Anonline game is avideo game that is either partially or primarily played through theInternet or any othercomputer network available.^[1] Online games are ubiquitous on modern gaming platforms, includingPCs,consoles andmobile devices, and span manygenres, includingfirst-person shooters,strategy games, andmassively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG).^[2] In 2019, revenue in the online games segment reached $16.9 billion, with $4.2 billion generated by China and $3.5 billion in the United States.^[3] Since the 2010s, a common trend among online games has been to operate them asgames as a service, usingmonetization schemes such asloot boxes andbattle passes as purchasable items atopfreely-offered games.^[4][5] Unlike purchased retail games, online gameshave the problem of not being permanently playable, as they require specialservers in order to function.

The design of online games can range from simple text-based environments to the incorporation of complex graphics andvirtual worlds.^[6] The existence of online components within a game can range from being minor features, such as an onlineleaderboard, to being part of coregameplay, such as directly playing against other players. Many online games create their own online communities, while other games, especially social games, integrate the players' existing real-life communities.^[7] Some online games can receive a massive influx of popularity due to many well-knownTwitchstreamers andYouTubers playing them.^[8]

Online gaming has drastically increased the scope and size ofvideo game culture. Online games have attracted players of a variety of ages, nationalities, and occupations.^[9][10][11] The online game content is now being studied in the scientific field, especiallygamers' interactions withinvirtual societies in relation to the behavior and social phenomena of everyday life.^[9][10][12] As in other cultures, the community has developed a gamut of slang words or phrases that can be used for communication in or outside of games. Due to their growing online nature, modern video game slang overlaps heavily withinternet slang, as well asleetspeak, with many words such as "pwn" and "noob".^[13][14] Another term that was popularized by the video game community is the abbreviation "AFK" to refer to people who are not at the computer or paying attention.^[15] Other common abbreviations include "GL HF" which stands for "good luck, have fun," which is often said at the beginning of a match to show good sportsmanship.^[16] Likewise, at the end of a game, "GG" or "GG WP" may be said to congratulate the opponent, win or lose, on a "good game, well played".^[17] Many video games have also inspiredinternet memes and achieved a very large following online.^[18]

The culture of online gaming sometimes facescriticism for an environment that can promotecyberbullying, violence, andxenophobia. Some are also concerned aboutgaming addiction orsocial stigma.^[19] However, it has been argued that, since the players of an online game are strangers to each other and have limited communication, the individual player's experience in an online game is not necessarily different from playing withartificial intelligence players.^[20]

The history of online games dates back to the early days ofpacket-based computer networking in the 1970s,^[7] An early example of online games isMUDs, including the first,MUD1, which was created in 1978 and originally confined to an internal network before becoming connected toARPANet in 1980.^[21] Commercial games followed in the next decade, withIslands of Kesmai, the first commercial onlinerole-playing game, debuting in 1984,^[21] as well as more graphical games, such as theMSX LINKSaction games in 1986,^[22] theflight simulatorAir Warrior in 1987, and theFamicom Modem's onlineGo game in 1987.^[23]

The rapid availability of the Internet in the 1990s led to an expansion of online games, with notable titles includingNexus: The Kingdom of the Winds (1996),Quakeworld (1996),Ultima Online (1997),Lineage (1998),StarCraft (1998),Counter-Strike (1999) andEverQuest (1999).Video game consoles also began to receive online networking features, such as theFamicom Modem (1987),Sega Meganet (1990),Satellaview (1995),SegaNet (2000),PlayStation 2 (2000) andXbox (2001).^[6][24] Following improvements in connection speeds,^[19] more recent developments include the popularization of new genres, such associal games, and new platforms, such asmobile games.^{[25][better source needed]}

Entering into the 2000s, the cost of technology, servers, and the Internet has dropped so far that fast Internet was commonplace,^[26] which led to previously unknown genres likemassively multiplayer online games (MMOs) becoming well known. For example,World of Warcraft (2004) dominated much of the decade.^[4] Several other MMOs attempted to follow inWarcraft's footsteps, such asStar Wars Galaxies,City of Heroes,Wildstar,Warhammer Online,Guild Wars 2, andStar Wars: The Old Republic, but failed to make a significant impact inWarcraft's market share.^[4] Over time, the MMORPG community has developed a sub-culture with its own slang and metaphors, as well as an unwritten list of social rules and taboos.

