By PAGE Editor

Gaming is more or less evenly split along a single dividing line, whether a game is online or offline. Single-player, story-driven games, as well as online gaming in general, can provide some of the most memorable experiences. Some of those experiences can be, granted, quite corrosive and depressing sometimes, but a mix of the right game, the right people, and the right timing can cause a storm of a perfect memory that will make you smile and look back with happiness even years down the line. 

That being said, it is a mixed bag, so here are a few facts and pointers to help you navigate the vast world of online gaming.

The First Online Game

The first successful online game was the role-playing game Island of Kesmai, which was released in 1985 and distributed by CompuServe, a popular online service provider that thrived prior to the birth of the World Wide Web and true ISPs. But the first popular online game was MUD1, created by two students in the UK at the end of the 1970s. They designed a “multi-user dungeon," in essence, a shared-access text adventure, which ran on a mainframe computer at the University of Essex. 

Once the university was connected to ARPANET in 1980, a network that linked American educational institutions, other students all over the world could access and play MUD1, which makes it the first truly popular online multiplayer game. 

The Seniors Are Interested Too

Even though one rarely thinks of adults, or especially seniors in their later years, playing and enjoying online games, it is actually becoming surprisingly popular with the older population, and their number is increasing by the day. Especially with the rise of online casinos and things like sports betting in Michigan state and incentives and bonuses that attract adults to the world of online gaming, it now appears that up to 30% of online gamers are of the age of 50 or older, and that is quite a huge number if you think about it. Some studies have even suggested that playing certain games can help reduce the effects of aging on seniors. 

The fact that many people have been gamers since a young age or simply the ease of access to video games of many genres are just two of the numerous theories on how the gaming age is evolving. Some senior gamers have even begun playing again after receiving medical advice. It is strongly advised to continue developing cognitive abilities after a certain age.

eSports Revenue

By the time 2021 was drawing to an end, the eSports industry was believed to have generated a staggering $1 billion in revenue over the calendar year, which was up from $947 million the previous year and you can. Get your hands on exclusive MTG collectibles with secret lair codes. More than 75% of the revenue came from sponsorship and media rights, and the eSports industry itself is valued at an insane $2.1 billion, with eSports gamers earning a pretty penny as well. China is the most lucrative market for it, with the US and Europe following close behind, but despite this, the US won the most prize money in 2021, pocketing an impressive $180 million. 

South Korea’s Cinderella Law

We all know that gaming in general, but especially online gaming, has its own problems and addiction, especially among children, but you probably did not know that South Korea used its Cinderella Law to prohibit underage players from gaming between 12 and 6 a.m. The intention behind the move was to ensure that children had at least a six-hour time period that could be used to sleep, and even after talks of reversing the law in 2021, there were news reports that gaming among the underage population would still be regulated in some form or another. 

Do you agree with this sentiment, or do you think the government has no right to enforce rules of this nature?

Online Gaming Revenues

The global video game industry in general is expected to top $180 billion in annual revenue, and the online gaming sector alone is thought to have contributed $23.8 billion to this total. These numbers are absolutely insane to really think about; they are higher than the entire GDP of some countries, and it is one of the most profitable industries on the planet as of now.

Most Expensive Game

Grand Theft Auto V is the most expensive video game in history, with a development cost of $137 million and an additional $128 million for marketing. That is obviously a lot of money, but consider that GT is also the single best-selling media title in history, with $1 billion in sales in just three days, breaking practically every record in the book, and becoming one of the most popular games of all time, with hundreds of thousands of players online every day. It won countless accolades, and by all accounts, Grand Theft Auto VI is in development with no release window as of yet. 

Mobile Gaming

Now, most PC and console gamers are going to gnash their teeth at this, but the fact is that with practically everyone owning a smartphone, mobile “gaming” has become an absolute juggernaut and is expanding every day. Players downloaded 82.98 billion mobile games in 2021, but players do tend to jump from game to game, and the average shelf life of a mobile game is not very long, as people will download them, maybe play them once, uninstall them, and move on. We can call this the natural life cycle of the mobile game. 

It is currently estimated that there will be about 3.7 billion mobile gamers by the time 2023 starts to reach its end, as more and more people are getting smartphones and downloading more and more games, which keep getting more and more accessible. 

Gaming has become part and parcel of culture the globe over, and online gaming makes up a substantial amount of it, and the number of people entering this sphere rises by the day. One thing to remember is that it is extremely easy to get addicted and start spending money like you have nothing else in life to worry about, so it is important to pace yourself and always weigh every decision carefully before committing. 

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