For as long as there has been civilization, human beings have always created and embraced games. Sure, when our ancestors were initially founding settlements there may not have been much time for entertainment, but it seems we have always needed some way to unwind. For instance, we may think of our predecessors sharpening swords and molding spearheads, but some of them were also carving dice and their very own game pieces.

For many years, more traditional games like chess or shougi remained the same as they sat at the very peak of gaming at the time. However, this all changed once computers came around many of these classic games were given digital counterparts. Once the World Wide Web went live, games managed to make their way onto the Internet, which is where we find ourselves today.

Online Gaming

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Due to somewhat primitive technology and the fact many traditional games had already transitioned onto home consoles (anyone remember Chessmaster?), many classic games took their time transitioning to the online platform. That is, except for card games. You may remember that most computers used to come with built in Spider Solitaire games, but these could also be found online. Over time, we discovered how to make more complex programmes like poker work online and thus the iGaming industry was born.

Now, the Internet is packed with online casinos ranging from basic HTML sites to fully fleshed out establishments with thousands of games, live dealers and even multiple platforms. More recently, those at the front end of the innovation highway have even embraced brand new digital currencies. For instance Bitcasino, proven to be the first licensed Bitcoin casino, deals exclusively in the cryptocurrency of Bitcoin. You can still play classic games like poker or lotteries on this site, the only difference is technology has made these titles more accessible, secure and social than ever before.

Of course, online games are not limited to iGaming titles. The modern World Wide Web is now able to host any old game you can possibly think of from ancient chess to jigsaws to console games. Whatever game you fancy playing, chances are a quick Google search will reveal a site or two such as Agame where you can play almost anything you like or Newgrounds, which showcases the creations of independent game developers. Needless to say, games have well and truly been embraced by our modern technology and are more readily available than ever.

Mobile Gaming

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Speaking of readily available, games are also available on the 21^st Century creations that are smartphones. Similarly to the evolution of the Internet, mobiles were only able to host primitive card games and titles like Snake in the beginning, but are now home to millions of titles.

Usually, games are downloaded in the form of apps, and are then stored on the smartphone ready to be played and completed whenever and wherever the player fancies. Although this is undeniably an impressive leap in technology, mobile gaming has definitely gone further. For instance, you can download augmented reality (AR) games such as Pokemon Go straight to your phone, allowing the user to blur the lines between reality and technology in an unprecedented way. It will be extremely interesting to see if games developers can apply this new technology to classic games, thereby giving them a new lease on life.

Even more impressive are the innovative virtual reality (VR) games that recently joined the market. These titles are still in their infancy and yet games like Titans Of Space and Fulldive, when paired with headsets such as Google Cardboard, are already receiving great reviews. Surely, there will come a time when traditional games get their own virtual reality treatment. After all, we have clung to them for millennia and it would be a shame to see them disappear in the wake of newer titles.