Backgammon Online
Backgammon Online - New Game with Ancient History
Backgammon is a game with a history dating back more than 5000 years. It's traversed many countries and cultures on just about every continent spanning the globe. But in the last 10 years worldwide players have started to take interest in backgammon online. Large communities of players meet on the internet to play this ancient game in a new virtual environment. Some of the first backgammon software programs designed to facilitate backgammon play online such as FIBS are still going almost 15 years after they were first introduced.
Today playing backgammon online seems like a breeze. The software is sophisticated with life-like graphics and avatars with gameplay running fast and smooth. But almost 15 years ago playing backgammon on the net was an entirely different experience. In the summer of 1992 the First Internet Backgammon Server (known as FIBS) went online and for the first time it allowed players with internet access in their own countries to compete at backgammon with each other. Furthermore it was able to keep track of the player's performance using the ELO rating system through prior game analysis and statistical information. This helped pair up players of equal skill levels.
Players were invited to create their own personal usernames and online monikers in order to complete against each other for fun (FIBS is a non-commercial backgammon server). The graphics and user experience for this early version of software that allowed people to play backgammon online was crude and simple and sometimes slow, but it was monumental in building the huge online community of international players that exists today.
By 1994 a more sophisticated graphical interface was created and was accessible to both Windows and Mac users. FIBS was not just allowing people to play backgammon online, it was also helping push forward the boundaries of internet technology and online community games. Computer programs for playing backgammon such as Snowie, Jellyfish, TD-Gammon and GNUbg were also created as a substitute for a human opponent. Using complex programming, algorithms and real time play analysis these virtual opponents proved to be a real challenge even for pro backgammon players.
FIBS also paved the way in connecting people over the internet with "shout" a basic text message chat function. This feature is part and parcel of all the newer commercial software applications people use to play backgammon online today. There's a strong social component to online backgammon and players often make good use of the chat functions in order to get to know the person on the other end. It's a great way for people from different countries and cultures to make friends and meet new people.
Classic board games are such an ingrained part of human culture that they have proven themselves against the test of time. Bringing backgammon online seemed like a logical step with the advancement of internet and
