How the Past Decade Has Changed Online Gaming

Online functionality has shifted to be just as relevant as the single-player experience, especially when dealing with competitive formats like sports and FPS titles.

Spikes in Online Involvement

Online play was a shell of its current self just ten years ago. Split-screen multiplayer was the chief means by which players engaged in co-op play; this was a mechanically flawed endeavor thanks to people scoping out other screens to spy their opponents in FPS titles. This surge happened thanks to the rise in broadband internet and console manufacturers' decision to add online connections to their machines. There were several significant moments in 2007 that showcased the opportunities for online play.

• MMORPGs like "World of Warcraft" allowed millions of players to interact together in a virtual world free of lag and server downtimes.
• The "Call of Duty" series of console FPSs, regularly drew millions of players every day.

The Smartphone
While the console and PC game markets continued to grow, the smartphone market is seen as a significant factor in the proliferation of online gameplay. Seventy percent of new smartphone owners install a game within the first week of ownership, many of these games had online features.

One outside factor in the significance of the smartphone game market is that more women play online title on their phones than on a console or computer. Many mobile games also offer free play but earn a profit from in-app transactions that offer game items or features for real money.

Growing Competition
The present-day world of online gaming is one that has surged thanks to "e-sports." Games that were once seen as niche interests to hardcore gamers have found new attention through online competitions that award cash prizes and broadcast to millions of viewers; figures that have started to rival broadcasts of "traditional" sports.

Most esports are viewed by young adults with disposable income and a solid understanding of the games they watch through first-hand experience, something rare among traditional sports audiences. This audience feeds itself-as more players get exposure, the more other players want to join in.

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