Analytics – Stepico https://stepico.com Mon, 26 Feb 2024 16:07:31 +0000 en hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.2 Gaming Trends https://stepico.com/blog/gaming-trends/ Thu, 18 Nov 2021 12:12:17 +0000 https://stepico.com/?p=9069 Games of the future: 7 trends in gaming

Games are no longer just entertainment. Today it is a rapidly developing industry in which, according to Statista, almost a third of the world’s population is involved. People of all ages regularly play on mobile devices, consoles, and PCs. Esports tournaments with huge budgets are held all over the world. And virtual worlds have transformed from a gaming space into a place where you can meet with friends.

There is no doubt that the gaming industry will grow. But in which direction? To find out, we’ve collected the latest gaming trends in this article.

Source: Global Web IndexPreviously, gamers’ experience was limited by two factors: the device and its technical capabilities. Companies created games for specific platforms. And the quality directly depended on the characteristics of the console, smartphone, or PC. Today, the number of exclusives has decreased. Of course, unique games remain, both for consoles and PCs. But you can play a game of any genre on anything. And cloud technologies allow you to run resource-intensive applications on any hardware.

It is beneficial not only for the players but also for the developers. Cloud technologies will help remove technical limits and reach a wider audience. Users won’t have to buy high-quality gaming PCs or consoles to play. There will be no need to download or install games.

The key to the successful development of this area is the fast Internet. Today, image quality suffers when transferring data. But with the improvement of technology, this problem will disappear. Just imagine: you will have an opportunity to play AAA games from even the simplest devices! And that brings us to the next trend.

2: Mobile game development

Source: StatistaMobile games today differ from projects for consoles or PCs, but the boundaries are rapidly blurring. Video game design companies adapt popular titles for smartphones and develop new mobile projects that are becoming no less popular.

About 2.2 billion people all over the world play games on smartphones. And there is no difference between gender. According to MMA Global, 51% of mobile players are women, and 49% are men. Unlike PCs or consoles, this type of gaming is popular with people of all ages and 14% of active players are from 16 to 24 years old, while  24% are from 35 to 44 and 20% – from 45 to 54. So mobile games are not entertainment just for teenagers. Everyone plays them.

Your smartphone is always at hand, so you can play everywhere: on the way to work, at home, or when you are waiting in the queue. The capabilities of smartphones are improving every year, so games for mobile devices are becoming more challenging and fun. And fast data and new communication standards will open up endless possibilities for gaming. So mobile games will be actively improved and developed in the future.

3: Multiplayer games

During the COVID-19 pandemic, people were looking for other ways to communicate. And multiplayer online games have played an important role in socialization. Unable to meet friends in a park or cafe, people began to spend more time playing games. They began competing against each other in Fortnite, getting together as a team in Call of Duty or DOTA 2, or spending time in numerous MMORPGs.

The latest genre is especially interesting from the point of view of the development of the industry. Unlike battles – solo or team – in MMORPGs, you can spend long hours rather than short sessions. These are separate worlds that you can explore, contacting other players. Previously, such games were relevant only for the PC. But with the development of technology, it became possible to play them on smartphones.

However, Battle Royale games are not losing ground either. The genre began to gain popularity in 2017, and the number of fans of this format continues to grow. In games like this, everyone fights against everyone until there is only one winner left. Battles take place on colorful maps with resources, and each new game starts from scratch.

One of the most popular games in the genre is PUBG. Only on Steam, this game had over 444 thousand concurrent players in August 2021. And that’s not counting the players on consoles and the mobile version, where indicators are much higher. More than 50 million people played the PUBG mobile daily in Q3 2020. Another 70 million have played the Chinese version of Game for Peace, which accounts for over 50% of PUBG Mobile’s revenues. This game is free-to-play, and according to the latest data, 730 million users have installed it, and the number of daily active players is 30 million.

Fortnite is another popular Battle Royale game. It differs from PUBG in its cartoonish graphics and the ability to create objects right on the battlefield. In September 2021, up to 4 million people played Fortnite simultaneously on all platforms every day.

The ability to compete not with NPCs, but with other people has always attracted players. Cooperative modes and the ability to share the game with friends appeared long before modern online battles. And if we consider that today most of life flows online, the direction of multiplayer games will develop actively.

4: Gambling and e-Sports

Esports has played a huge role in the interest in online multiplayer games. Why did we make it a separate trend? Because to compete, games must have special mechanics. And if you want to create a new Counter-Strike, Call of Duty, or DOTA2, you need to think about the possibilities for battle at the idea stage.

