What is Gaming?

Gaming as a concept has many definitions, but in the world of video games and computer games, the definition has changed over time. Gamers used to be those who played video games in arcades, and now that home systems and games themselves have evolved, most gaming is done at home on televisions and online.

 

Gaming can be done using a computer keyboard, a joystick, a computer mouse, game controllers and more. Many games are played online on computer, while some are downloaded and then played on a computer without connecting to the Internet. Still others are played using gaming consoles, which also have online gaming options and games without Internet necessity.

These gaming consoles all have different features. Nintendo’s Wii features gaming with motion-sensing capabilities. Gamers point their Wiimotes at the screen in order to play many games. The Wii is one of the most interactive gaming systems available, and has brought a larger demographic of people – male and female, young and old – into the world of gaming.

 

Microsoft’s Xbox 360 offers not only online multiplayer games like the popular “Halo” series, but also games based on music, like the “Guitar Hero” series, where players have a guitar-shaped control and “play” the notes onscreen.

 

Sony’s PlayStation 3, the most expensive gaming console on the market, brings gamers extraordinary graphics as well as online capabilities.

 

However, gaming can also be portable. Handheld systems such as the Nintendo DS and the Sony PlayStation Portable are popular among gamers as well. Nintendo’s DS offers gamers two LCD screens and a touch pad. Handheld gamers can also play online or with friends on systems in close proximity to one another.

 

Gaming on current consoles can even encompass games of past generations. New game systems have the capability of downloading and storing games from past gaming systems, so that new generations can enjoy classic, original games even though the systems they were created for are no longer sold.

Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPG) are popular among computer gamers. These games connect players with other players online and include hours upon hours of play and never really end – more content is released periodically to continue play.

 

Players are teamed up with other players to go on quests, raids and more. Many players hook up headphone systems to their computers to communicate and interact with other players in the game. Many online games require subscribers to pay a monthly fee for game play. Some of the most popular titles in computer gaming include:

Despite the popularity of online multiplayer games, some gamers prefer games that they can go through and beat themselves in their own time and at their own pace. These games can be on computer or on consoles.

 

Gaming comes in many genres. There are games based on movies and television shows, games based on every sport imaginable, games based on wars, horror-themed games, games designed to assist learning and brainpower and much more. The possibilities and choices are endless.