The dawn is breaking. We’ve seen upcoming services that allow high-end 3D gaming from within your browser. In the past, we took a look at the Unity webplayer and Quake Live.

More of these 3D webgame portals pop up, websites where you can play great games on the go, wherever you are. One of those places is InstantAction.

InstantAction

InstantAction is the place to play high-quality in-browser games, and the slick interface makes it incredibly easy to join up with friends, or find a room that fits your needs. With a constantly growing user base of already over a million registered users, the popularity of InstantAction is obvious.

The best thing about InstantAction games is that you can play them anywhere, anytime. No need for big downloads and long waiting times.

All you need to download is a browser plugin and some basic files – altogether a few Megabytes – and the rest is streamed to your system. Supported browsers are Firefox 3, Internet Explorer, Safari 3 and Chrome. All games work on both Windows and Macintosh computers. Sadly, Linux isn’t supported yet.

The Games

Mostly focusing on multiplayer entertainment, InstantAction currently hosts about eight games, ranging from platforming to third person action.

Fallen Empire: Legions

This game comes as a successor to Starsiege: Tribes, a great sci-fi shooter game of times past.

Play with up to 32 people online in this Third Person Mech Shooter. Jump and fly around the levels, and be sure to keep your finger on the trigger.

Marble Blast Online

This platformer, in which you play a huge rolling ball marble, is the latest in the Marble Blast series. The online InstantAction version features tons of different and challenging maps.

Play with up to 8 people, and participate in this race against the clock to catch the most gems.

Galcon

A Real-Time Strategy game, where people send ships to conquer planets around them. The number on the planet indicates the needed number of ships to take it over. Once in your possession, this planet will facilitate ships as well.

The game can with up to 8 people at a time. Fly around the miniature universe and try to beat the other players to the punch.

Rokkitball

Rokkitball – as the name silently hints – is best described as soccer with big-caliber weaponry. Shoot a mechanical ball across the arena and try to score. If this is the feature of sports, count me in. Play this team-based game with up to 8 people.

Ace of Aces

Based on an old retro game, this flying simulator based on World War II will literally sweep you off your feet. Conquer the skies in a multi-player dogfight and rewrite history.

Zap!

An arcade-shooter, in which you control a powerful triangle plane. Shoot down the other ships, before they do the same to you.

Five game modes can be played in this multiplayer arcade game, including capture the flag and Zone Control.

Think Tanks

Also available via Xbox LIVE Arcade, this cartoony tank shooter can help to take some pressure off. Blow other tanks wide across the levels, and victor on the grassy hills.

With up to 8 players, you can participate in Deathmatch and Scrum – which is basically soccer with tanks.

Lore: Aftermath

Another Mech-based shooter. Get face to face with other Mechanized Assault Vehicles or MAVs. Choose your weapons, customize your MAV and get rolling.

Before heading off, check if your computer is up for the job. Below are some basic specifications.

System Requirements

PC/Windows (XP or Vista)

DirectX 9.0c (Windows XP) or DirectX 10 (Windows Vistaâ„¢)
Processor: Pentium® IV 2.2 GHz, Core® 2â„¢ Duo 1.6 GHz, AMDAthlonâ„¢ 2.08 GHz or better
RAM: 512 MB of available system memory
Internet Access Required

Mac OS X (10.4.11 and above)
Intel® chipsets only
RAM: 512 MB of available system memory
Internet Access Required

These are the base requirements, these might vary depending on the specific game. You can check the game-specific requirements here – also for GPU information.

What are you waiting for? Give InstantAction a try and let us know what you think about it, in the comments.

One of the things that worries me about gaming though, is the money part.

Although game developers still aren’t earning too much money, games are expensive. Or they were.

True, a lot of the games are still heavy premiums (as a matter of fact, the companies behind current-gen consoles nearly only gain money from the games they sell), but more and more parties and corporations are adapting the FREE business model.

There have been several experiments with this model in the gaming industry, where developers don’t get their money from the consumers, but from a third-party source, like ad-funded free games.

Kuma Episodic Games

Kuma Games is one of those advergames developers. Ever since 2004 they’ve been developing episodic multiplayer shooters (and other games), based on the ever so famous Steam engine. At this time, they’ve developed over a hundred free episodes.

All of these games are ad-supported, meaning you can enjoy premium quality gameplay and entertainment, without ever having to pay a dime.

The games can be divided into several higher branches or programs; Killpoint, Dinohunters, KumaWar, KumaWar WWII-Vietnam and Dogfights. Each of these games host a number of episodes with a specific theme.

The Kill Point

The game is based on The Kill Point television series by Spike TV. Every game matches one of the television episodes. After viewing it on TV, you can now really dive into the action.

These exciting single and multiplayer episodes always depict a dramatic confrontation between cops and robbers. Pick a team and try to claim the streets – or save them.

To land this one, you’ll need a big dose of tactics, co-operation and some guts.

Dinohunters

These episodes are based on a television series as well; Dinohunters on Total Hunting Channel.

It’s a fictitious show, about celebrities going on a dinosaur hunt. The cast consists of an actor, a country singer, a New York city guy, and their sexy female producer. The fictional part of the game is taken pretty far, as you’ll even find yourself aboard space-ships and the like.

This action-packed mix of past, present and even future, will keep you on the edge of your seats. There are currently about 8 episodes available, next to a wide variety of multiplayer maps and game modes.

Kuma\War

The Kuma\War games are – contrary to the previously mentioned games – known as very truth obedient.

Kuma\War bases its episodes on real-world events, trying to recreate them as truth obedient and realistic as possible, using reports and strategical data. The game has received both a lot of praise and criticism because of this.

There are about a hundred Kuma\War episodes as of today, and even more of them if you count WWII and Vietnam, which you’ll find in a separate program.

Besides this, you’re also able to play various multi-player maps, with games like capture the egg and team deathmatch.

Dogfights

This World War II flight simulator is based on History Channel’s Dogfight series.

The episodes put you in the cockpits of some of WWII’s most (in)famous airplanes. Especially fun are the multiplayer maps, where players gather to test each other.

All of these games can be accessed directly from the Kuma Games client.