The Internet Gaming Phenomenon Essay Example for Free

The Internet Gaming Phenomenon Essay The internet gaming phenomenon that has taken the world by storm was originally based on Role Playing Games that were simply played on board games.   As computers began to develop and the internet began to emerge, more and more games were created that allowed players from all over the world to congregate online and play against or with each other in what has now been called the Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game.   When the national Science Foundation Network eased the restrictions on internet gaming, a host of new games entered the market and became available for the players.    Soon enough games flooded the market and the MMORPG had now become the most popular type of computer games.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The world of MMORPG gaming has become so popular in fact that it has even created its own economy that is based on the virtual items that are available online but the payment is made through real money in the real world.   The MMORPG has blurred the distinction between the virtual economy and the real world economy and in the present these two economies are even directly linked such as the case of Entropia Universe, which allows for real money to be converted to game money.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While certain gaming universes have outlawed the trading of virtual items for real money, the popularity and competitive nature of the MMORPG has ensured that there will always be a market for these item, whether illegal or not.   It has become so popular that even online auction sites such as ebay have featured virtual items among their listings while other websites have opened that cater specifically to virtual item sales.   As these games become more popular, it remains to be seen whether or not this virtual economy will continue.   One thing is sure, however, the MMORPG realm has hooked millions of people of all ages around the world and will only continue to grow and may soon surpass gambling as the most addictive hobby in the world. References: Adams, David (January 7, 2004). Final Fantasy XI Hits Subscriber Milestone. IGN.com. Retrieved on 2007-01-30. Castronova, Edward. Synthetic Worlds: The Business and Culture of Online Games. ISBN 0-226-09626-2, University Of Chicago Press Nardi, Harris (2006), Strangers and Friends: Collaborative Play in World of Warcraft, Proceedings of the 2006 20th anniversary conference on Computer supported cooperative work