Community Games

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Overview
Community features
Benefits
Requirements
Play online community games
Subscription service
Forums and news

Overview

Do you prefer playing casual games online, as opposed to casual downloadable PC or Mac games? Do you enjoy socializing with other casual gamers - that is, interacting with other players with similar gaming interests to you - while playing your favorite games online? By other players, we mean family members, relatives, friends or even strangers.

If so, then you're in luck. Why? This web-site, as well as many casual gaming web-sites, now offer a special type of casual game, called an online community game.

What are online community games? Since casual gaming terminology can be quite daunting for the uninitiated, we will simplify matters by distinguishing between two categories of casual online games; those which DO possess community features and those which DO NOT.

Henceforth, we will label the former category as online community games (i.e. online multiplayer and single player games WITH community features) and the latter category as online games or web games or browser-based games (i.e. online single player games WITHOUT community features). The focus here will be on the former.

Now, back to our original qestion, what are online community games? Played by groups of casual gamers sharing common gaming interest, these games can be loosely defined as multiplayer and single player games that have been specifically developed for true online game-play. Furthermore, online community games include certain internal (in-game) and external (post-game) community features that have been built into and/or around the game itself.

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Community features

What kinds of community features are found in online community games? According to an International Game Developers Association (IGDA) White Paper, the term "community features" in the context of online community gaming has come to include any or all of the following internal (in-game) features and/or external (post-game) features.

Internal (in-game) features may include one or more of the following:

Play with or against other gamers in the same virtual game room or hall. Think of a virtual game hall as being the equivalent of, for example, an offline Bingo hall in which people, who enjoy socializing with other Bingo enthusiasts while playing Bingo, gather regularly for an evening of fun and entertainment. Well, the same principle applies to an online Bingo hall. A virtual Bingo room can easily be set up according to geographic areas, special interest groups or some other common factor shared by a group of people.
Play self-paced games in the same online hall as other players. In other words, chill while playing your favorite games, at your own leisurely pace, while socializing with other gamers.
Publicize, during game-play, your and other player scores to all players in the same virtual room.
Interact with other players in the same online hall during game-play. For example, using an online chat facility, you can send messages to and receive messages from other gamers in the same virtual game room while playing your favorite game.
Broadcast your and other player achievements during game-play (e.g. amazing feats or events of extraordinary rarity).

External (post-game) features may include one or more of the following:

Post your and other player game scores to a leader or high score board. For example, this will keep you informed on your own personal game-play progress, as well as provide you with an indication of how you are performing in comparison to other gamers playing the same game.
Ranking of players. This is accomplished via an online ranking facility, based on a complicated mathematical algorithm, which gauges your level of skill for a particular game to other players' skill levels. Player skill levels are generally used for head-to-head (or one-on-one) game-play.
Archive and display your and other gamers' best scores for different periods of time (e.g. day, week, month, lifetime, etc.).
Online message board (now more commonly referred to as an online forum) allowing you and other players to chat to each other during game-play.
Ability for you and other gamers to invite one another to compete in a specific online game.
Hall of fame recognizing your and other players' long term or outstanding achievements.
Rewards system in which you and other players are rewarded for spending extended periods of time playing online games.
Opportunity for you and other gamers to win coins, points, tokens, trophies, talismans, badges, dots or some other kind of award during game-play.

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Why play online community games?

Apart from the obvious (entertainment), what are the benefits of playing online community games?

Play for free. The biggest benefit of playing these games is the fact that they are FREE! Yup, you heard right, FREE. Why? Advertising and game sponsorship; most reputable casual gaming web-sites offering online community games make money by selling advertising space and/or game sponsorship to third party online advertisers. As a result, you get to play these games... gratis.
Is there a catch? Yup, the catch is that you will incessantly be bombarded with advertisements (before, during and after game-play) placed in and/or around a game. For those of you who don't have a problem with advertising, great. However, for those of you who despise advertising, there is an alternative. Click here to learn more about the ad-free subscription service.
Play and socialize. By playing online community games, you get to kill two birds with one stone! That is, you get to play your favorite games online with or against other gamers who enjoy playing similar games AND you get to do so while socializing with them.
No game downloads. Community online games are played via a web browser; meaning, unlike downloadable games, you personally do not have to download any game software to your computer's local hard-drive before game-play can begin. All you have to do is visit a casual gaming web-site that offers such games, locate the game you want to play, click on the play button and... begin playing while interacting with your fellow gamers.
Play with anyone, anytime. And, last but by no means least, you can play online community games with or against family members, relatives, friend or even strangers located anywhere in the world and at anytime!

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What do you need to play online community games?

