Industry News

How to avoid network and server infrastructure issues during the development cycle

Published

1 year ago

January 9, 2023

George Miller

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Mathieu Duperré, CEO, Edgegap

Regardless of whether you’re an indie developer or a AAA publisher, making games is never simple. Taking a game project from the initial concept to launch is a huge undertaking, especially when you begin incorporating multiplayer and social elements. Despite eye-watering budgets and huge teams of developers, countless games fall flat on release.

Thankfully, many of the common obstacles can be easily avoided and disruption to your release timeline kept to a minimum if you’re aware of the potential network and server infrastructure issues at key stages of development: the main development cycle, pre-launch, the launch period itself and once the game has launched.

Problems during the main development cycle

Some of the most common problems you’ll encounter on the tech side of the main development cycle can be the result of:

Imperfect or hurried CI/CD pipelines. It can take days to push a new release for testing when you should be able to launch a few releases every day.
Dev teams taking on too much in-house rather than seeking outside assistance (netcode, game engine, backend services).
Trying to save funds through open-source projects that eventually become outdated, unsupported during your dev cycle or ends up in engineering money pits.
Developers waiting until post-launch to focus on important elements such as crossplay.
QA teams lacking constant access to the game build.

Any of these sound familiar? If so, it might be time to rethink your core strategy and whether you’re adhering to the DevOps methodology. Do you have a structured approach or are you lurching leftfield and drifting off course?

While developing your own netcode and game engine in-house can seem appealing, it’s important to consider the potential risks that might emerge further down the road. If problems with your netcode or a proprietary game engine present themselves at a particularly busy stage of development, you’ll wish you’d have outsourced them.

Considering where you can offload certain aspects of development to external partners can help reduce your team’s workload and improve their efficiency so they can focus on more pressing matters.

Mistakes to avoid just before the launch

One of the biggest mistakes you can make just before launch? Underestimating your CCU (concurrent users worldwide) and employing a low percentage buffer of around 10%. Misjudging your CCU is going to put too much strain on your servers and overall backend services and is one of the most common reasons players experience crashes around the launch. Similarly, don’t underestimate the number of regions you’ll need servers in too. A global game launch requires an equal distribution of worldwide servers to avoid latency issues.

When it comes to servers, it’s always best to plan ahead and scale back, rather than the other way around. Prioritise network partners who offer pay-as-you-go options for server access, so if you do need to scale back (or up) you can do so easily. This should always be the preferred option and will prevent you from being charged for servers you’re not using. It’s important to be aware of the risks associated with overestimating, as this can lead to studios signing long-term contracts and ultimately being overresourced.

Finally, one issue that can cause developers and studios a lot of trouble is data protection regulation laws. I’ve heard plenty of horror stories about studios turning a blind eye to privacy laws such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). Make sure you’ve checked the specific rules regarding data collection in your region as early as possible to avoid a frantic rush of paperwork towards the end of development or, worse, incurring costly fines.

Obstacles on launch day

It can be easy to think that you’ve made it through the worst once you reach launch day, but this is usually the stage where major issues can suddenly appear. You may notice a bombardment of negative responses from Twitter, Steam and other platforms addressing critical issues with the game – make sure you address these rather than ignoring them. These responses can be important indicators of how the players are responding to your game and if you’ve factored their feedback in the development phase.

Once the game has launched, you will have the clearest indicator of how many servers you’ll need to support the players. This is where your planning will prove to be correct or wide of the mark if you’d reserved say 1000, but you only need 200.

A 24/7 support plan is an important consideration when the game is live, this will enable rapid fixes to negate as many disruptions as possible. A low-cost DDoS solution is also a crucial facet to bear in mind. A server orchestrator will help developers manage influx of traffic along with capturing crucial data that can be incorporated into the game as part of the observability phase.

Post-launch issues

Now that your game is in the world, there can be a strong temptation to introduce a plethora of new elements to the game to enhance the player experience. While on the face of it these are good ideas, new mods or minor updates can prove problematic and contain major bugs. Responding to these new issues can be distracting and take weeks or even months to solve.

On top of this, if you haven’t properly planned earlier in the process, major updates to your game servers could potentially lead to maintenance issues and significant downtime for your player base. If players have a bad experience on launch, they’ll likely just move on to the next best thing. When EA launched Battlefield 2042, server issues, loading times and game-breaking bugs plagued the game. Within months, player numbers dropped to fewer than 1,000 concurrent players on Steam.

Of course, there are a number of ways to circumvent these issues. It is crucial to choose a backend that can support multi-versioning A/B testing and facilitate rolling updates without outages. You’d be hard-pressed to find a gamer who enjoys an unplayable game. Automation can also help in the production pipeline, this includes deploying quick fix updates and upgrades which will reduce the human error factor.

