Most Played Online Games

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INTRODUCTION
The youth of today no longer seem to spend their leisure activities like in the olden days; outdoor games or playing with toys, instead, they spend their free time in their homes, internet cafés or computer shops simply to satisfy their hunger; and that hunger is Online Gaming. Online gaming has such a profound impact on not only the young, but dynamically every age group as well. So far, virtually anyone is able to go on a computer and punch through the keys and mouse in order to get a high score, chat with players, get the rarest items, and level up as fast as possible. Yes, there seems to be no restriction as to whom, how or what online gaming can extend to. Almost half of college students who play video, computer or online games admit that it keeps them from studying “some” or a “lot,” according to the Pew study. About 9 percent said that gaming was a way to avoid studying. There are kids today that prefer to skip school and stay home to level up in a MMORPG game. The others that actually do attend school have trouble concentrating because they are distracted. They are distracted because they consistently think about the online game and the plans that they are going to do. Resulting of this they hardly participate and get into class discussions. Since they spend whatever extra time they have in an online game, they fail to meet the requirements of school. This distressing stuff caught the attention of the research, because of what’s happening to the youth. Why most of the students attract of the online games? Is because of the popular online games? What are the popular online games? Does it affect their academic performance? That’s the question that people want to surely ask. For this, the researchers want to know the reason behind this what the most teenagers most played online games, and also to know if it is Affecting their academic performance.

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Review of Related Literature
Top 10 Most Popular Online Games of 2007
During the first few years of their existence, people thought online games were doomed to be one hit wonders, but this has proven to be untrue. Online games are extremely popular and are devouring the gaming market.
1. Pangya
Before “Pangya”, online gamers never really had anything to say about golf. After “Pangya”, online gamers around the world have this to say about golf: Super swing, Pangya! This offbeat yet highly entertaining online game brought golf to the attention of millions of online gamers worldwide, and the phenomenon never seems to let go. “Pangya: Season 3”, the latest expansion patch, brought the ever-popular Kaz the Samurai Warrior into the world of Pangya. Additional features from the new expansion patch includes several new golf courses, a revamped trading system where players may buy and sell in-game items, and, last but not the least, the much-awaited Overworld feature.
2. Ran Online
Do you remember what it feels like to be the top student of your class? How about being the class bully, or being bullied? If so, then this online game is set to blow you away. “Ran Online” is a campus-based online game in the tradition of “Ragnarok Online”. The creators have created a rich school environment where players are allowed complete freedom of movement. So now you can bring your character to the next level while exploring the game’s rich campus settings. You can also try your luck battling it out with other players in player vs. player, or PVP mode.
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3. Granado Espada
Known as “The Sword of the New World” in the United States and other European countries, “Granada Espada” is the current trend setter in a competitive market. Available character classes include the fighter, the wizard, the musketeer, the Scout, and the Elementalist. The game developers, IMC Games, decided to do away with the popular fantastical formula. They, instead, took a notorious era in the history of mankind, the Age of Exploration, threw in a bunch of cool-looking characters, and created a game with tons of flare and personality.
4. RF Online
Do you love magic and heavy machine guns? Then “RF Online” is for you. “RF Online” is the blockbuster online game from developer CCR. Set in the distant Novus system, a galaxy where high forms of sorcery and technology are at constant collision with one another, “RF Online”’s plot follows the three-way war between the Accretia clan, the Bellato clan, and the Cora clan. The game-play itself is unique when it comes to the use of race-specific abilities, something of a treat to look forward to in PVP. “RF Online” has recently become free to play in many countries around the world.
5. Perfect World
“Perfect World” is a tale of soul and swords. The game’s developers, inspired by ancient Chinese mythology, have succeeded in creating a world that defies all conventions. In “Perfect World”, beasts talk, gigantic birds rule the sky, and humans and elves fight together to bring down ferocious creatures. The game offers a plethora of interesting side-quests and features, including a territorial battle feature, a mount system, a marriage system, a crafting system, and a phone lock feature, specifically designed to combat the worsening crisis in account hacking.
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6. Final Fantasy XI
“Final Fantasy XI” is an online gamer and Final Fantasy fanatic’s dream come true. In this game, players assume the role of any of the five tribes that inhabit the world of Vana’diel: the Elvaan tribe, the Hume tribe, the Galka tribe, the Mithra tribe, and the Tarutaru tribe. The game has received a generous amount of critical applause since it initial release in 2002. 7. Fly for Fun
“Fly for Fun” (sometimes called FlyFF) holds the record for being the first online game to offer complete freedom of movement in the air! In this game, players can use a broom or a skateboard to soar and fly off to different parts of the world in their pursuit of stronger monsters to slay. The game is at its ninth version as of writing. Version 10 is slated to come out soon. Available classes include mercenary (becomes Knight or Blade), magician (becomes Psykeeper or Elementor), assist (becomes Ringmaster or Billposter), and acrobat (becomes Ranger or Jester). 8. Ragnarok Online
“Ragnarok Online” may be the epitome of online gaming. No other online game managed to attract the attention of millions of PC gamers around the world at a time when network games, like “Counter Strike” and “Starcraft” were primarily responsible for burnt crisp video cards and hard drives. “Ragnarok” features an ensemble cast of fantasy character classes: the mercenary class (good with the sword), the thief class (adept at sneaking and confusion), the mage class (adept at magic and sorcery), the archer class (good at long-distance combat), the acolyte class (party healers and buffers), and the merchant class (your average traders).
Online Games 5 9. Tantra Online
“Tantra” many be a weird name, but it’s a great game. Set within an enigmatic universe where human summoners and ghastly monsters rule the land, “Tantra” is one of the most innovative online games of all time. All “Tantra” players are required to choose one of the three gods: Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu. The consequence of your chosen god becomes evident once you enter the game’s fantastic PVP arena. “Tantra”’s PVP mode is like no other; it is an assault on the senses. Depending on your chosen god, you will be transported to your god’s castle, and as a follower it is your duty to launch an invasion on the castles of the other two gods. When the three tribes collide, all hell breaks loose, and that is when the game of “Tantra” reaches its finest hour. 10. World of Warcraft
Legendary game developer, Blizzard took its award-winning fantasy world to new heights when it unleashed this mammoth online game. Available character classes include the druid, the hunter, the mage, the paladin, the priest, the rogue, the shaman, the warlock class and the warrior. Huge, breathing environments, a crafty roster of playable classes, a thrifty trading system and an addictive PVP system makes this game a blast to play.
Top 10 Most Popular Online Games of 2007. (2007). http://crunkish.com/top-10-online-games-of-2007/