Separately, a new type of online game came to popularity alongsideWorld of Warcraft,Defense of the Ancients (2003) which introduced themultiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) format.^[27][28]DotA, a community-createdmod based onWarcraft III, gained in popularity as interest inWorld of Warcraft waned, but since the format was tied to theWarcraft property, others began to develop their own MOBAs, includingHeroes of Newerth (2009),League of Legends (2010), andDota 2 (2013).^[29]Blizzard Entertainment, the owner ofWarcraft property, released their own take on the MOBA genre withHeroes of the Storm (2015), emphasizing on numerous original heroes fromWarcraft III and other Blizzard's franchises.^[30] By the early 2010s, the genre had become a big part of theesports category.^[4]

During the last half of the 2010s,hero shooter, a variation of shooter games inspired by multiplayer online battle arenas and older class-based shooters, had a substantial rise in popularity with the release ofBattleborn andOverwatch in 2016.^[31] The genre continued to grow with games such asPaladins (2018) andValorant (2020).

Abattle royale game format became widely popular with the release ofPlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (2017),Fortnite Battle Royale (2017), andApex Legends (2019). The popularity of the genre continued in the 2020s with the release of theCall of Duty: Warzone (2020). Each game has received tens of millions of players within months of its releases.^[4][32]

The assumption that online games in general are populated mostly by males has remained somewhat accurate for years. Recent statistics begin to diminish the male domination myth in gaming culture. Although a worldwide number of malegamers still dominates over female (52% by 48%),^[33] women accounted for more than half of the players of certain games. As of 2019, the average gamer is 33 years old.^[34]

The report Online Game Market Forecasts estimates worldwide revenue from online games to reach $35 billion by 2017, up from $19 billion in 2011.^[35]

Xbox Live was launched in November 2002. Initially the console only used a feature called system link, where players could connect two consoles using anEthernet cable, or multiple consoles through a router. With the original Xbox Microsoft launched Xbox Live, allowing shared play over the internet. A similar feature exists on thePlayStation 3 in the form of thePlayStation Network, and theWii also supports a limited amount of online gaming. Nintendo also had a network, dubbed "Nintendo Network", that fully supported online gaming with theWii U andNintendo 3DS. With the launch of theNintendo Switch, Nintendo launched theNintendo Switch Online service to replace the older Nintendo Network.

As theWorld Wide Web developed and browsers became more sophisticated, people started creatingbrowser games that used aweb browser as a client. Simple single player games were made that could be played using a web browser (most commonly made with web technologies likeHTML,JavaScript,ASP,PHP andMySQL).

The development of web-based graphics technologies such asFlash andJava allowed browser games to become more complex. These games, also known by their related technology as "Flash games" or "Java games", became increasingly popular. Games ranged from simple concepts to large-scale games, some of which were later released on consoles. Many Java or Flash games were shared on various different websites, bringing them to wide audiences.^[36] Browser-based pet games are popular among the younger generation of online gamers. These games range from gigantic games with millions of users, such asNeopets, to smaller and more community-based pet games.

More recent browser-based games use web technologies likeAjax to make more complicated multiplayer interactions possible andWebGL to generate hardware-accelerated 3D graphics without the need for plugins.

PvE is a term used in online games, particularly MMORPGs and other role-playing video games, to refer to fighting computer-controlled opponents.

PvP is a term broadly used to describe any game, or aspect of a game, where players compete against each other rather than against computer-controlled opponents.

During the 1990s, online games started to move from a wide variety ofLAN protocols (such asIPX) and onto the Internet using theTCP/IP protocol.Doom popularized the concept of adeathmatch, where multiple players battle each other head-to-head, as a new form of online game. Since Doom, many first-person shooter games contain online components to allow deathmatch or arena style play. And by popularity, first person shooter games are becoming more and more widespread around the world. As games became more realistic and competitive, an e-sports community was born. Games likeCounter-Strike,Halo,Call of Duty,Quake Live andUnreal Tournament are popular with these tournaments. These tournaments have a range of winnings from money to hardware.

Expansion ofhero shooters, a sub-genre ofshooter games, happened in 2016 when severaldevelopers released or announced their hero shootermultiplayer online game. Hero shooters have been considered to have strong potential as an esport, as a large degree of skill and coordination arises from the importance of teamwork. Some notable examples includeBattleborn,Overwatch,Paladins andValorant.^[37]

Earlyreal-time strategy games often allowed multiplayer play over a modem or local network.^[38] As the Internet started to grow during the 1990s, software was developed that would allow players to tunnel the LAN protocols used by the games over the Internet. By the late 1990s, most RTS games had native Internet support, allowing players from all over the globe to play with each other.^[38] Popular RTS games with online communities have includedAge of Empires,Sins of a Solar Empire,StarCraft andWarhammer 40,000: Dawn of War.

