There are many games available on the Internet, but if you look carefully the games that are the most sought-after are most probably always the ones that have a simplistic storyline and offer very little action, maybe some combat, but definitely not major exploration. This does not mean that these new flash games are not worth playing, they are. But in addition to the practical problems discussed below, one should also be cognizant of the fact that these games may be obtaining their revenue in many different ways.
As a result of many different sources, most of the flash games that are currently much popular are able to have revenue. Some sources include advertising sponsors, gaming tools like adobe, puzzles, and other games offered by major publishers. Many of these games are designed as demo versions, which allows the user to try them before they buy, and are gaining in popularity for this exact reason.
But one should also keep in mind that some of these demo games, most notably the extremely popular Puzzle Pirates, are gaining in popularity by only being available as free trials. Cryptic has even created a franchise of classic puzzle games, including games such as Eye of the Beholder, Devil's Triangle and the series of Hercule Poirot. The more popular the discontinuation from a free demo, the more popular the original game once it becomes available.
The major publisher has to think of a way to make the advertising on these games something people want to pay for. The way that this is done is by creating an ever-greater depth of content, as well as a steadily increasing monetary yield for the publisher.
Both of these trends will continue in the years to come, as the Internet expands and broadband becomes even more accessible and cheaper for the next generation of gamers to get their gaming needs met. In fact, one can expect that real time gaming will become even more popular as the lack of blockbuster titles makes other media forms seem lacking.
While real time games will not be found in your typical drive through, what you will find is that many restaurants and fast food companies are starting to use the social networking approach as a marketing strategy. Instead of coming up with a new restaurant based game, they are coming up with a "Café World" interactive online game which is both unique and somewhat addictive in its own right.
The social networking approach is especially evident in the amount of time that the game takes to serve. Instead of a series of basic games, this is a more involved and sophisticated social web game. There is some amount of planning that must go into creating a successful Café World, and it shows. The delay between serves in this game is almost constant, which can be both a good thing and a bad thing for the player. The amount of time the customer will wait to be served is seriously problematic for the player, because the duration can vary from five seconds to a couple of minutes. This translates to a great opportunity for the player to show off their skills and have a great time with their friends and family members.
Down the other hand, if the player allows the time to go by quickly, other customers will get the chance to sit at the tables, and things could start to get hectic. There are a couple of ways to minimize the number of waiting customers and set up the tables so that there are enough tables for everyone. Whenever a new level is achieved in the game, more food trucks are brought out to replace the ones that are already present. This requires a great amount of time, from the placement of the new food trucks, to creating them, to placing them in the right locations.
Another more interesting way to maximize the time for serving would be to make the tables themselves move. Instead of a continuous flow of customers walking around a circular serving platform, there is a steady flow of customers moving around the table. This would add a more interesting twist to the gameplay, and would allow the player to really control the Sorceress' movement.
Café world is an excellent example of a complex web game. The gameplay is interesting, the graphics are vibrant and enhanced, and the temperament of the people is very diverse. This mix creates a great atmosphere for the player to explore and interact with. The fact that the game is a social networking site, somehow negates the fact that there are games for straight people and straight people only. It seems that the web games are all about Blazing adrenalin bursts and team domination, while the good old social networking sites are about building up your diversity and Comfort level, and taking care of business applications.
While social games will always have a place in the heart of a specific type of gamer, they will also always be popular on the social websites.
