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Growing Popularity of Online Gaming Having Real World Effect

Once a niche market among a select few, gaming has grown by leaps and bounds from its humble beginnings. As various role playing games and more mainstream console based games grow in the popularity, the Internet has encouraged the change in the way our society views and uses these brands. Online gaming has become the dominion of no single market, and has pervaded pop culture on an epic scale.

As the number of personal computers grows, so does the online gaming world. It is fueled by this massive influx of potential users. Everyone remembers World of Warcraft and it’s staggering figure of 1 million registered online users. This was a watershed moment for online gaming, yet the figures continue to grow and has long since dwarfed WOW’s boastful number.

The reason why online gaming continues to remain popular is the way in which it continues to grow and redefine itself. Online gaming is anything but static. Online gaming has found safe harbor in the world of social networking where, one of the world’s largest gaming companies, Zynga, has continued to captivate the market and users through games, such as Farmville, YoVille, and Mafia Wars.

Zynga, for example, remains committed to the idea of introducing gaming to the world. Their company’s mission, as stated by founder Mark Pincus, is designed to create an interconnected world using gaming as the vehicle in which to do this. This is a bold statement, yet the company seems to be making good on their promises. They have been able to do many things to enact real world change through the use of online gaming.

American Banking and Market News recently reported on the impending Zynga Pokercon event to be hosted at the Palms Casino and Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. It’s expected to gain a lot more traction for this company that’s already proven to be a powerhouse. The goal of this tournament was born out of the company’s mission statement: to bring the world together though gaming. The company wanted to bring all of the players that currently partake in the increasingly popular world of online poker, and bring them to the real world, together under one roof. The convention hosts a lineup of celebrity poker players and regular users. It’s expected to have a huge turnout, but Zynga didn’t stop there. The events will also have appearances by celebrity musicians, such as rapper B.O.B. of the #1 hit song, “Magic.”

The company has begun a campaign using its vast financial resources to enact social change. The website, Zynga.org, discusses how the company has been collecting money for a while, through their various gaming platforms, for donations and funds in order to assist in the preservation of wildlife, habitat conservation, and third world aide. Each year will have a different theme – 2010’s theme was water. The goal of the donation is to bring the world together through gaming and to contribute to efforts to raise awareness on various global and social issues that impact us all.

Gaming has come a long way since the days of dingy dark basements and one bit graphics. Ever since online gaming came to the forefront of pop culture, it has continued to captivate audiences and surprise us in all in a myriad ways. One can only guess at how much further the gaming industry will grow, but only time will tell.