After numerous lockdowns, people who were unable to attend their favorite matches switched to eSports. If in 2019 the audience of people who watched cybersport events at least once a month was about 440 million, then by the end of 2021 this number may increase to 550 million.

International DOTA2 Championship

Major game championships are held annually, and the prize pools are amazing. For example, The International 2021 tournament, which took place from October 7 to 17 in Bucharest, had a prize pool of $40 million. Thanks to such high-profile events, gaming tournaments have long ceased to be something underground. Today, a DOTA2 match can easily compete with a football or basketball championship in views.

Esports have come into play in a variety of genres. For example, summoners war is neither a shooter nor a MOBA, but tournaments are held in this game. Competitions are also held on mobile platforms: PUBG Mobile, Clash Royale, Clash of Clans, Garena Free Fire, etc.

So games with a lot of competitive potential are a promising niche. If you have ideas for such projects, you can always contact Stepico for full-cycle development.

5: Blurring the boundaries between games and movies

The graphics in games are becoming more realistic. If you’ve seen the trailer for the new Forza Horizon 5 or played one of the latest releases from top game design companies, then you probably understand what we are talking about. Unlike movies, game worlds are not limited by the laws of physics. You can choose any setting and create anything from an underwater laboratory or a lost space station to a medieval city inhabited by fantastic creatures.

Twenty years ago, it was difficult to imagine the level of realism that modern games have reached. Imagine what awaits us in another twenty years! Endless possibilities allow you to create whole open worlds that live by their laws. No matter how fascinating the universe of the film is, you cannot immerse yourself in it. And in games anything is possible.

But along with open worlds, there is another genre that blurs the lines between games and movies. It is a genre of interactive film where the player makes choices that influence the plot. Interestingly, both industries are developing in this direction. Interactive films and TV series appear, and gaming studios regularly release cinematic games.

For example, projects like Until Dawn, Detroit Become Human, and the entire series of Dark Pictures. These games are focused not on the process but the story. You need to make choices that will affect the fate of the characters and lead you to one of several endings. This synthesis of film and game provides deep immersion in the story. You don’t need special skills to play, and this is a great way to relax.

6: More Remakes, Reboots and Nostalgia

When so many new things appear, we feel a longing for the old. Some people miss pixel arcades, others remember the games they played in their childhood. It is not surprising that the industry responds quickly to such trends. Today, you can find modern platformers that create the illusion of games from the past, and once-popular titles are getting a new wave of popularity with remakes and remasters.

People are willing to pay to re-play their favorite games in an updated version: Mafia definitive edition, Demon Souls, GTA etc. Not only games with outdated graphics receive the update, but also those that look modern. For example, TES: Skyrim, released in 2011, or Witcher 3, a game that has long remained at the top of the ratings of the most realistic projects, will soon receive an improvement in graphics.

Also, the interest in the old games in their original form does not fade away. WoW made a classic version for players dissatisfied with modern game updates. On Xbox, thanks to backward compatibility, you can play Perfect Dark, Black, Morrowind, and other games. And the extended version of Nintendo Switch Online includes Nintendo 64 and Sega games from the 16-bit era.

7: VR and AR game development

From super realistic graphics, it’s easy to go full immersion. And virtual reality technology can provide a similar experience. It is available today, but it has not yet become something commonplace. Today VR is more entertainment than a full-fledged element of gameplay. But in the future, with the development of technology, the situation may change.

The demand for virtual reality has grown during the pandemic. People, unable to experience the familiar sensations in everyday life, began to pay more attention to the game worlds and new opportunities for immersion in them. 360-degree video content and high-quality graphics create a sense of presence and make the gameplay more vivid and immersive.

​​With VR, you can control an airplane in Microsoft Flight Simulator or fly on a spaceship in Star Wars: Squadrons. Or you can destroy enemies in Half-Life: Alyx and in the incredibly stylish SUPERHOT shooter. Many games get a VR version or update: for example, Resident Evil 4 or Dota 2.

Today people are more likely to go to VR clubs rather than buy these devices. But, if we look into the past, we will remember that the passion for games also began with arcade machines. So, VR may very soon become a part of our everyday reality.

What does the future of gaming hold for us?

Games have become an integral part of everyday life. We play on smartphones, consoles, and PCs, spend time with friends in exciting online battles and dive into game worlds that are increasingly difficult to distinguish from reality. And if you don’t want to play by yourself, you can watch the stream. Thanks to broadcasts on Twitch and videos on YouTube, even those who do not have the equipment to play will find out about great projects.

