Networking and Online Games

Networking and Online Games

Author: Grenville Armitage

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2006-08-04

Total Pages: 232

ISBN-13: 0470030461

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The computer game industry is clearly growing in the direction of multiplayer, online games. Understanding the demands of games on IP (Internet Protocol) networks is essential for ISP (Internet Service Provider) engineers to develop appropriate IP services. Correspondingly, knowledge of the underlying network's capabilities is vital for game developers. Networking and Online Games concisely draws together and illustrates the overlapping and interacting technical concerns of these sectors. The text explains the principles behind modern multiplayer communication systems and the techniques underlying contemporary networked games. The traffic patterns that modern games impose on networks, and how network performance and service level limitations impact on game designers and player experiences, are covered in-depth, giving the reader the knowledge necessary to develop better gaming products and network services. Examples of real-world multiplayer online games illustrate the theory throughout. Networking and Online Games: Provides a comprehensive, cutting-edge guide to the development and service provision needs of online, networked games. Contrasts the considerations of ISPs (e.g. predicting traffic loads) with those of game developers (e.g. sources of lag/jitter), clarifying coinciding requirements. Explains how different technologies such as cable, ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) and wireless, etc., affect online game-play experience, and how different game styles impose varying traffic dynamics and requirements on the network. Discusses future directions brought by emerging technologies such as UMTS (Universal Mobile Telephone Service), GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), Wireless LANs, IP service Quality, and NAPT/NAT (Network Address Port Translation/Network Address Translation) Illustrates the concepts using high-level examples of existing multiplayer online games (such as Quake III Arena, Wolfenstein Enemy Territory, and Half-Life 2). Networking and Online Games will be an invaluable resource for games developers, engineers and technicians at Internet Service Providers, as well as advanced undergraduate and graduate students in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science and Multimedia Engineering.


Multiplayer Game Programming

Multiplayer Game Programming

Author: Josh Glazer

Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional

Published: 2015-11-20

Total Pages: 721

ISBN-13: 0134034341

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The Practical Guide to Building Reliable Networked Multiplayer Games Networked multiplayer games are a multibillion dollar business: some games now attract tens of millions of players. In this practical, code-rich guide, Joshua Glazer and Sanjay Madhav guide you through every aspect of engineering them. Drawing on their immense experience as both game developers and instructors, the authors lead you through building a robust multiplayer architecture, and creating every engine-level system. You’ll learn through in-depth working code examples for two complete games: an action game and a real time strategy (RTS) game. First, Madhav and Glazer review the essentials of networking and network programming from the standpoint of game developers. Next, they walk through managing game data transmission, updating game objects across the network, and organizing the devices that join your game. You’ll learn how to ensure reliable performance despite the Internet’s inherent inconsistencies, and how to design game code for maximum security and scalability. The authors conclude by addressing two increasingly crucial issues: incorporating gamer services and hosting your games in the cloud. This guide’s content has been extensively tested through the authors’ multiplayer game programming courses at USC. It is equally valuable both to students and to working game programmers moving into networked games. Coverage includes How games have evolved to meet the challenges of networked environments Using Internet communication protocols and standards in game development Working with Berkeley Socket, the most widely used networking construct in multiplayer gaming Formatting game data for efficient Internet transmission Synchronizing states so all players share the same world Organizing networking topologies for large-scale games Overcoming latency and jitter problems that cause delays or lost data Scaling games without compromising performance Combating security vulnerabilities and software cheats Leveraging the networking functionality of the popular Unreal 4 and Unity game engines Integrating gamer services such as matchmaking, achievements, and leaderboards Running game servers in the cloud About the Website C++ source code for all examples is available at github.com/MultiplayerBook. Instructors will also find a full set of PowerPoint slides and a sample syllabus.


