Since early1990s, Online game has become a spectacularly booming industry in the world. International Data CorporationÂ’s 2004 statistic showed global Online gameÂ’s income was $ 8.2 billion and an estimated of $ 22.7 billion in 2009. In China, the biggest online game market, those numbers were $ 300 million and $ 1.3 billion respectively.
What is the source of all this?
The newborn Online game has dislodged PC game and Console game from their firm positions as Online game is always available for updating, creating new functions and expanding game world’s map. If life cycle of a PC game or Console game is: Introduction – Growth – Upgrade – Decline, it is quite different with Online game: Introduction – Growth – Outdating – Upgrade – Outdating – Upgrade…Thus, even pro game players who know all secrets of Final Fantasy, Fallout, etc. cannot boast ” I am an expertise of The Sims or Warcraft”.
Furthermore, Online game is actually a huge community of old and new members as once upgraded, every player has to grope for a brand new adventure with unlimited exciting and thrilling stage. The phrase ”MMORPG” (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) becomes more popular than ever and no longer do players have to face monotonous individual games but they can now interact with hundreds or thousands of other players from all over the world.
It can be said without exaggeration that the players can live a real life in virtual world of Online game. They gather in one side and undertake the adventure of a lifetime together, such as fighting and protecting Human or Ak’kan clan in Risk Your Life II, or borrow money, or trade weapons. All real emotions are shown when playing Online games: glad when winning, satisfied when trading a valued weapon, or disappointed when being defeated. A current research of Avnex Ltd. () found that many game geeks also use Voice changer software (VCS) together with some chat application such as Ventrilo, Teamspeak to make the virtual games become vivid. VCS can change their voice to multi-characters they are playing role in, regardless age and sex. Imagine that how much more interesting a sonorous voice of a knight, a charming voice of a heroic will make the game is. One game player shared in the research interview: ”That was a female character, and I did hear her sweet and sexy voice asking for my weapon. Of course I was falling into her flirtation. After a couple of days, it turned out that my weapon was in a class mate’s property. He used AV VCS”.