Source: Global Web Index

How will the industry develop further? We believe that in the future:

  • games will become even more realistic;
  • most multiplayer games will move to VR
  • there will be a great emphasis on personalization;
  • lots high-quality projects of the past will sooner or later receive an upgrade;
  • VR and AR technologies will become part of everyday user experience;
  • there will be more competitive games to watch;
  • the genre of interactive cinematic games will be actively developed;
  • retro style will become one of the most popular trends;
  • there will be more monetization opportunities – for example, blockchain technologies.

Our team is constantly exploring new possibilities for creating exciting game projects. We use modern technologies and improve standards and development processes to create impressive projects in our game design portfolio. If you want, you can learn more about our services.

Looking for Game Development Partner?

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Android and IOS game development: The specifics of the audiences https://stepico.com/blog/game-development-for-android-and-ios/ Wed, 18 Aug 2021 11:33:04 +0000 https://stepico.com/?p=8768 Games are the most popular category of all mobile apps. They occupy over 20% in the App Store and almost 14% in Google Play. And every day, more and more games appear on the market because the industry is constantly growing, creating jobs, and bringing in a lot of money. According to the GlobalData report, the mobile gaming market will be worth $272 billion by 2030. And if you want to hop on that train, you should do it as early as possible because competition in the industry grows with revenues.

Most popular categories in June 2021, by share. Source: Statista.

The recipe for a mobile game hit is simple: interesting for users and profitable for the developer. This approach is beneficial for everyone. A constant flow of money helps the creators to hold the level. Mobile game developers can regularly release updates and monitor the quality of the game. And happy players, in turn, are more willing to spend money on a game if it works smoothly and causes only positive emotions. The choice of the development platform plays an important role in this process.

Let’s figure out how the platforms differ from each other and which one is better for launching your first game.

Decide who is your customer

The first question to ask yourself is: “Who do I want to make a game for?”. The better you understand your audience, the more likely you are to hit the target, not only with the genre and style of the game, but also with monetization. After all, the purchasing behavior of the average Android and iOS user is different.

Mobile Operating System Market Share Worldwide. Source: Statcounter.

According to Statcounter data for 2021, the market share of mobile devices on Android is about 72%, while iOS accounts for only 27%. It would seem that more devices mean more purchases. But look closer at the number of games developed for both platforms. According to the latest data, there are 477,877 mobile games available today in the Google Play store and 316,802 in the App Store. Although iOS devices have 2.7 times less market share, the gap between released applications is only 33%. It means that mobile game companies are actively releasing games for both platforms.

Number of gaming apps from 1st quarter 2020 to 1st quarter 2021. Source: Statista.

One of the reasons is the desire to reach as many solvent players as possible. The table summarizes the key differences between users of both platforms.According to this information, Android users would rather watch in-game ads than buying an App. iOS fans, on the other hand, are less sensitive to spending money. Geography also differs. So choose the platform that is more popular with your audience.

Choose revenue strategy

No matter how much money you spend on development, you will probably want to cover it and increase your income. So it’s worth thinking about a monetization strategy in advance. It is one of the key points since iOS and Android users have different approaches to spending. There are four main ways to make money:

  • microtransactions or in-game purchases;
  • purchase of an application;
  • subscription;
  • advertisement.

All three methods you can implement in different ways. For example, you can replace a one-time purchase with a season subscription. Or you can open the free-to-play version of the game with several levels and then offer users to try the full one. The display of ads can also be different: constant banners, pop-up banners, videos for in-game rewards, etc. Gaming app companies often combine methods to earn more money.

Gaming apps annual revenue, in billions of dollars. Source: App Annie, Sensor Tower.

In 2020, the annual iOS gaming app revenue was $47.6 billion. On Google Play, gaming apps brought a little less — $31.9 billion. And the display of advertisements was the main source of income on both platforms. It accounts for 70-80% of all earnings. In second place are in-app purchases, about 15-25%. And only 5-10% of the income comes from the purchase of the application itself. And in any case, iOS users are much more willing to spend money than Android owners. But do not forget about market share: 72% versus 27%. Let’s take a closer look at the different ways to make money in games.

In-app purchases

IOS players are more likely to spend money and make in-app purchases. An iOS user spends an average of $1 on each purchase, while Android users spend half as much on each purchase: $0.47. But it all depends on the game. If the app is free and fun, and the mechanics of microtransactions are clever, in-app purchases are an optimal way to earn money on both platforms.

