Gaming has seen a sharp increase in popularity over the last decade. The main contributor to this rise is almost entirely due to online gaming. Traditional gaming consists of a game and the player this solo experience. Online gaming has allowed millions of individuals players to connect with (via internet) each other and play with or against one another. This revolutionized the realm of gaming. This connectivity has allowed games to spout communities not restricted by region, has created highly competitive gaming leagues, and gather feedback from people that play their games.

The online community has made gaming more meaningful and personal. People all over the world can find like-minded individuals that share their same interests through these online games. These people would mostly never meet virtually or in-person without online gaming. It’s a crazy concept to think that friendships can build and grow with random and anonymous people, but this happens every day with online gaming. When more and more people connect with each other, games start to grow their following and this is how games start to form community, typically on a single game or a specific game title with multi installations (Call of Duty, Gears of War).

One of the biggest benefits of online gaming has been E-sports (competitive gaming). Top players from all around the globe are able to compete against each other in bracket style tournament for a chance to win a set cash prize ranging from thousands to millions of dollars. E-sports teams can be comprised of players from different nationalities and countries through this connectivity. E-sports is one of the fastest growing industries in the world and has become a dominant influencer due to innovation online gaming as provided to gaming landscape.

Games before online gaming were pretty one dimensional; the game you bought was the same game always have. This may seem like no big deal but it is when games have bugs, glitches and gameplay issues that can break and ruin a game. Online games now have multi patches and updates that help fix and improve games. One example is a multiplayer first-person shooter game called Rainbow 6 Siege. This game is strictly a multiplayer game with a 5 versus 5 style format. When initially released in 2015, Rainbow 6 had a relatively small cast of characters to many gameplay issues. Gamers were not impressed, but with major updates and character additions they slowly started to drastically increase their following. Rainbow 6 Siege is now one of the most popular games in the world with a dedicated fan base and a top tier E-sport title.

In conclusion, online gaming has changed the face of gaming entirely. It has made the impossible a reality. Players can now find friends and communities that share their gaming taste. Online gaming has also been able to introduce a highly competitive gaming scene for top players from all around the world to compete at. Lastly, it has made games so much better by adding constant update that rework broken machines and giving players a voice by taking player feedback into consideration. All in all, online gaming has created an expansive world for not only games but also for players.