Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
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Many game aficionados actively seek out, purchase, and renovate older
arcade games. They play them, too!
Many arcade games today are redemption games. These types of games are
often found in restaurants that cater to young children, such as Chuck E.
Cheese's. A good example of a redemption game is the claw type. The player
inserts money and then operates a mini-claw that looks like a tiny construction
crane, trying to pick up a toy inside a closed glass box.
There are modern arcade games that are highly popular, and what sets them
apart from games played in the home are their elaborate controllers. Rhythm
games, for example, have footpads for the gamer to dance on; the focus of these
games is not so much the story or the gameplay, but the performance of the
gamer using the device. This aspect allows these types of games to thrive in
arcades, which are, ostensibly, social environs.
Online
Online gaming is one of the areas that has shown the most growth and diver-
sity, which makes sense, given the increase in broadband use by consumers.
Even users in remote areas that don't have access to cable systems for high-
speed Internet can subscribe to online services through a satellite hookup
(HughesNet is a good example). Online can be considered a subset of the PC,
console, handheld, and mobile platforms, because any of those platforms can
access games using this route.
Online games fall into three basic categories:
Massively multiplayer online games (MMOGs)
Social games
Portals
mmOGs
The leading contender in this category is Blizzard's
World of Warcraft (WoW),
with millions of subscribers and billions in earned revenue. This game can be
downloaded for free. After playing the free trial offer, gamers pay an initial cost
plus a monthly subscription fee to continue playing.
