More and more online game developers and multinational game publishers are using edge computing to optimize content delivery and improve user experience.
Edge computing involves decentralizing computing resources and pushing them to the network edge. This reduces long haul data transfers, resulting in smoother gameplay with faster decisioning, quicker autosaves, and fewer dropped connections.
Edge computing is the future of the gaming industry, and something every video game company should know about. Learn about 7 top reasons how edge computing can help game companies take multiplayer online game publishing to the next level.
TLDR: How Edge Computing Helps Game Companies Publish Better Multiplayer Games
1. Minimize user latency, game lag, or player input delay
2. Streamline AR & VR gaming infrastructure
3. Deploy blockchains as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) or digital in-game assets
4. Enable high-quality collaborative multiplayer gaming experiences
5. Enhance game server security against DDoS attacks
6. Support cash shops and microtransactions
7. Penetrate emerging markets to expand global user base across regions
1. Minimize user latency, player lag, or input delay
Most player perceived game performance issues typically stem from latency in industry specific terms. Network latency results in lag or user input delays that lead to player frustration and negative user experience.
Online gaming companies often suffer from issues like high network latency, jitter, and packet loss because they typically use centralized public clouds such as AWS or GCP, which are far away from their end-users. This increases round trip data delivery times, which adds latency, negatively impacts performance, and contributes to user churn.
Gaming companies can use edge computing to process data locally and reduce the amount of distance data must travel. This reduces performance issues like latency and public internet congestion problems, leading to happier user satisfaction, stronger profits, higher loyalty, and better reviews.
2. Streamline AR and VR gaming infrastructure
A new report from Newzoo predicts a VR gold rush in 2022, driven by Metaverse anticipation. However, Newzoo expects that only a small group of movers and innovators in the gaming industry will come out on top. (1)
Edge computing can help gaming companies capitalize on demand for VR and implement virtual connected worlds, by supporting the heavy rendering that is necessary for synchronizing real-world and digital movements. In addition, edge computing can facilitate latency-sensitive gaming.
3. Deploy blockchains as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) or digital in-game assets
There is growing excitement surrounding the blockchain proof of stake (Pos) cryptocurrency algorithm in gaming. For example, blockchain PoS could support in-game economies and help publishers avoid credit card transaction fees. (2)
Gaming companies can use edge computing to support emerging blockchain use cases. Edge computing can enable fast, reliable in-game blockchain transactions.
4. Enable high-quality collaborative multiplayer gaming experiences
Today’s gamers want to access collaborative, multiplayer action and real-time strategy games on any device, and fun in-game events. However, multiplayer open-world adventure and battle royale titles can require significant device processing and drain device batteries, which is frustrating for on-the-go gamers who need to conserve power.
Edge computing can allow gaming companies to offload device processing to local edge PoPs. As a result, gamers can access powerful games — including AR — without requiring high-end devices. This can extend mobile gaming to a wider pool of customers and provide efficient gaming experiences.
In addition, edge computing can make multiplayer matchmaking faster and more scalable, and enable seamless and interactive player lobby experiences.
5. Enhance game server security against DDoS attacks
Distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks happen when bad actors attempt to flood a target server or network with malevolent traffic and deny access to users. The volume of distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks in video games skyrocketed during 2021, with the median duration lasting 6.1 minutes. (3) DDoS attacks lead to issues like disconnects, lag, and ping spikes, all of which are disruptive to gamers.
The easiest way to prevent DDoS attacks from impacting your games is to work with an edge computing provider that offers cloud DDoS protection with local scrubbing centers. This approach involves filtering data and running it through a scrubbing — or cleaning — facility. This way, only clean traffic will make it through to its destination.
6. Support cash shops and microtransactions
Many games forego upfront signup fees, and rely on in-game cash shops and microtransactions to raise money. In cash shops, gamers can use cash to buy items that allow them to level up, increase experience, and unlock items.
By deploying edge computing, game developers can support cash shops and facilitate lightning-fast microtransactions. It can encourage users to spend more money, and prevent them from abandoning titles due to shop downtime.
7. Penetrate emerging markets to expand your global user base across regions
Edge computing helps companies enter emerging gaming markets throughout places like Southeast Asia, India, and LATAM where billions of potential customers exist. By leveraging edge computing, providers can bring services into new markets with lower operational cost and instant scalability.
Zenlayer helps gaming companies expand across borders and instantly connect with global players, influencers, and e-sports enthusiasts. We provide access to over 250 edge PoPs across more than 40 countries and support multiple architectures including first-person shooters, MOBA battle systems, centralized deployments, distributed deployments, and platform acceleration.
For further reading, check out how we’re helping one global gaming company provision infrastructure services around the world.
Visit our website to learn more about our gaming solution.
Resources
(1) https://newzoo.com/insights/trend-reports/gaming-industry-trends-2022-report-games-esports-gamestreaming-cloud-metaverse/
(2) https://superjumpmagazine.com/proof-of-stake-could-be-the-next-big-thing-in-gaming-7142e93eabdd
(3) https://clutchpoints.com/ddos-in-video-games-imperva/