Starting with the basics, this is what you will need to play online community games:

Personal computer. A Microsoft Windows or Apple Macintosh computer.
Web browser software. Web browser software installed on your personal computer:
- Internet Explorer (version 7.0 or higher) or Mozilla Firefox (version 2.0 or higher) are recommended for the Microsoft Windows platform.
- Mozilla Firefox (version 2.0 or higher) or Safari are recommended for the Apple Macintosh platform.
- Updates to web browser software are available for free. Click on one of the following links to download the latest version of your web browser software: Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox or Safari.
Java runtime environment. In order to operate correctly, community-based online games require the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) software to be installed on your persoanl computer. Click here to download the JRE software or to download the latest version of the JRE software.
Internet connection. Preferably a broadband Internet connection.
An account. Why do you need an account? So that you can access and play games with or against other gamers (via the virtual games room feature), as well as chat to them online in the process. Do you have to create an account? No. You will still be able to play the games, but you will not be able to play with or against other players or have access to the online chat facility. Opening an account is easy, quick and free.

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Want to play online community games?

Want to try playing one or two (or more) online community games with community features enabled? If so, then take a look at this comprehensive catalog of multiplayer and single player games arranged by Game Genre. If you are looking for something a little more specific, then check out one or more of the following:

Bingo games,
Card games,
Dice games,
Puzzle games,
Slots games,
Solitaire games,
Strategy games,
Word games.

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Subscription service

Loathe advertising? Interested in playing online community games without being inundated by advertisements? Then sign-up for the online community games ad-free subscription service. The advantages of this service include:

No advertisements, no banners, no pop-ups, ever. Just you, the games and your fellow gamers.
If you sign-up for this service, you will automatically receive a one time bonus of tokens.
Any game with a jackpot spinner will pay you double, every time you win.
You get a preview of all new games added to the online games library.

Sound like a bargain? If you think so, then click here to learn more about the service.

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Online forums and news

Have a question about a game? Want to share your game experiences, hints, tips and tricks with others? Or, just want to chat to fellow gamers with similar gaming interests? Then here is your opportunity to do so via this user-friendly online forum.

Want to know what's new in the casual online gaming industry? Learn more with Casualgaming.biz, the leading online international trade magazine for the casual games market.

