With my sore-inducing wetsuit and piece of lightweight, cheap plastic (READ: body board) locked away safely- and my Kelly Slater-esque activities postponed for another year- I return to deliver your dose of Bitching "In da zone" TM. You're reading this article due to a wonder of modern technology- the Internet- a piece of technological wizardry that is the star of the fifth edition of my mindless blabbering. Gaming and Computers are knitted using the same wool- if you catch my drift- and in the due course of video gaming's evolution, the Internet became heavily involved in my favourite past time- or perhaps more appropriately, obsession. The question I'll be asking- and hopefully answering- this week is; has the Internet been a helping hand or a hindrance in the evolution of gaming?

The Internet- the information highway- or cul-de-sac, if my 56k modem is anything to go by- has endless possibilities. It allows two people to communicate from two different sides of the world. It allows information to be posted up in a particular slab of cyberspace- so that the whole world can view it- or, at least the people with access. It also opens doors for online gaming- multiplayer titles allowing two people from, say, New Zealand and Greenland- perhaps the two folks who were chatting, I don't know, "I don't make the rules"-to play against each other via the 'net. This is just one factor that has helped gaming evolve- many view online gaming as the future. I have to say online gaming is pretty spiffing, even though console-based 'net games are dogged by lag and connection issues- which spoil the experience somewhat. But, there is no doubt, that in the future online gaming will be an endlessly valuable feature in any title- when all the problems have been smoothed out- including pricing. A feature along the lines of the ideas above will add hours and hours of gameplay value and lifespan to any title; which can only be a good thing. Take Counter Strike for example, an online add-on for the highly popular Half Life on PC- and soon Xbox- which still has a huge user base years and years into it's theoretical life. The opportunity for online play is- and will be to a greater extent in the future, once the previous problems have been ironed out- a great pull factor for the potential buyer.

This particular feature also provokes a feeling of community and friendship- emotions that sit perfectly next to the emotions of fun and accomplishment that are achieved through offline and play. Online games often require teams to take part, a feature which produces close-knit groups of friends which can enjoy these online masterpieces together- perhaps a direction in which gaming should and probably will be heading in. These teams can be taken to a new level- clans can be formed- with leagues and championships taking place- almost sport-like. I'm sure I'm not alone- and judging by the big names at E3, I'm not- in saying that this could well be the future of games. And in an industry that is being swamped in identikit mindless titles and a "me-too" attitude demonstrated by the huge amount of WW2 Shooters in Los Angeles- I think that online features could well keep our industry alive. We just need to get the technological side sorted out first- connection and lag problems for a start- as well as pricing- we're being overcharged at the moment- that's for sure. I'm starting to think good ol' Nintendo has the right attitude- lets save it for the next round of consoles. Then the fun can really start.

Granted, the Internet opens doors not only for the actual gaming part of..um..gaming. Sticking with the community aspect of gaming, the advent of the Internet brought with it the opportunity for gaming fans across the world to take the obsession to a new level- the technology meant that fans could meet with their own kind to talk about the games, the consoles as well as news circulating around the industry. The arrival of the World Wide Web meant that our love for video games could be shared with thousands of people- a huge community, or cult- has been created. The 'net is a playground for us gaming fanatics to discuss our hobby, get our views out there- and talk to people just like us. The Internet created a new aspect of gaming- it was no longer a hobby but a lifestyle. Take the Cube-Europe community for example, thousands of people visit the message board and the chat room every week- what was once a place to chat about games has turned into a full-blown community, a virtual community where friends gather to just talk shit as well as about games. In a society that looks down at serial gamers as "geeks" who should be treated like dirt on the bottom of your shoe- this was a shining light for many fans.

Speaking of Cube-Europe, the Internet also gave enthusiasts the chance to create their own gaming-related websites, where they can get their view out to the world- where they can create their own communities. Amateur journalists could get their work out into the public eye- working towards their future. This was great for gamers- reviews, previews, news, interviews and more was available at the click of a button. With gaming magazines costing around five quid a month- the Internet opened up opportunities so that everyone could access information and news regarding the gaming world. Companies that work in the industry benefited as well, they could get information and press releases about their games into the public eye ( as well as adverts- which is a con rather than a pro if you ask me- and millions of gamers across the world). The World Wide Web also opened doors for media- screenshots and movies could be accessed by anyone connected to the internet-without having to splash out for magazines (bar a few particular websites- that I won't name who charge for media- unlike Cube-Europe where it's all free! Ahem.) And as the technology advanced more opportunities were created for gamers- for example E3 can be viewed by any old gamer- rather than just journalists- via a direct-feed video. And that's not mentioning the pennies journalists saved; going to Los Angeles isn't cheap my friends.

The 'net also created opportunities for young coders and designers looking to get into the industry. They could show off their work to a large audience- coders could showcase their games and designers could display their art and models. Development houses and companies could also reach potential employees easier- through their won websites or web-based recruitment companies. Communities based on creating games were also created- meaning amateur designers and coders could talk to other, more accomplished designers and gain knowledge and tips while learning all the time. The Internet might just help us find the next Shigsy or Jon Romero. And that isn't no bad thing.

However, the Internet's influence on the video game industry hasn't been all good. The advantages that the web provides can work against us as well as for us. You see, the opportunity for information to be posted up for the world to see can be a good thing- but it can also be a bad thing. As you've probably guessed, I'm talking about piracy- an illegal practice that demonstrates a huge problem to companies in the business. Due to the fact that files can be uploaded to cyberspace much like information, illegal copies of games can be downloaded by anyone. Emulators are programs which emulate- pretend to be- a particular console- tricking the software into thinking it's the official hardware. They can be freely downloaded- and you'll find emulators for PSone, N64, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance and most platforms that came before these consoles. It's only a matter of time it seems before the next-gen consoles will get the same treatment- its reported that hackers have found out how to crack GameCube games and upload them to the internet. Nintendo lose a hell of a lot of money to piracy- the Game Boy being the culprit- as all it's incarnations are available for download in emulator form at the click of a button. A simple search of the Internet presents us with thousands of Game Boy and Game Boy Advance titles ready to be downloaded and played on an Emulator. Without the Internet, the ROMs (the name for the games which are played on the emulators) would not be available to millions of people like they are now, and Nintendo wouldn't have to deal with these illegal practices; and would save a lot of money.

Piracy is a huge problem- there is no doubt about that- but without the Internet gaming wouldn't have been gifted that extra dimension- that sense of community which online gaming and discussion brings. Once the obvious problems regarding online gaming have been obliterated- online multiplayer gaming will be a very enjoyable experience- a breath of fresh air that is much needed in gaming's mid-life crisis. Ultimately the pros outweigh the cons- Piracy is a big hindrance, but the Internet is not solely responsible for that. Lets all take our hats off to Mr.Internet. I know I have.

Peace out

- BitchZone is written by Ben Havercroft, Resident Bitcher [email protected]