Nerd Mentality

Browser-Based Games Suck.

Posted February 20th 2009 by Derrick Lutz.

There's a new trend in PC gaming: browser-based games. And I'm not talking about Flash or Java games. I'm talking about games like Quake Live and Battlefield Heroes. If you're not aware, these are full 3D free-to-play games (currently in closed beta) that are supported by advertising and microtransactions.

The root of the problem is that I don't understand what the advantage is in having these games launched from your browser. The browser is just another layer of bullshit that can cause problems. You have to install the proprietary plug-in for each game anyway, so it's not like there's a convenience or quick access factor. And at least in their current state, every time they do an update you have to manually reinstall the plug-in.

I guess the idea is to have a social networking web 2.0 package around these games to make them more appealing to people who normally wouldn't care. Maybe that will work, maybe it won't. Either way, there has to be a better way to do this.

For instance, what would be wrong with having the game installed and launched like every other game and application on my computer? You can still have a website with stats and community features. You can even render that website inside of the game. And another plus would be that people couldn't block your advertising with browser plug-ins like AdBlock.

Maybe someone can explain their logic to me, because I can't figure it out.

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