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	Community Games Home > Community Games Overview Community features Benefits Requirements Play online community games Subscription service Forums and news Overview Do you prefer playing casual games online, as opposed to casual downloadable PC or Mac games? Do you enjoy socializing with other casual gamers - that is, interacting with other players with similar gaming interests to you - while playing your favorite games online? By other players, we mean family members, relatives, friends or even strangers. If so, then you're in luck. Why? This web-site, as well as many casual gaming web-sites, now offer a special type of casual game, called an online community game. What are online community games? Since casual gaming terminology can be quite daunting for the uninitiated, we will simplify matters by distinguishing between two categories of casual online games; those which DO possess community features and those which DO NOT. Henceforth, we will label the former category as online community games (i.e. online multiplayer and single player games WITH community features) and the latter category as online games or web games or browser-based games (i.e. online single player games WITHOUT community features). The focus here will be on the former. Now, back to our original qestion, what are online community games? Played by groups of casual gamers sharing common gaming interest, these games can be loosely defined as multiplayer and single player games that have been specifically developed for true online game-play. Furthermore, online community games include certain internal (in-game) and external (post-game) community features that have been built into and/or around the game itself. [Back to Top] Community features What kinds of community features are found in online community games? According to an International Game Developers Association (IGDA) White Paper, the term "community features" in the context of online community gaming has come to include any or all of the following internal (in-game) features and/or external (post-game) features. Internal (in-game) features may include one or more of the following: Play with or against other gamers in the same virtual game room or hall. Think of a virtual game hall as being the equivalent of, for example, an offline Bingo hall in which people, who enjoy socializing with other Bingo enthusiasts while playing Bingo, gather regularly for an evening of fun and entertainment. Well, the same principle applies to an online Bingo hall. A virtual Bingo room can easily be set up according to geographic areas, special interest groups or some other common factor shared by a group of people. Play self-paced games in the same online hall as other players. In other words, chill while playing your favorite games, at your own leisurely pace, while socializing with other gamers. Publicize, during game-play, your and other player scores to all players in the same virtual room. Interact with other players in the same online hall during game-play. For example, using an online chat facility, you can send messages to and receive messages from other gamers in the same virtual game room while playing your favorite game. Broadcast your and other player achievements during game-play (e.g. amazing feats or events of extraordinary rarity). External (post-game) features may include one or more of the following: Post your and other player game scores to a leader or high score board. For example, this will keep you informed on your own personal game-play progress, as well as provide you with an indication of how you are performing in comparison to other gamers playing the same game. Ranking of players. This is accomplished via an online ranking facility, based on a complicated mathematical algorithm, which gauges your level of skill for a particular game to other players' skill levels. Player skill levels are generally used for head-to-head (or one-on-one) game-play. Archive and display your and other gamers' best scores for different periods of time (e.g. day, week, month, lifetime, etc.). Online message board (now more commonly referred to as an online forum) allowing you and other players to chat to each other during game-play. Ability for you and other gamers to invite one another to compete in a specific online game. Hall of fame recognizing your and other players' long term or outstanding achievements. Rewards system in which you and other players are rewarded for spending extended periods of time playing online games. Opportunity for you and other gamers to win coins, points, tokens, trophies, talismans, badges, dots or some other kind of award during game-play. [Back to Top] Why play online community games? Apart from the obvious (entertainment), what are the benefits of playing online community games? Play for free. The biggest benefit of playing these games is the fact that they are FREE! Yup, you heard right, FREE. Why? Advertising and game sponsorship; most reputable casual gaming web-sites offering online community games make money by selling advertising space and/or game sponsorship to third party online advertisers. As a result, you get to play these games... gratis. Is there a catch? Yup, the catch is that you will incessantly be bombarded with advertisements (before, during and after game-play) placed in and/or around a game. For those of you who don't have a problem with advertising, great. However, for those of you who despise advertising, there is an alternative. Click here to learn more about the ad-free subscription service. Play and socialize. By playing online community games, you get to kill two birds with one stone! That is, you get to play your favorite games online with or against other gamers who enjoy playing similar games AND you get to do so while socializing with them. No game downloads. Community online games are played via a web browser; meaning, unlike downloadable games, you personally do not have to download any game software to your computer's local hard-drive before game-play can begin. All you have to do is visit a casual gaming web-site that offers such games, locate the game you want to play, click on the play button and... begin playing while interacting with your fellow gamers. Play with anyone, anytime. And, last but by no means least, you can play online community games with or against family members, relatives, friend or even strangers located anywhere in the world and at anytime! [Back to Top] What do you need to play online community games? Starting with the basics, this is what you will need to play online community games: Personal computer. A Microsoft Windows or Apple Macintosh computer. Web browser software. Web browser software installed on your personal computer: Internet Explorer (version 7.0 or higher) or Mozilla Firefox (version 2.0 or higher) are recommended for the Microsoft Windows platform. Mozilla Firefox (version 2.0 or higher) or Safari are recommended for the Apple Macintosh platform. Updates to web browser software are available for free. Click on one of the following links to download the latest version of your web browser software: Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox or Safari. Java runtime environment. In order to operate correctly, community-based online games require the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) software to be installed on your persoanl computer. Click here to download the JRE software or to download the latest version of the JRE software. Internet connection. Preferably a broadband Internet connection. An account. Why do you need an account? So that you can access and play games with or against other gamers (via the virtual games room feature), as well as chat to them online in the process. Do you have to create an account? No. You will still be able to play the games, but you will not be able to play with or against other players or have access to the online chat facility. Opening an account is easy, quick and free. [Back to Top] Want to play online community games? Want to try playing one or two (or more) online community games with community features enabled? If so, then take a look at this comprehensive catalog of multiplayer and single player games arranged by Game Genre. If you are looking for something a little more specific, then check out one or more of the following: Bingo games, Card games, Dice games, Puzzle games, Slots games, Solitaire games, Strategy games, Word games. [Back to Top] Subscription service Loathe advertising? Interested in playing online community games without being inundated by advertisements? Then sign-up for the online community games ad-free subscription service. The advantages of this service include: No advertisements, no banners, no pop-ups, ever. Just you, the games and your fellow gamers. If you sign-up for this service, you will automatically receive a one time bonus of tokens. Any game with a jackpot spinner will pay you double, every time you win. You get a preview of all new games added to the online games library. Sound like a bargain? If you think so, then click here to learn more about the service. [Back to Top] Online forums and news Have a question about a game? Want to share your game experiences, hints, tips and tricks with others? Or, just want to chat to fellow gamers with similar gaming interests? Then here is your opportunity to do so via this user-friendly online forum. Want to know what's new in the casual online gaming industry? Learn more with Casualgaming.biz, the leading online international trade magazine for the casual games market. [Back to Top]	Game Club Gift Game Space Popular Online Community Games Big Fish Slots Unwell Mel Team Bingo Fairway Solitaire Lightning Bingo Mahjong Towers Eternity L.O.B.E. Riddle O'Day Lost Temple of Gold Suits Me Yukon
Back to Home from Community Games Contact Us \| Help \| Privacy Policy \| Search \| Security Policy \| Site Map \| Terms of Service This page was last updated on 2009-08-26 .....come on...dare to have some fun...you won't regret it.....