Another consideration that is often overlooked is outsourcing for network and platform providers to remove a large in-house team dedicated to DevOps or Engineering. This is intensive work that will take up the time of staff, and outsourcing is a viable option and it makes perfect sense for smaller studios, especially to pursue this option purely from a cost-saving perspective.

Making edge count

Edge computing is often overlooked by game developers, but it can alleviate many of the issues described here, particularly around server provisioning and latency issues. Edge technology brings computation and data storage closer to the source of the data, placing it at the edge of the network where performance gain is most optimal. This reduces unnecessary travel and drastically speeds up the process resulting in close to a lag-free experience.

If you’re looking at cross-play for your game, infrastructure requirements become more complex. Edge computing helps to negate some of the most nagging delay issues that come with playing across different platforms. As cross-play becomes more of a consideration for developers, edge computing along with automation can come to be one of the solutions to some of the associated problems. Developers should consider the automation part of the equation when planning their game project. It becomes even more vital when you add more latency-reliant elements to a game.

Fail to plan, plan to fail

There is no one size fits all approach to game development or the challenges associated with it. But taking some of the steps outlined above can help negate potential issues and lessen their impact, preventing total derailment of a game before it even launches.

Small steps like putting your trust in external partners or looking at technologies like Edge computing to squeeze as much performance out of your game as possible might seem small, but their impact on development can’t be underestimated.

Planning for different eventualities at key stages of development will go a long way in ensuring your game is the best it can possibly be at launch. This will give your game the best chance at becoming a lasting hit, not a flash in the pan that’s marred by server issues or bugs.

The logistical side of creating a game might not always be glamorous or exciting, but it’s unavoidable. If your development pipeline is hit by server issues, you’ll be glad you planned ahead.

Industry News

Meridian Donate: Revolutionizing CSR in the Betting and Gaming Industry

Published

2 days ago

May 3, 2024

Zoltan Tundik

meridian-donate:-revolutionizing-csr-in-the-betting-and-gaming-industry

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Innovative engagement strategy positions MeridianBet as a leader in CSR within the betting and gaming industry
Optimized brand loyalty as active customer participation in CSR strengthens connection and loyalty
Scalable impact, as the model is designed for expansion and could be adapted to new markets, indicating potential for widespread adoption and growth

Transforming Customers into Environmentalists and Humanitarians

MeridianBet’s pioneering initiative, Meridian Donate, is transforming the betting industry by engaging customers directly in corporate social responsibility (CSR) actions. This unique platform allows customers to actively participate in and fund various environmental, societal and humanitarian projects, setting a new standard for customer engagement and community impact.

Key Features of Meridian Donate:

Direct customer involvement: Customers are not just donors but active participants in CSR decisions
Diverse programs: Offers choices from global afforestation to local humanitarian efforts
Partnerships with renowned organizations: Collaborates with entities like the Red Cross and UNICEF

Expanding Impact: A Year-by-Year Growth

The Meridian Donate platform has seen substantial growth in its scope and impact:

Number of individual campaigns: Grew from 8 in 2021 to 20 in 2023
National markets Integrated: Expanded from 3 in 2021 to 8 in 2023
Direct Beneficiaries: Increased from 43 NGOs in 2021 to 159 in 2023

In 2023 alone, the platform’s expansion into eight markets facilitated 20 customer-funded campaigns, directly benefiting 159 NGOs, up from 122 the previous year.

Continued Commitment to Innovation and Community Involvement

Meridian Donate not only showcases MeridianBet’s dedication to CSR but also redefines the role of digital marketing within the industry. By converting sports bettors into active CSR participants, Meridian Donate enhances customer loyalty and brand value, making it a critical element of MeridianBet’s market strategy.

Recent Successes and Future Outlook

In its recent operation, Meridian Donate has launched an ambitious global afforestation initiative, committing to plant 20,000 seedlings across various regions. This project not only underscores our environmental commitment but also enhances our brand’s community presence. Already, several hundred contributions have been recorded in the platform’s first month, indicating robust customer engagement and support.

The post Meridian Donate: Revolutionizing CSR in the Betting and Gaming Industry appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Industry News

Games Global Announces Launch of IPO

Published

2 days ago

May 3, 2024

Zoltan Tundik

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Games Global Limited (“Games Global”), a leading developer, distributor and marketer of innovative online, casino-style gaming (“iGaming”) content and integrated business-to-business solutions to iGaming operators, announced today that it has launched the roadshow for its initial public offering (“IPO”) of 14,500,000 ordinary shares. The offering consists of 6,000,000 ordinary shares offered by Games Global and 8,500,000 ordinary shares to be sold by Games Global’s existing shareholder (the “Selling Shareholder”). Games Global will not receive any proceeds from the sale of the shares by the Selling Shareholder. The underwriters will have a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 2,175,000 ordinary shares from the Selling Shareholder at the IPO price, less underwriting discounts and commissions. The IPO price is currently expected to be between $16.00 and $19.00 per share. Games Global has applied to list its ordinary shares on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “GGL”.

