网络游戏：英文名称为Online Game，又称 “在线游戏”，简称“网游”。指以互联网为传输媒介，以游戏运营商服务器和用户计算机为处理终端，以游戏客户端软件为信息交互窗口的，旨在实现娱乐、休闲、交流和取得虚拟成就的具有可持续性的个体性多人在线游戏。那么，网络游戏英文怎么说呢？

  What is online game   什么是网络游戏   An online game is a game played over some forms of computer network. This almost always means the Internet or equivalent technology, but games have always used whatever technology was current: modems before the Internet, and hard wired terminals before modems. The expansion of online gaming has reflected the overall expansion of computer networks from small local networks to the Internet and the growth of Internet access itself. Online games can range from simple text based games to games incorporating complex graphics and virtual worlds populated by many players simultaneously. Many online games have associated online communities, making online games a form of social activity beyond single player games.   The rising popularity of Flash and Java lead to an Internet revolution where websites could utilize streaming video, audio, and a whole new set of user interactivity. When Microsoft began packaging Flash as a pre-installed component of IE, the Internet began to shift from a data/information spectrum to also offer on-demand entertainment. This revolution paved the way for sites to offer games to web surfers. Some online multiplayer games like World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy XI and Lineage II charge a monthly fee to subscribe to their services, while games such as Guild Wars offer an alternative no monthly fee scheme. Many other sites relied on advertising revenues from on-site sponsors, while others, like RuneScape, or Tibia let people play for free while leaving the players the option of paying, unlocking new content for the members.   After the dot-com bubble burst in 2001, many sites solely relying on advertising revenue dollars faced extreme adversity. Despite the decreasing profitability of online gaming websites, some sites have survived the fluctuating ad market by offsetting the advertising revenue loss by using the content as a cross-promotion tool for driving web visitors to other websites that the company owns.   The term online gaming in many circles is being strictly defined to describe games that do not involve wagering, although many still use the term online gaming synonymously with online gambling. This article focuses on online games that do not involve wagering, online gambling is discussed in a separate article.   网络游戏(online game)是区别与单机游戏(console game)而言的，是指玩家必须通过互联网(internet)连接来进行多人游戏。一般指由多名玩家通过计算机网络在虚拟的(virtual)环境下对人物角色(character)及场景(scene)按照一定的规则进行操作以达到娱乐和互动(interaction)目的的游戏产品集合。   而单机游戏模式多为人机对战。因为其不能连入互联网，所以玩家与玩家的互动性差了很多，但可以通过局域网(local area network)的连接进行有限的多人对战(skirmish)。网络游戏目前的使用形式可以分为以下两种：浏览器(browser)形式和客户端(client)形式。