How Do Online Games Work?

The video game industry is ever-growing and ever-expanding, generating billions of dollars each year from varying types of games.

But one sector of the industry that's seen recent growth, partially thanks to the COVID-19 Pandemic, is online gaming.

What once was a divided industry between Xbox, PlayStation, and PC has now been united via online multiplayer games, with games even being playable across the different platforms. So, how does this work? And why is it so popular?

Picture 1 of How Do Online Games Work? Picture 1 of How Do Online Games Work?

Types of Online Games

Online gaming is when users play video games over a computer network, in particular the internet. There are several types of games available, with some working slightly differently than others depending on what platform they are playable on. For example, these are some of the top genres of online gaming:

Battle Royale

One of the most popular genres of online gaming is battle royale games, such as Fortnight, which have attracted tens of millions of players in recent years. These games see players go head-to-head in what is essentially a last man standing battle. Games start in wide, open arenas that progressively shrink, forcing players into close proximity to each other.

Hosted on servers, much like MMOs, the online aspect is critical to battle royale games. The player is appointed a server based on their chosen game mode and lobby, an area in which players can join and alter settings in preparation for the game. When the lobby meets certain requirements, often a certain number of players, those within it are assigned a map and server to play on. As previously said, if it weren't for technical advancements in computer quality, internet capabilities, and server hardware and software, it's unlikely such games would have as big a platform today as they require online access to large servers. Games such as Fortnight, for example, host up to 100 players per server, meaning a strong internet connection to the server is crucial for smooth gameplay.

Casino

Casino games simulate the games of chance typically found at a casino. They can be accessed in many mediums via almost any platform, be it a phone, the web, or even a console, meaning you can play bitcoin blackjack games almost anywhere you please. There is even an online casino within Grand Theft Auto Online, in the latest GTA 5 game, called The Diamond Casino & Resort, which, other than robbing the place, allows players to play a wide selection of games, including slot machines, blackjack, and roulette.

The online casinos run on Random Number Generators, which are computer programmes that produce random strings of numbers. The result is that the games stay entirely random and fair in the same way they would in a physical casino. This is featured within the software itself, which is contained within the website or application of the casino. The user can access this via an account, which then allows them to use real money to place bets. As with any online game, these games require an internet connection to function, with some sites even offering multiplayer opportunities in the form of tournaments.

MMO

Massively Multiplayer Online games are video games that host many players on one server. They often feature large, open worlds, and fantasy themes such as those seen in games like World of Warcraft or Elder Scrolls Online which have been named some of the most popular MMO's of 2023 according to PC Gamer Magazine.

They function using host servers, which are pieces of hardware or software that aid in the functioning of other programmes. In games, this typically means the server transfers enough data to a specific number of users to keep an accurate and functioning version of the game while also processing each user's input. As technology has advanced, servers have become bigger and, in many cases, regional, allowing for thousands of players from the same area to be hosted on one server.

How To Connect

After deciding what genre of game, you are interested in, the next step would understandably be to choose a platform. The platform you choose to play games on decides how you access your online games, as while many PC, Mobile, or web-based games don't require further payment after the initial purchase of the game, consoles are another matter. For example, if you are playing on Xbox, you will need to have a Microsoft account and will need to pay for Xbox Live, Xbox Live Gold, or Game Passto be able to play online. The same can be said for PlayStation, which requires PS Plus, and even Nintendo Switch, which requires a Nintendo Switch Online membership.

Above all else, though, the most crucial aspect for accessing online gaming is a stable internet connection. Without that, there is no way to access servers or websites that host the games you are looking to play. Therefore, it's worth knowing how to troubleshoot a bad internet connection if you want to play online.