Evolution of 3D Multi Player Games for Windows

The Evolution of 3D Multi Player Games for Windows – Rough Draft

Robert Perry

Rasmussen College

CGS1190C Computer Information Systems

Vilma Hernandez

Thursday, July 17, 2008

The Evolution of 3D Multi Player Games for Windows

The first 3D game for Windows to incorporate a multiversity of player interactions began in 1999 titled Ever Quest. Ever Quest commenced with 2,000 members who logged on all at the same time. The combination of 2,000 players from all around the United States of America simultaneously playing a single video game set a world record. Today, this game still exists and is widely popular in both the first generation version and the new Ever Quest 2 second-generation version. The 3D multi player online games have become a multi billion-dollar market for companies to infiltrate; the most advanced online multiplayer games (MMOG for short) have artificial intelligence (AI) at the highest level and one day this AI may out smart humans.

Ever Quest and Ever Quest 2 have both created enormous wealth for Sony Online Entertainment and continues to flourish as leading games for this company. As you begin the games, you start out as a newbie with no weapons, armor or spells. The term newbie refers to new players who have not yet soiled their weapons in tremendous battles with other players. Soon after you slay your first primordial beast, you realize that you are not alone; in fact, you must coordinate with others to accomplish your quests. Quests, given to you from the beginning, lead you in the path of righteousness by giving you valuables such as, experience points, and monetary rewards.

Flash forward two years, you have logged more than 90 hours playing in front of the computer and now you are the highest level in the game. What do you do now? Sony Online Entertainment has realized that this scenario is possible and they have created expansion sets for the game. The expansions extend the end of the game and continue your character with new valuables and new quests. Expansions also increase the level of difficulty for the game, making it impossible to proceed without camaraderie.

In China, the Ever Quest series has become so popular that the officials had to impose sanctions on the game producers that limited players to 3 hours of game play. This is a result of a number of individuals dying due to exhaustion and fatigue from being in front of the computer for hours on end. An estimated 500,000 people were addicted to the internet and had to have counseling due to this addiction.

Today in Orlando, Florida, Electronics Arts (EA) offers a new type of MMORPG game that incorporates console play and computer online play to achieve their overall goal. EA released their game with full customization of your own unique species of animal that you control and give it commands. There are over a thousand combinations of characteristics to choose from and each combination choice reveals your new character. Creating a new species of animal depends on the unique attributes you choose for your pet. The creature becomes a learning virtual organism and this revolution in video game architecture pushes the limits of artificial intelligence for the character in video games.

Spore requires your computer to have better than average hardware as outlined by its system requirements. While playing the game with minimum requirements you will notice lag and loss of frame rate. The term "lag" comes from the user experience and the reduction of frame rate while in game sessions. Due to lagging, you will notice jumpy non-smooth animations and characters will perform randomly when commanded. Having above average video graphics and a good internet connection will correct this lag and will aid the enjoyment of the gaming experience.

Mass Multi Online Video Games (MMO) is the genre or type of game classification. People who are computer enthusiasts, hobbyists, or spoiled rich children all appreciate the capabilities of high-end computer gaming graphics while playing MMORPG games. The difference between win or lose can sometimes depend on the power of your graphics processing unit. Each year there are competitions and venues where computer gaming enthusiasts of all ages gather to "FRAG" one another. The term FRAG loosely comes from the game Unreal Tournament and refers to one player killing another player in game. To be the best online player and win the most points you must abide by the laws of performance and development and upgrade the video graphics as often as possible.

The manufacturer plays a significant role in the production and distribution of new games. Assurance of product placement is noticeable in the introduction animation to most popular game titles. The animation that precedes the entry to a game is a marketing ploy designed to target the audience of the game and appeal to better performing graphics. Examples of these images show up on television, on billboards, and in magazines.

Over the span of the last ten years, massive advances in the technology of video graphics architecture including CPU, memory, and core speeds have given birth to a revolution in the gaming industry. Lifelike realistic animations are more common within the newly released game titles. These real time animations require more processing power, more memory, and more pixel pipelines than ever before. The goal of the companies creating online video games is to draw on the public's tendencies to become addicted to a product, and most of these companies have succeeded in doing so.

References
The Virtual World of Online Gaming. (2008). In Britannica Book of the Year, 2007. Retrieved August 15, 2008, from Encyclopedia Britannica Online: http://search.eb.com/eb/article-9435326

virtual reality. (2008). In Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved August 23, 2008, from Encyclopedia Britannica Online: http://search.eb.com/eb/article-253106

Electronic Arts. (n.d.). Overview. In What Is Spore [Spore offers you choices of
play the way you want to!]. Retrieved August 15, 2008, from Electronic Arts
Web site: http://www.spore.com/what/news