J.P. Morgan, Jefferies and Macquarie Capital are acting as joint lead book-running managers for the proposed offering. Barclays and BTIG are acting as book-running managers for the proposed offering.

The proposed offering will be made only by means of a prospectus. Copies of the preliminary prospectus relating to the proposed offering, when available, may be obtained from:

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, or by email at [email protected] or [email protected];
Jefferies LLC, Attention: Equity Syndicate Prospectus Department, 520 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022, by phone at (877) 821-7388, or by email at [email protected]; or
Macquarie Capital (USA) Inc., Attention: Equity Syndicate Department, 125 West 55th Street, New York, NY 10019, or by email at [email protected]

A registration statement relating to these securities has been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission but has not yet become effective. These securities may not be sold, nor may offers to buy be accepted, prior to the time the registration statement becomes effective. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

In any member state of the European Economic Area (the “EEA”) this announcement, and the offering, are only addressed to and directed at persons who are “qualified investors” (“Qualified Investors”) within the meaning of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (the “Prospectus Regulation”). In the United Kingdom, this announcement, and the offering, are only addressed to and directed at persons who are “qualified investors” within the meaning of the Prospectus Regulation as it forms part of domestic law in the United Kingdom by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 who (i) have professional experience in matters relating to investments falling within Article 19(5) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005, as amended (the “Order”), (ii) are high net worth entities who fall within Article 49(2)(a) to (d) of the Order, or (iii) are persons to whom it may otherwise lawfully be communicated (all such persons being referred to as “relevant persons”).

This announcement must not be acted on or relied on (i) in the United Kingdom, by persons who are not relevant persons, and (ii) in any member state of the EEA, by persons who are not Qualified Investors. Any investment or investment activity to which this announcement relates is available only to and will only be engaged with (i) in the United Kingdom, relevant persons, and (ii) in any member state of the EEA, Qualified Investors.

The post Games Global Announces Launch of IPO appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Industry News

Genome and Chilli Partners join forces to revolutionize iGaming affiliate payouts

Published

2 days ago

May 3, 2024

Zoltan Tundik

genome-and-chilli-partners-join-forces-to-revolutionize-igaming-affiliate-payouts

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Leading the charge in the convergence of financial technology and iGaming, Genome, a cutting-edge electronic money institution, is thrilled to announce its strategic partnership with Chilli Partners, a prominent iGaming affiliate program specializing in casino games.

The collaboration marks a pivotal moment in the iGaming industry, bringing together Genome’s expertise in online financial services and Chilli Partners’ prowess in affiliate marketing. The partnership is set to redefine the landscape of affiliate payouts, offering an array of benefits to both affiliates and the iGaming community at large.

“We are excited to embark on this journey with Chilli Partners. By combining our financial expertise with their influential position in the iGaming affiliate space, we aim to set new standards for efficiency and innovation in affiliate payouts,” – noted Genome’s CEO Daumantas Barauskas.

For one, the partnership offers efficient payouts. Affiliates can now enjoy expedited and secure payouts through Genome’s state-of-the-art financial infrastructure, enhancing their overall experience and satisfaction.

It also provides global reach for Chilli Partners, as it can extend its reach to affiliates worldwide with Genome’s international payment capabilities. This allows Chilli Partners to foster a more diverse and expansive network.

The partnership streamlines financial workflows, ensuring seamless transactions and reducing administrative overhead for Chilli Partners, allowing them to focus on delivering top-notch affiliate services.

Genome is all about innovation in payments and online financial services. This approach brings new possibilities for payment options, providing flexibility and convenience for affiliates participating in the Chilli Partners program.

Lastly, the collaboration prioritizes compliance and risk management, assuring affiliates of secure and compliant transactions in accordance with industry regulations.

“This partnership aligns perfectly with our commitment to providing the best possible experience for our affiliates. Genome’s advanced financial services will play a crucial role in elevating our affiliate program to new heights”, – added Clayton Zammit Cesare, Head of Affiliates at Chilli Partners.

As the iGaming industry continues to evolve, Genome and Chilli Partners stand united in their dedication to driving positive change, innovation, and reliability. The partnership is poised to create a ripple effect, positively impacting the entire iGaming ecosystem.

About Genome

Genome is a leading EMI that provides innovative financial services, including batch payouts, SWIFT, and SEPA transfers. With a focus on efficiency and compliance, Genome empowers businesses across various industries, including iGaming, to streamline financial operations and enhance user experiences.

For more information, please visit https://genome.eu/

About Chilli Partners

Chilli Partners is a prominent iGaming affiliate program specializing in casino games. With a commitment to excellence, Chilli Partners connects affiliates with top-tier iGaming brands, offering a lucrative partnership that includes competitive commission structures and tailored support.

For more information, please visit https://chillipartners.com/

The post Genome and Chilli Partners join forces to revolutionize iGaming affiliate payouts appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.