Gaming has always been one of two categories; social or single player (dare we say anti-social) gaming.
As the name suggests, single player games were where games began, for example Pac-Man, Manic Miner, Frak, Donkey Kong, Mario Bros, Sonic, Dogfighter, Tetris through to Angry Birds today. These are perfect for those who want to pit their wits against the computer and/or not have to wait to connect to another player to compete against them.
Clearly with the increased data speeds that are common the world over we are now not having to rely on slow and cumbersome servers, we are able to play in real-time and therefore it's opened up the gaming experience to everyone. What's more, with the introduction of free social sites like Facebook we are seeing a whole new eagerness from programmers and corporations alike to capture the imagination and appeal to the millions of users globally.
Of course some of the time the games are put in place to become a viral sensation and within minutes sweeping across the world to the delight of many. Other times it's far more simple and it's yet another way to enhance your experience online, encourage loyalty in the user and share success and failures with your friends (who will no doubt want to also give the game a go).
As many of these online social games are free to play it's almost impossible to not be tempted to add the application to your profile or favourites. I know from personal experience that I had at one point lost almost any of my own identity at one point and had nothing but social games plastered all across my wall - such is the power and appeal.
Take Farmville for example, it attracts people of all ages to play and develop their domain online, sharing their dream farm and even trade with other 'farmers' and friends. This is obviously a good thing for society as it encourages people to co-operate and share successes and advice. Sometimes you or others will become a pro at this game and will undoubtedly attract the adoration and envy of countless others.
For those out there who have a bit of a cynical bone in their body, yes everything comes at a price and just about everything that comes for free is there to learn or possibly spot trends from users - much in the way that corporations like Google do through using cookies. The plus side to this is that your web experience is more tailored to suit you, the flipside is that there's no more privacy.
So whatever your interest or hobby you will almost certainly find a social game that appeals to you and we here at www.SocialGamesUnlimited.com will help you discover that perfect game for you and others like you to enjoy and share the experience with. The great thing is, as technology and software programming improves, I'm sure we will see slicker and even more addictive online games to integrate ourselves socially with!