Massively multiplayer online games were made possible with the growth ofbroadband Internet access in many developed countries, using the Internet to allow hundreds of thousands of players to play the same game together. Many different styles of massively multiplayer games are available, such as:

• MMORPG (Massively multiplayer onlinerole-playing game)
• MMORTS (Massively multiplayer onlinereal-time strategy)
• MMOFPS (Massively multiplayer onlinefirst-person shooter)
• MMOSG (Massively multiplayer online social game)

A specific subgenre ofstrategy video games referred to asmultiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) gained popularity in the 2010s as a form ofelectronic sports, encompassing games such as theDefense of the Ancients mod forWarcraft III,League of Legends,Dota 2,Smite, andHeroes of the Storm.^[39] Major esports professional tournaments are held in venues that can hold tens of thousands of spectators and are streamed online to millions more.^[40][41][42] A strong fanbase has opened up the opportunity for sponsorship and advertising, eventually leading the genre to become a global cultural phenomenon.^[29][43]

A battle royale game is a genre that blends the survival, exploration and scavenging elements of asurvival game withlast-man-standing gameplay. Dozens to hundreds of players are involved in each match, with the winner being the last player or team alive. Some notable examples includePlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds,Fortnite Battle Royale,Apex Legends, andCall of Duty: Warzone, each having received tens of millions of players within months of their releases.^[44][32] The genre is designed exclusively for multiplayer gameplay over the Internet.

MUD is a class of multi-user real-time virtual worlds, usually but not exclusively text-based, with a history extending back to the creation ofMUD1 byRichard Bartle in 1978. MUD were the direct predecessors ofMMORPG.^[45]

Asocial deduction game is a multiplayer online game in which players attempt to uncover each other's hidden role or team allegiance using logic and deductive reasoning, while other players can bluff to keep players from suspecting them. A notable example of the social deduction video game isAmong Us, which received a massive influx of popularity in 2020 due to many well-knownTwitchstreamers andYouTubers playing it.^[18]Among Us has also inspiredinternet memes and achieved a very large following online.^[46]

Online gamers must agree to anEnd-user license agreement (EULA) when they first install the game application or an update. EULA is a legal contract between the producer or distributor and theend-user of an application or software, which is to prevent the program from being copied, redistributed or hacked.^[47] The consequences of breaking the agreement vary according to the contract. Players could receive warnings to termination, or direct termination without warning. In the 3D immersive worldSecond Life where a breach of contract will append the player warnings, suspension and termination depending on the offense.^[48]

Where online games supports an in-game chat feature, it is not uncommon to encounterhate speech,sexual harassment andcyberbullying.^[49][50] Players, developers, gaming companies, and professional observers are discussing and developing tools which discourageantisocial behavior.^[51]There are also sometimesModerators present, who attempt to prevent anti-Social behavior. Online games also often involve real-life illegal behavior, such as scam, financial crimes, invasion of privacy, and other issues.^[52][53][54]

Recent development of gaming governance requires all video games (including online games) to hold a rating label. The voluntary rating system was established by theEntertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB). A scale can range from "E" (stands for Everyone) inferring games that are suitable for both children and adults, to "M" (stands for Mature) recommending games that are restricted to age above 17. Some explicit online games can be rated "AO" (stands for Adult Only), identifying games that have content suitable for only adults over the age of 18. Furthermore, online games must also carry an ESRB notice that warns that any "online interactions are not rated by the ESRB".

Thevideo game industry is highly competitive. As a result, many online games end up not generating enough profits, such that the service providers do not have the incentives to continue running theservers. In such cases, the developers of a game might decide to shut down the server permanently.

Shutting down an online game can severely impact the players. Typically, a server shutdown means players will no longer be able to play the game. For many players, this can cause a sense of loss at an emotional level, since they often dedicate time and effort to making in-game progress, e.g., completing in-game tasks to earnitems for their characters. In some other cases, the game might still be playable without the server, but certain important functionalities will be lost. For example, earning key in-game items often requires a server that can track each player's progress.^[55]

In some cases, an online game may be relaunched in a substantially different form after shutting down, in an attempt to increase the game's quality, remedy low sales, or reverse a declining player base, and see significantly greater success.Final Fantasy XIV was negatively received upon its 2010 release, and relaunched asA Realm Reborn in 2013 - the new version was met with considerable positive reception, and is still running as of 2022.^[56]Splitgate: Arena Warfare relaunched asSplitgate in 2021, switching to afree-to-play model and adding cross-platform multiplayer, and subsequently saw 2 million new players, with the servers being unable to handle the influx.^[57]

However, games may remain acommercial failure despite a planned relaunch. These include the 2015 asymmetricalfirst-person shooterEvolve, which transitioned to a free-to-play title known asEvolve Stage 2 a year after launch, after it was criticized for its significant amount ofDLC despite being a full-priced game, but had its servers permanently shut down roughly two years later after its user base "evaporated" as a result of infrequent updates.^[58] The 2019 looter-shooterAnthem was also planned to be relaunched asAnthem Next, but the changes were never implemented, partially due to theimpact of the COVID-19 pandemic and an unwillingness to further invest in the game byElectronic Arts.^[59]

• List of video game genres
• Game server
• Massively multiplayer online game
• Multiplayer video game
• Online text-based role-playing game
• Voice chat in online gaming