What's better than blasting aliens in the privacy of your own home? Why, competing at alien blasting in the privacy of your own home against people all over the world, of course. Actually, multiplayer online games (MOGs) come in many, many types-from sports simulations to casino games to magical explorations with wizards-and yes, alien encounters as well. All of these games allow you to play with other people over the Internet, and there's pretty much always a game to join, regardless of where you live on the planet.
What Can You Expect?
In many games, you choose a virtual character to represent you, called an "avatar." Your avatar can be as similar to your real-life self as you like, or as different as you can imagine. The amount and type of multiplayer interaction varies a lot between MOGs. You might be able to team up with or compete against other players, trade goods with them, get information from them, or any number of other things.Many games have different player skill levels, to match players against others of similar experience, for a better experience for everyone. The scheme that controls those ratings may be as simple as choosing a skill level when you log on, or it may be more complicated, like being assigned a rating that increases as you gain experience.
Where
Do You Get The Games? Just like other computer games, MOGs are available wherever computer software is sold.
Unlike most computer games, however, you can occasionally expect to pay a monthly fee to the company that runs the Web site
where the game is played. Rates vary, but games might cost up to $15 per month, above and beyond the initial cost of the game. A
large number of Web sites are dedicated to reporting on the latest and upcoming MOGs. Search for "multiplayer online game"
in your search engine of choice, or check out the Multiplayer Online Games Directory at www.mpogd.com. What
Else Do You Need? Because your computer must constantly send out and receive large amounts of data while you're
playing, online gaming demands that you have a broadband (very fast) Internet connection. For better performance, you may
also want to spend the extra money to upgrade your computer or even buy a specialized gaming machine. Check out our
articles Playing Games on Your PC and Buying
a Gaming PC to learn about the modifications you can make to your existing machine or what to look for in a new one. Once
you install the game, you will often need to download a number of software updates; instructions will be included in the installation
instructions for the game. Is There Anything You Need to Be Careful About? Just like in real
life, most people in the online world are perfectly nice and just what they seem to be, but some are liars, cheaters, or worse.
As in any virtual community, avoid giving out any personal information that could identify you to others in the game world.
Kids, especially, need to understand online safety. Our article, Teaching
Kids About Internet Safety is a great resource for parents, teachers, or anyone else who wants to learn how to avoid online
dangers. Parents who want to guide their kids toward age-appropriate games that meet parental expectations for violence
and other content can get help from the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) for the games they are considering. Defining
appropriate audiences for games using clear terms like "Everyone" or "Teen" is a great help; see www.esrb.org for more information. Spending too much time playing an online game does become a problem
for some people, and it's important to take a break after you've been playing a while to get some fresh air, see friends in
person, and take care of the rest of your life. What About Law and Order in the Online Game World? Game
companies depend on people having a good time in the online gaming environment, so they typically spend quite a bit of energy
making sure that people play fair and act appropriately. Of course, they can't be everywhere at once, so you shouldn't depend
on them for everything, but people who refuse to follow the rules may find themselves banned from the game. Play nice with
the others, though, and online gaming is a great hobby.