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Video game use and academic performance
Among gamers and public, there are differing opinions about video games and how it affects children’s academic performance. Most gamers say it has a positive or no effect on their academic performance, most parents and teachers I heard state the opposite. As for academia, well this article isn’t the first to look at video game use and academic performance. There are certainly others, but this was in my personal library.
This study analyzes the correlation between video game usage and academic performance. Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and grade-point average (GPA) scores were used to gauge academic performance. The amount of time a student spends playing video games has a negative correlation with students’ GPA and SAT scores. As video game usage increases, GPA and SAT scores decrease. A chi-squared analysis found a p value for video game usage and GPA was greater than a 95% confidence level (0.005 < p < 0.01). This finding suggests that dependence exists. SAT score and video game usage also returned a p value that was significant (0.01 < p < 0.05). Chi-squared results were not significant when comparing time spent studying and an individual’s SAT score. This research suggests that video games may have a detrimental effect on an individual’s GPA and possibly on SAT scores. Although these results show statistical dependence, proving cause and effect remains difficult, since SAT scores represent a single test on a given day. The effects of video games maybe be cumulative; however, drawing a conclusion is difficult because SAT scores represent a measure of general knowledge. GPA versus video games is more reliable because both involve a continuous measurement of engaged activity and performance. The connection remains difficult because of the complex nature of student life and academic performance. Also, video game usage may simply be a function of specific personality types and characteristics.
Anand, V. (2007). A study of time management: The correlation between video game usage and academic performance markers. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 10(4), 552-559.

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College students are avid gamers Video games aren’t just for kids. For American college students, games are as much a part of life as studying and partying. A study from Pew Internet Research finds that 70 percent of college students play video games at least “once in a while.”
The study, “Let The Games Begin: Gaming technology and entertainment among college students,” was conducted by Steve Jones, a professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The goal was to learn about the impact of video games on college student’s lives.
The survey was given to college students at four-year and two-year public and private colleges and universities between March 2002 and October 2002.
Video games have transformed pop culture. Sales of video games have bypassed Hollywood box office receipts in the last few years.
But only recently have researchers started studying the pervasive impact of video games on young people’s lives.
The Pew study comes on the heels of research from the University of Rochester that found college students who regularly play shoot-em-up video games have sharper visual skills than those who don’t.
The Pew study smashes a few gender stereotypes about avid gamers, finding that slightly more women (60 percent) than men (40 percent) reported playing computer and online games. About the same number of men and women play video games.
Women prefer computer games over violent video games played on consoles partly because they don’t usually require the player to choose a character. Online games like Diamond Mine or Tetris are popular among women because gender isn’t an issue.

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Men play for fun (45 percent); women play when they’re bored (33 percent).
Video games are also a way guys bond with their buddies; 51 percent of men believing that gaming improved their friendship with friends. Only 34 percent of women believe video games help their friendships.
Nearly two-thirds of the students said games were a good way to spend time when friends weren’t around, but they also said that video games didn’t take time away from family or friends.
Average video gamers in college aren’t the stereotypical alienated loners locked away in darkened, pizza box-filled dorm rooms. Most of the study’s participants had positive associations with video games, saying they felt pleasant (36 percent) when they played or that they were challenging (45 percent).
In particular, students said playing video games were a way to spend more time with their friends, one of the key trends spotted by the researchers.
Rather than separating leisure activities like video games from the rest of their lives, college students stole time between classes to play or as a brief distraction from writing papers. Multi-tasking is also big on campus with students gaming while instant messaging or even downloading music.
Video games are also prime-time for up-all-night college students. About 41 percent of college gamers play after 9 p.m. with only 8 percent reporting that they play before noon.
Weaver, Jane. (2007).http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3078424/ns/technology_and_science-games/t/college-studen

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Synthesis

It is clear from the literature that the effect of video games on the youth is both positive and negative. Video games can certainly lead to negative effects such as social isolation and increased aggression, but they are going to remain a part of college culture for the imaginable future.
It is important to understand the positive and negative aspects of video games. Playing games socially as part of balanced lifestyle seems to have some positive effects. Playing violent games is linked to several negative problems. The description of women in video games can have a negative effect on the gender views of men and the identity and self-worth of women.
Some research has shown that video games may be one way to engage students more in the learning process. This seems especially true in areas involving analytical skills. They can contribute another way of learning in addition to the many other academic methods which are currently popular. There is ongoing research on how to best leverage games in education, if they should be used at all.
Students and educators need to be aware of the dangers of excessive gaming. It can have academic, social, and spiritual consequences. Students have been known to completely disconnect from their friends and surroundings when playing games like World of Warcraft. As was shown by several statistics presented earlier a small percentage of students, especially men, spend a huge amount of time playing video games. Balance needs to be emphasized as an important part of the healthy Christian lifestyle, and video games are no exception.