Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles
available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. An online game is
a game played over some form of computer network. This almost always
means the Internet or equivalent technology, but games have always used
whatever technology was current: modems before the Internet, and hard
wired terminals before modems. The expansion of online gaming has
reflected the overall expansion of computer networks from small local
networks to the Internet and the growth of Internet access itself.
Online games can range from simple text based games to games
incorporating complex graphics and virtual worlds populated by many
players simultaneously. Many online games have associated online
communities, making online games a form of social activity beyond single
player games.