Making Multiplayer Online Games

Making Multiplayer Online Games

Author: Stephen Gose

Publisher: Scribl

Published: 2016-11-07

Total Pages: 302

ISBN-13: 1952635004

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This book includes game design and implementation chapters using either Phaser JavaScript Gaming Frameworks v2.6.2, CE, v3.16+, AND any other JS Gaming Frameworks for the front- and back-end development. It is a Book of 5 Rings Game Design - "HTML5, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, and SQL". It further analyzes several freely available back-end servers and supporting middleware (such as PHP, Python, and several CMS). This game design workbook takes you step-by-step into the creation of Massively Multiplayer Online Game as a profitable business adventure - none of this theoretical, local workstation proof of concept! It uses any popular JavaScript Gaming Framework -- not just limited to Phaser.JS!! -- on the client-side browser interfacing into a unique, server-side, application using WebSockets. It is the only book of its kind since January 2017 for the Phaser MMO Gaming Framework! * Part I leads you through the world of networks, business consideration, MMoG analysis and setting up your studio workshop. I have 40 years of networking career experience in highly sensitive (i.e., Government Embassies) data communications. I am a certified Cisco Academy Instructor and have taught networking, networking security, game design/development, and software engineering for the past 14 years at the college level. * Part II Guides you into Multi-player Online Game architecture contrasted to normal single-player games. This lays the foundation for Multi-Player Game Prototypes and reviews a missing aspect in current MMoG development not seen in many online tutorials and example code. * Part III contains 3 chapters focused on production and development for the client-side code, client-proxy, server-side code, and MMoG app. This content sets the foundation for what many Phaser tutorials and Phaser Starter-Kits on the market today overlook and never tell you! Upon completion of Part III, you will have your bespoke MMoG with integrated micro-service, and if you choose, web workers and block-chain. * Part IV (Bonus Content) This section includes proprietary Game Rule Books and EULA source code included as a part of your book purchase. It features four (4) Game Recipes -- step-by-step instructions -- listed by complexity "1" = easiest (elementary skills) to "4" = most complex (requiring advanced skills across several IT technology disciplines). Each external “Walk-Through Tutorial” guides you in different aspects of MMoG development. * How to migrate single-player games into a 2-player online delivery mode (not using "hot-seat")! * How to use dynamic client-side proxy servers and migrate this game from its current single-player mode (with AI Bot) into an online 2-player mode (not using "hot-seat")! * How to include "Asynchronous Availability" during gameplay and migrate this gameplay mode (with AI Bot) into an online "Asynchronous Availability" 3-player mode using postal mail or email game turns! The FREE game rule book will help "deconstruct" this game mechanics.


New Perspectives on the Social Aspects of Digital Gaming

New Perspectives on the Social Aspects of Digital Gaming

Author: Rachel Kowert

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2017-02-10

Total Pages: 274

ISBN-13: 1317243625

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Expanding on the work in the volume Multiplayer, this new book explores several other areas related to social gaming in detail. The aim is to go beyond a typical "edited book" concept, and offer a very concise volume with several focal points that are most relevant for the current debate about multiplayer games, both in academia and society. As a result, the volume offers the latest research findings on online gaming, social forms of gaming, identification, gender issues and games for change, primarily applying a social-scientific approach.


Multiplayer Game Programming

Multiplayer Game Programming

Author: Joshua L. Glazer

Publisher:

Published: 2016

Total Pages:

ISBN-13: 9780134034362

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The Practical Guide to Building Reliable Networked Multiplayer Games Networked multiplayer games are a multibillion dollar business: some games now attract tens of millions of players. In this practical, code-rich guide, Joshua Glazer and Sanjay Madhav guide you through every aspect of engineering them. Drawing on their immense experience as both game developers and instructors, the authors lead you through building a robust multiplayer architecture, and creating every engine-level system. You'll learn through in-depth working code examples for two complete games: an action game and a real time strategy (RTS) game. First, Madhav and Glazer review the essentials of networking and network programming from the standpoint of game developers. Next, they walk through managing game data transmission, updating game objects across the network, and organizing the devices that join your game. You'll learn how to ensure reliable performance despite the Internet's inherent inconsistencies, and how to design game code for maximum security and scalability. The authors conclude by addressing two increasingly crucial issues: incorporating gamer services and hosting your games in the cloud. This guide's content has been extensively tested through the authors' multiplayer game programming courses at USC. It is equally valuable both to students and to working game programmers moving into networked games. Coverage includes How games have evolved to meet the challenges of networked environments Using Internet communication protocols and standards in game development Working with Berkeley Socket, the most widely used networking construct in multiplayer gaming Formatting game data for efficient Internet transmission Synchronizing states so all players share the same world Organizing networking topologies for large-scale games Overcoming latency and jitter problems that cause delays or lost data Scaling games without compromising performance Combating security vulnerabilities and software cheats Leveraging the networking functionality of the popular Unreal 4 and Unity game engines Integrating gamer services such as matchmaking, achievements, and leaderboards Running game servers in the cloud About the Website C++ source code for all examples is available at github.com/MultiplayerBook . Instructors will also find a full set of PowerPoint slides and a sample syllabus.


