Playing games has never been more popular – and that’s all thanks to the digital revolution. We can now play a huge range of brilliant games anywhere and any time.
From the sophisticated selection of games available from leading casino operators like 777 casino to a simple morning game of Wordle on your phone there is now a whole world of fun available on the internet.
The online gaming industry has taken the concept of playing a game into new directions we would never have dreamed of a generation ago. Games that used to be kept in boxes in a cupboard or played with pen and paper on the kitchen table have become sophisticated and exciting online experiences.
Whether you want a quiet game of chess by yourself or a wild multi-player wargame, the internet can now offer you all types of gaming at any time of day or night. It seems extraordinary that even that dedicated physical board game Dungeons and Dragons, with all its important pieces, counters and boards is now available as a popular online experience.
That’s just one of a wide range of old-school classics that have made the jump online. Thanks to multi-player modes and live streaming systems the old traditional board games like Monopoly, card games like poker and casino favourites like roulette can all be quoted as internet success stories.
This leap online has followed the global rise of the internet and then the boom in devices offering portable web access. We are now able to play games anywhere on digital devices – changing our whole relationship with what playing a game means.
Travelling to play bingo at a converted cinema on the other side of town still appeals to many – but the online equivalent is a lot more convenient. And the online sites are open all day, everyday.
Whether you are playing blackjack or Cluedo the internet is usually the first place to turn today.
So what are the classic games that have made the most successful transition on to the internet? We consulted the industry experts to present four of the best:
Bingo
The grand old classic numbers game of bingo took hundreds of years to evolve into a community favourite. It is believed to have originated in Renaissance Italy and gradually spread across the world.
Bingo became a major part of the social life for many in port-war Britain. Visits to the bingo hall were big events in some communities.
Experts predicted the game’s demise once the internet arrived. The simple calling out of numbers while players crossed them off their cards seemed something that would never work online.
And we were all wrong. Bingo has become one of the big success stories on the online world.
The classic ‘eyes-down’ game has been cleverly enhanced with extra features and chat rooms. Bingo has never been as popular as it is now.
Slot machines
The metal box with a lever that activated spinning reels of symbols seems like the perfect example of old-school gaming. Surely that primitive idea would never translate to the high-tech online world?
Amazingly slots made the online switch easily. With the help of clever web designers and user-friendly online casinos, slots are now booming.
There have never been more slot games with more exciting themes, extras and features.
Poker
Remember staring at the back of other player’s cards or gazing at their eyes, trying to fathom whether they are bluffing? Remember the feel of the cards in your hand?
Surely those essential parts of the classic card game of poker in all its forms would never work in the remote world of online casinos?
Well you just need to look at today’s surge in playing internet poker to tell the answer to that. Online poker is booming.
It quickly proved to be a secure, reliable way to play a hand of poker. And the rise in live streaming has helped recreate the atmosphere and tension of a physical card game.
Chat rooms have added a social element and it turns out today’s players don’t need the cliché of a dimly lit late-night bar to enjoy a poker game.
Indeed, there are now thousands on sites with poker on offer. Thanks to the size and profitability of online casinos the jackpots can be huge.
Online poker is now such a widespread and popular thing that there are professional players who simple sit at home and play.
Scrabble
Gather the family round the table and get out the Scrabble box. Have the dictionary at the ready and keep score with a biro on a sheet of paper… That’s the classic image of a game of the enduring letter and word-game Scrabble.
Yet after the internet revolution we can all find ourselves playing the world’s most popular word game online instead. Find it as an app on your mobile phone or play as part of a social media site.
You can even play Scrabble on a computer or laptop.
The game has made the leap into the digital world seamlessly. Play with your friends or with complete strangers.
There are no more arguments over whether it’s a real word and no-one can post a word that is a slang or offensive. Scrabble has never been easier.
The lesson of the internet revolution has been clear: If a offline game is good in the first place you can have just as much fun, if not more, playing it online.
