Are Browser-Based Games Still Popular?

5 Dariya News

27-Apr-2022

With technology continuing to advance at an accelerated pace and infiltrate the gaming industry, there are more ways to play than ever before. The console explosion of the late 1990s and early 2000s, however, signalled a pause to browser-based games on a global scale. But with a growing number of gaming developers paying homage to one of the most loved, and successful, forms of gaming of the past century, it begs the question of whether or not browser-based games are still popular. Continue reading to find out whether or not they are. 

A brief history

The history of browser-based games has been hotly contested by lifelong gamers and industry experts alike, but the first title is widely regarded to be the 1995 release of Earth 2025. The game may have only featured text but enabled players to interact and form alliances with fellow players regardless of their geographical location. This was, at the time, miles ahead of the technology adopted by existing gaming platforms and consoles and more or less triggered the rapid advancement of browser technology and plug-ins to facilitate gaming on a wider scale. By the late 1990s, browser-based games were cropping up on dedicated websites to provide players with a hub on which to play the latest titles from established as well as up-and-coming developers. This trend continued into the 2000s with the global expansion of Flash games hitting a monumental peak in the mid-2000s before waning as a result of the invention of the Apple iPhone and the proliferation of mobile gaming. 

A shift towards online gaming 

With digitisation taking over a number of formerly manual processes, gaming was one of the first industries to relocate online. This was largely due to a series of technological advancements and the ever-expanding popularity of online games, such as those found on the GGPoker.com platform. During this time, browser-based games continued to grow and develop behind the scenes and were written in a wide range of available formats including Flash, HTML5, WebGL, and WebAssembly. The popular .io domain also continued to reach new heights in the 2010s with the release of Agar.io due to its relatively short length, its ease of acquiring, and its association with programming with .io often referred to as input and output. By expanding their reach and offering titles on desktop as well as mobile-based platforms, gaming developers are also benefiting from more ways to monetise their work than ever before.

An uncertain future 

As technology continues to alter the ways in which we live, work, and play on a daily basis, the future of browser-based games is uncertain. Whilst mobile gaming has experienced a rapid resurgence in recent years, recent societal trends have pointed to a preference for consumers to interact with media from the comfort of their own homes as opposed to on the go. As with every form of gaming, trends can come and go in the blink of an eye. With our desktops now doubling as a television due to the proliferation of streaming platforms and video-based social media platforms, it is not a stretch to believe that browser-based games have the potential to replace the traditional video game console in the not-so-distant future.

With technology responsible for the stratospheric growth and development of the gaming industry in recent years, browser-based games have taken a back seat. By familiarising yourself with a brief history of their existence, the shift towards online gaming in the 2000s, and their uncertain future, you can ensure you are equipped with the tools and information to make your own mind up.