Honey, They've Shrunk Online Gaming
In addition to home consoles and PCs, online gaming is rapidly spreading in another area: the handheld gaming market. Most evidently, mobile games are really starting to break out into real-time online gaming. Nokia's N-Gage platform introduced its N-Gage Arena service a couple years ago, which allows gamers to play against other people anytime, anywhere through the built-in GPRS data connection. The N-Gage was the first cell phone with a core focus of gaming in mind, and has pushed the limits especially in terms of online mobile games.
Nokia released Pocket Kingdom several months ago, which was the first massively multiplayer online mobile game. Pathway to Glory, which came out earlier this year, is the first mobile game to incorporate voice-over IP into the game. Not only has Nokia managed to push the envelope of online mobile gaming with the N-Gage, but they have also reached a fairly large number of members. There are hundreds of thousands of N-Gage Arena members worldwide; the platform really has helped define online mobile gaming.
Other mobile platforms are starting to take advantage of their "always connected" status as well, but there are still some limitations. Right now, online checkers is all that the standard cell phone can really pull of. The technology needs some work, but it's clear that the mobile game market is heading in the direction of online gaming. Just a couple of years down the road, you'll probably be able to play a port of SOCOM on your cell phone against someone in Lithuania while riding the bus.
Not to be outdone, Nintendo's handheld DS system and Sony's PSP are both capable of going online, with wireless connectivity built in. The PSP requires the standard method of setting up a wireless connection, including finding a router and entering an SSID, but Nintendo is trying to make the process even more seamless. According to the latest information, DS owners will supposedly be able to just step into a wireless hotspot at the local coffee shop and be ready to go online. With the DS's built-in microphone, voice-over IP integration is also a definite possibility.
The PSP already has a couple of titles in its library that take advantage of online connectivity, but right now it is mostly for downloading extra features into the game. The DS will presumably have online-enabled games by the end of the year, with Mario Kart DS and Animal Crossing DS pioneering the service. A year from now, online connectivity in software for these platforms will be much more common. Soon you will be able to have a wide selection of full-fledged online gaming experiences in the palm of your hands.
The portability factor is really what is so compelling about online handheld gaming. Of course, with such a small device, there is not as much technology to push. For an amazing online gaming experience, PC's and consoles are the best choice, but for gamers on the go, online handheld gaming is the only option.
The Future Of Online Gaming
In short, the future of online gaming looks promising on all sides of the spectrum. Sony and Microsoft really have learned from this generation, and are shaping up their online services to attract a significantly larger audience. Also, not to be forgotten, Nintendo is finally embracing online console gaming with the Revolution, which should attract a whole new audience of online gamers. A lot of the barriers that prevented widespread online console gaming this generation are being removed for the next generation, and it's exciting to think of the possibilities there.
Online PC gaming is also sure to expand even further in the years to come. "Massively multiplayer" could eventually mean millions of players on at any given time. Also, expect to see a growth in the number of PC games that have some kind of online connectivity, and look for new features for online PC gaming in the future that we can't even imagine now. For example, The Sims Online took the country by storm with its innovative design and the fact that that genre really had not been taken online before. Who knows what the next online Sims game might bring - maybe a real-life matchmaking service? Only time will tell how far the expansion will go.
Online handheld gaming will also continue to flourish. It will provide gamers with great online gaming experiences without having to be tied to an Ethernet cable. All three areas - online PC gaming, console gaming, and handheld gaming - each bring something different to the plate and together they cover all the bases.
The evolution of online gaming is truly underway. A few years down the road, it is not out of the question that we will see a majority of gamers, all with different hardware, different interests, and different technological expertise, all gaming online - creating a truly worldwide, all encompassing community of gamers.
