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Online games are games which are played over some form of computer network. At present, this almost always means the Internet or similar technology (WiFi, GPRS etc); but cutting edge games have always used whatever technology was available. The expansion of online gaming has reflected the overall expansion of computer networking technology; moving away from small local networks to the Internet and the improved penetration of Internet access itself. Online games can range from simple text based games to games incorporating complex graphics and virtual worlds populated by many users, all playing simultaneously. Many online games have become associated online communities, making online games a form of social activity in a way that single player games could never match. The rising popularity of Flash and Java led to an Internet revolution where websites can utilize streaming audio, video, and a whole new set of interactive widgets for the end user. When Microsoft began packaging Flash as a pre-installed component of Internet Explorer, the Internet began to shift from a data/information spectrum to a market offering on-demand entertainment. This revolution paved the way for sites to offer online games to web surfers. Most online games like World Of Warcraft, Final Fantasy XI and Lineage II charge a monthly fee to subscribe to their services, while games such as Guild Wars offer such services with no monthly fee. Many other online gaming websites rely heavily on advertising revenues from on-site sponsors, while others, like RuneScape, let people play for free while leaving the players the option of making a donation to unlock new and exclusive content. After the dot-com bubble burst in 2001, many sites solely relying on advertising revenue dollars faced extreme adversity. Despite the decreasing profitability of online gaming websites, some sites have survived the fluctuating ad market by offsetting the advertising revenue loss by using the content as a cross-promotion tool for driving web visitors to any other websites the company may own. With growing numbers of players, it becomes more difficult to maintain social order in online gaming due to the large amounts of information and freedom that are given to the players. Even though there are many online rules that are already established, wherever there are people, there will be conflict. More specifically, the advance of technology allows online games to imitate the complex ecological, sociological, economical, and political dynamics of real life communities. Unpredictable societal dynamics such as hygiene, safety, and pollution require the society to form some type of organized regulation. Andrew Barry writes, "Regulation is often intended to protect and enhance the health and security of firms, cities and individuals." Like societies in real life, online games can warrant societal complexities and need some type of organized governance. Popular online games are commonly bound by an End User License Agreement (EULA), which establishes a limited yet definitive social order deemed necessary by the creators of the game. The consequences of breaking the agreement vary according to the contract; however they do range significantly from warnings to termination, depending entirely on the offense. Enforcing the EULA is very difficult, due to high economic costs of human intervention and low returns back to the firm. Only in large scale games is it profitable for the firm to enforce its EULA.
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One area of online gaming which is heavily regulated is the field of online casino games because there is usually a great deal of money at stake for both the users and the organisations in question. Mecca Games offers free traditional casino games online which means you do not need to worry about regulation, or losing money! Just have fun.
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