Internet game |
Internet games (also known as online games) are games that are played online via the Internet. They are distinct from video game and computer games in that they are normally System platform independent, relying solely on client-side technologies (normally called Plugins ). Normally all that is required to play Internet games are a web browser and the appropriate plugin (normally available for free via the plugin maker s website). A game played in a browser is often called a browser-based game.
There are many different plugins used to play online games. Some of these are the Java virtual machine, Macromedia Shockwave, Macromedia Flash, VRML 2.0/X3D and others. Some are implemented via a technology called JavaScript. These are distinct in that they do not require any plugins as JavaScript is built into all modern browsers (also see DHTML). There are specialised tools used to create games employing these technologies. Games that require plugins are usually based on the client-side; that is, much of the processing is done by the player s computer instead of the server hosting the game.
However, there are also server-side games which do not require plugins and process the data on the game server instead of the player s computer. These games are typically not as visually appealing as client-side based games, but make up for that in advanced functionality, particularly because it is easier to implement multiplayer capabilities. Certain commentators have imagined an entirely network-centric vision of these games under the rubric of Thin games, somewhat based on Web 2.0 principles.
=Example games=
=See also=
*List of gaming topics *Online skill-based game *MMORPG *MMORTS *Miniclip
=External links=
* *[http://www.qnext.com/product/online_gaming/ Online gaming] with [http://www.qnext.com Qnext]|
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