Online Multiplayer Games

Online Multiplayer Games

Author: William Sims Bainbridge

Publisher: Morgan & Claypool Publishers

Published: 2010

Total Pages: 105

ISBN-13: 1608451429

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This lecture introduces fundamental principles of online multiplayer games, primarily massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs), suitable for students and faculty interested both in designing games and in doing research on them. The general focus is human-centered computing, which includes many human-computer interaction issues and emphasizes social computing, but also, looks at how the design of socio-economic interactions extends our traditional notions of computer programming to cover human beings as well as machines. In addition, it demonstrates a range of social science research methodologies, both quantitative and qualitative, that could be used by students for term papers, or by their professors for publications. In addition to drawing upon a rich literature about these games, this lecture is based on thousands of hours of first-hand research experience inside many classic examples, including World of Warcraft, The Matrix Online, Anarchy Online, Tabula Rasa, Entropia Universe, Dark Age of Camelot, Age of Conan, Lord of the Rings Online, Tale in the Desert, EVE Online, Star Wars Galaxies, Pirates of the Burning Sea, and the non-game virtual world Second Life. Among the topics covered are historical-cultural origins of leading games, technical constraints that shape the experience, rolecoding and social control, player personality and motivation, relationships with avatars and characters, virtual professions and economies, social relations inside games, and the implications for the external society. Table of Contents: Introduction / Historical-Cultural Origins / Technical Constraints / Rolecoding and Social Control / Personality and Motivation / Avatars and Characters / Virtual Professions and Economies / Social Relations Inside Games / Implications for External Society


Multiplayer

Multiplayer

Author: Thorsten Quandt

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2013-10-30

Total Pages: 271

ISBN-13: 1134092199

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In the past decade, digital games have become a widely accepted form of media entertainment, moving from the traditional 'core gamer' community into the mainstream media market. With millions of people now enjoying gaming as interactive entertainment there has been a huge increase in interest in social multiplayer gaming activities. However, despite the explosive growth in the field over the past decade, many aspects of social gaming still remain unexplored, especially from a media and communication studies perspective. Multiplayer: Social Aspects of Digital Gaming is the first edited volume of its kind that takes a closer look at the various forms of human interaction in and around digital games, providing an overview of debates, past and present. The book is divided into five sections that explore the following areas: Social Aspects of Digital Gaming Social Interactions in Virtual Worlds Online Gaming Co-located and Console Gaming Risks and Challenges of Social Gaming This engaging interdisciplinary book will appeal to upper level students, postgrads and researchers in games research, specifically those focusing on new media and digital games, as well as researchers in media studies and mass communication.


Trends and Applications of Serious Gaming and Social Media

Trends and Applications of Serious Gaming and Social Media

Author: Youngkyun Baek

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2014-07-08

Total Pages: 189

ISBN-13: 981456026X

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This book highlights the challenges and potential of educational learning or industry-based training using serious games and social media platforms. In particular, the book addresses applications used in businesses and education-related organizations in Asia, where the framework and experience of serious games have been used to address specific problems in the real world. The topics that will be present in this book includes future of serious games and immersive technologies and their impact on society; online and mobile games; achievement systems in serious games; persuasive technology and games for saving and money management; malware analytics for social networking; serious games for mental health interventions; educational implications of social network games; learning and acquiring subject knowledge using serious games in classrooms. The target audience for this book includes scientists, engineers and practitioners involved in the field of Serious Games. The major part of this book comprises of papers that have been presented at the Serious Games and Social Connect 2012 conference held in Singapore (October 4, 2012). All the contributions have been peer reviewed and by scientific committee members with report about quality, content and originality.