Gaming has come a long way since the first video game, Ping Pong, was made in 1972. Today, we now have a wide variety of them of varying quality and experiences, all having unique appeal from one another. However, there is one defining factor that ultimately divides all the games in existence and that is its dependence on the internet.
If the game needs to connect to the internet, it’s called an ‘online game’. Otherwise, being independent from the internet identifies the game as ‘offline’. It’s easy to assume that online connectivity is crucial to the type of gameplay offered, but the line between genre and the technologies the developer needs is blurred.
Which is better, online or offline gaming?
Online is not necessarily better than offline or vice versa. It depends on what you expect in a game and what internet dependency can add. To better understand this topic, you must determine what you want to see in a video game. All the genres in the gaming industry can be summarised into three key expectations:
- Exploration: The game is all about enjoying the content offered in the game. Many of them are story-driven but it can also be a sandbox world.
- Skill-based: This type of game is all about overcoming challenges and ultimately becoming a better player. Sometimes it’s a plate-versus-player (PvP) scenario but it can also be in an isolated space called player-versus-entity (PvE).
- Casual: Both exploration and skill-based games take dedication to be engaging. Casual offers a more relaxed gameplay loop. Some offer 5- to 10-minute brain teasers while others are luck-based challenges like gambling on Casino Days mobile.
There is no objectively correct answer to the debate between online and offline games. To find a subjective answer, it should always be based on your expectations in a game. For that, here are the advantages from both sides:
The advantages of online gaming over offline
Of the three expectations, skill-based games stand to benefit from being online. The internet can connect you with random players in a region or worldwide to give you someone to play with. Test your mettle against each other and learn their tricks to improve yourself.
Exploration and casual games as concepts aren’t dependent on online connectivity. However, it can benefit from operating on a cloud. Games become accessible to weaker devices, making them playable because the bulk of the game’s storage and processing is in a remote server. Many modern long-running gacha games and online casinos operate in this manner.
The advantages of offline gaming over online
The gaming industry is split on whether completely offline games are still necessary since 5G internet has made online connectivity nigh omnipresent across all households. However, a large portion of the gaming community still appreciates being independent of any live service, thereby making offline games more advantageous no matter the genre.
For skill-based games, the only genre that benefits from an offline mode is party games where groups of friends share the same console but different controllers. Exploration and casual games tend to be single-player experiences where being offline is often the default setup. Being offline means that all processing happens in the device and is faster than cloud systems.
Conclusion: Both online and offline have their strengths
Both online and offline games have their respective strengths to provide various gaming experiences. Online connectivity benefits skill- and luck-based games better than the other genres because it enables matchmaking. Exploration and casual games don’t need the same feature.
On the flip side, being online-only means it cannot be played if the internet is unavailable. Therefore, many games, including skill-based games, require offline accessibility. Features disabled from offline-only titles include any cloud services and transaction options which are crucial for certain genres like gambling or gacha games.
It’s important to acknowledge the strengths of both sides online and offline. They each stand on their merit and games that have both are better than just having one side. Your inclination in the online vs offline gaming debate revolves around what you get from either side.
