A browser game is a computer game that is played over the Internet using a web browser.[1] Browser games can be created and run using standard web technologies[2] or browser plug-ins. Browser games include all video game genres and can be single-player or multiplayer. Browser games are also portable and can be played on multiple different devices or web browsers.[3]
Browser games come in many genres and themes that appeal to both core players and casual players.
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Browser games are often free-to-play and do not require any client software to be installed apart from a web browser. Multiplayer browser games have an additional focus on social interaction, often on a massive scale. Due to the accessibility of browser games, they are often played in more frequent, shorter sessions compared to traditional computer games.[4]
Since browser games run isolated from hardware in a web browser, they can run on many different operating systems without having to be ported to each platform.[5]
Browser games can take advantage of different technologies in order to function.
Standard web technologies such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript can be used to make browser games, but these have had limited success because of issues with browser compatibility and quality. These technologies, collectively termed dynamic HTML, allow for games that can be run in all standards-compliant browsers.[6] In addition, dedicated graphics technologies such as SVG and canvas allow for the fast rendering of vector and raster graphics respectively.[2] In addition, WebGL allows for hardware-accelerated 3D support in the browser.[7][8]
| Chrome | Firefox | Internet Explorer | Opera | Safari | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SVG | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Canvas | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| WebGL | Yes | Yes[9] | No | No | No |
Browser plug-ins can be used to provide game technologies after being installed by the user.
| Windows | Mac OS X | Linux | License[notes 2] | Installed base[notes 3] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flash | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary[10] | 96%[11] |
| Java | Yes | Yes | Yes | Proprietary[12] | 78%[11] |
| Shockwave | Yes | Yes | No | Proprietary[13] | 52%[14] |
| Silverlight | Yes | Yes | Partial (Moonlight - LGPL) | Proprietary[15] | 62%[11] |
| Unity | Yes | Yes | No | Proprietary[16] | 1%[17] |
Browser games can be a distraction in work environments, causing lost productivity. A noteworthy example occurred in May, 2010, when Google replaced their normal logo with a playable rendition of Pac-Man. Research concluded that Google's playable logo caused users to spend an extra 36 seconds on Google's homepage, causing workplaces an estimated total of 4.82 million hours of lost productivity at an estimated cost of over $120 million USD.[18][19]
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