaming. The highest numbers have come from teens aged twelve to seventeen and women aged 55 and 64. As a result of this surge, more and more games that cater specifically to women are sprouting up. Some of these include DressUpGames.com and I-Dressup.com. There are also virtual worlds just for women and teen as well including Neopets.
While it may seem that the world of online gaming is a recent one thanks to internet advances, that is not the case. The first online games were actually produced in 1969. This is when two people from MIT linked computers using the PLATO service. PLATO was a dedicated file sharing system looking to find new ways to use computers for education. It wasn't long before similar games were popping up at other universities both in the U.S. and abroad. Of course, recent advancement such as Flash now make it easier for users to participate as well as bring in an entire new world of audio files and fancy graphics.
by: Sean Armstrong
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