In the past few decades, gaming has transcended its status as a niche hobby and blossomed into a global phenomenon. The exponential growth of gaming and its culture has ushered in a world of possibilities, ranging from the emergence of global gaming communities to the formation of professional gaming leagues.
This rapid expansion creates a unique landscape for game developers and publishers teeming with never-before-seen hurdles and opportunities.
This article explores the challenges of serving a global player base, why edge computing and cloud networking services are vital to overcoming these challenges, and how Zenlayer can help publishers and developers harness the full potential of these technologies.
Smooth gameplay demands high-performance infrastructure
Today’s gaming market is both dynamic and fiercely competitive, with developers and publishers constantly seeking new ways to gain a competitive edge to maximize their reach and revenue. However, the distributed nature of modern gaming has created unique infrastructure-relevant challenges that game companies must navigate such as the:
• Complexity of maintaining user experience across devices
Boosting performance to deliver consistent, responsive gaming experiences to users playing on their PCs, consoles, smartphones, etc.
• Distance-induced latency that comes with serving a global user base
Placing servers strategically in various locations to minimize latency for players no matter where they are
• Difficulty of ensuring fair and seamless multiplayer matches
Facilitating fair and balanced player versus player (PVP) environments with real-time communication and synchronization between players
• Scaling rapidly and cost-effectively to meet player and industry demands
Without local expertise, game companies often need to spend extra time and money to source and juggle multiple providers and contracts
Zenlayer can help you win more players
The fastest and easiest way to overcome these infrastructure challenges is partnering with a provider like Zenlayer who offers advanced edge compute and cloud networking services that can help enhance game performance, facilitate fairer multiplayer environments, and ensure seamless gameplay for players everywhere.
Maintaining game performance across player devices
User experience is undeniably a top priority that impacts player engagement and ultimately, revenue generation. We’re proud of the fact that some of the biggest publishers for the hottest games on the market today like PUBG, Call of Duty, Apex Legends, Free Fire, and more are entrusting Zenlayer’s solutions to help boost the performance of their services and maximize user experience.
We offer VMs and bare metal servers at the edge that provide an ideal environment for Kubernetes deployment, minimizing latency to deliver faster, more responsive gameplay. Bare metal specs range from single Intel Xeon E Processor with 32 GB of RAM up to dual Intel Xeon Gold Processors with 512 GB of RAM, and VMs start from 1-core with 2GB of RAM and go up to 64-core with 128 GB of RAM.
Edge computing lets your service offload device processing so that players with less powerful and outdated devices can still play more recent, demanding games. Shifting the computational burden to edge servers ensures that more players can enjoy the game without compromised performance or degraded visual quality – particularly important in today’s increasingly mobile-heavy gaming landscape.
Reaching gamers who may not have the latest, high-end setups and devices not only improves the accessibility of your services, but helps you tap into new markets to unlock additional revenue streams.
Minimizing distance-induced latency when serving players worldwide
In today’s highly connected gaming landscape, server locations and coverage are critical to delivering high quality gaming experiences to a diverse and international player base.
Zenlayer’s global coverage with hundreds of edge nodes in more than 50 countries, including hard-to-reach locations throughout Southeast Asia, South America, and MENA, can help extend your services to ensure that your games are accessible to players regardless of their geographical location.
Processing game data at the edge reduces the time it takes for information to travel, minimizing distanced-induced latency and creating more seamless, immersive gaming experiences. Immersed players, free from the distractions of delays and disconnections, are more likely to stay engaged and invest more time and money in the games they play.
With our extensive coverage across six continents, you can easily and instantly spin up servers to test new markets. Our premium network features redundant architecture and blends the best local carriers like TATA, Cogent, Telefonica, Saudi Telecom Company and other top regional telcos to guarantee high-quality connections wherever you’re extending your presence.
Creating fair multiplayer environments with seamless interactions
Multiplayer gaming has become a cornerstone of the modern gaming industry. From small communities dispersed throughout popular messaging apps like Slack and Discord to esports streaming channels with millions of concurrent viewers, gamers from all walks of life are increasingly seeking interactive, competitive experiences with other gamers.
However, creating and maintaining a fair competitive online gaming environment requires reliable, scalable server infrastructure. Zenlayer’s edge compute solutions can help your service reduce latency to ensure seamless communication and synchronization between players in real time, resulting in a more level playing field where players are free to compete and interact without disruptions or delays.
Furthermore, our cloud networking services backed by our global private backbone, which offers up to 40% less jitter and latency than public networks, can accelerate cross-regional matchmaking, enabling players and opponents to find teammates quickly and enhancing their overall experience.
Unlocking rapid scalability and flexibility worldwide
Game publishers and developers looking to adapt to the ever-changing demands of the gaming industry must be agile to stay ahead of the competition. Zenlayer enables you to instantly scale your infrastructure on demand.
Whether you’re accommodating a sudden surge in players or the launch of a highly anticipated game, you can use zenConsole to rapidly scale up your server capacity to ensure a smooth and uninterrupted gaming experience for your players.
Using our bare metal or VMs to help you scale eliminates the need for heavy upfront investments in costly hardware and additional infrastructure buildouts, which lets you align your costs with usage to optimize budget allocation. Indeed, many businesses use our services to help turn CapEx into OpEx to help free up funds and improve cost efficiency.
Scale faster with Zenlayer
To rise above the rest in today’s rapidly evolving, fiercely competitive gaming industry, publishers and developers need to prioritize user experience, facilitate fair and balanced multiplayer gameplay, and achieve rapid scalability worldwide.
Partnering with Zenlayer is the easiest way to do all that and more. Our 10,000+ global peers and 280+ edge nodes can maximize performance for your gaming network and extend the reach of your game to more players – no matter where they are in the world.
So, if you’re looking for a partner to help you grow your player base, download our ebook on gaming infrastructure and talk to a solution expert today!
For instant provisioning around the world, check out zenConsole.