Paid applications

According to statistics, 97% of Google Play apps are freely available. That means that developers receive all money from microtransactions and in-game advertisements. If your monetization scheme is based precisely on purchasing an app or subscribing to it, then iOS is the best choice.

Advertising

Ads are the easiest and most effective way to make money. Many users are loyal to banner ads and short videos. They prefer to spend time watching the advertisement instead of paying for the application. Ironically, this type of income generates a lot more money for game creators than a one-time purchase. You can make money from advertising on any platform, but Android users are more loyal to banners and videos in games. In addition, the number of users on this platform is higher, so you can get more ad views.

Calculate mobile development cost

Game art services are not the cheapest pleasure. Let’s take a look at what makes up the development cost. It is the number of working hours multiplied by the value per hour for all team members. The final price depends on the number of team members and complexity of the game: the number of custom elements, animations, etc. In addition to the development itself, the application creation cycle includes:

  • analytics;
  • engineering and design;
  • testing and management;
  • technical support.

If you can learn more about the creative process, you can read our article about the seven stages of game development.

There are many other technical factors that affect the price. So it is impossible to say unequivocally what will be cheaper: IOS or android studio game development. Consider the fact that for games, studios prefer cross-platform development. And we will look closer at this way of creation at the end of the article.

Don’t forget about the testing process

iOS runs only on devices produced by Apple. And all other tech companies work with Android. Consequently, there are many more devices for testing: ideally, you need to test your game on each of the relevant samples, from the oldest on the market to the modern ones. And after correcting errors, the process is repeated. You cannot just skip the testing steps, as users will instantly lose interest in a poorly performing game. And restoring a reputation is not as easy as making a great first impression.

Think about update

While 85% of iOS users are consistently updating to the latest OS, over 70% of Android owners use different versions of operating systems. It means that during development, you will have to adjust the interface design for different screens and be sure to take into account the peculiarities of old systems and devices.

Working with iOS players is much easier. Updates are sequential, the number of devices on the market at the same time is small, and it’s easier to work with differences between them. Thanks to this, developers can make the game more convenient and understandable for the user. And a satisfied user is more likely to spend money on the game.

Prepare for publishing

Imagine that all the stages of development are over. The game is ready. You want to show it to new users and publish it. And here, the approach of stores for different platforms is fundamentally different.

On Google Play, you will pay $25 just once and get access to your account without restrictions. After a few hours, the game will be on sale, and you will be able to update it, test it and study user behavior. Android game development is cheaper if you look at it this way.

In the App Store, however, everything is much stricter. The payment here is regular. Every year you will have to pay $99 for the opportunity to place your application in the App Store. The process of reviewing and approving the game is longer – up to 48 hours. And if you have broken at least one of the many rules, you can get refused. So before publishing, you will have to study rules or find developers who have already released more than one application on iOS.

After publishing the game on both markets, you will need to pay 30% of your income. Although recently, as part of its small business support, Apple announced a rate cut for anyone who made less than a million dollars in the previous calendar year. In this case, the rate will be only 15%. Google play took a similar step. So the conditions after publication on both platforms will be equal.

Despite all the difficulties with the release of games, revenues from iOS applications are consistently high. In addition, strict verification and compliance with all the rules can make you a good reputation among users. Any game can pass on the Google Play market. But in the App Store, you need to pass strict inspection. And don’t forget about marketing strategy for your game. We’ve put together some useful tips about how to promote your mobile game here.

Choose a game design company

So, you have chosen your audience, found the method of monetization, and estimated the budget. It remains only to find a studio. Finding the perfect team that will help to bring your ideas to life is the most significant step. We advise you to look at the three things exploring mobile game studios.

Work experience

The games market is young, but this does not mean that yesterday’s students can successfully develop mobile games. There are many nuances in the creation process. And with a skilled expert developer, you will spend less time and effort trying to figure them out. Our company has been on the market for more than seven years, and during this time we have developed 25 successful projects.

Team

The human factor comes first. Whatever you do, everything is based on communication. After all, if you clearly understand each other and see common goals, work becomes much easier. However, there are no technical methods here. You have to rely on your intuition. But the number of team members can be a landmark. Game art production is a complex process. If one person performs several tasks at once, this is cause for concern. Stepico has more than 100 team members, and we can assemble a separate group only for your project.

Projects

The best way to find out if a team is right for you or not is to look at the portfolio. We advise you to look not at the projects similar to your idea, but creativity and diversity. After all, who needs another clone of a mobile game when you can do creative and stunning projects? For example, our team recently developed the Guild Of Guardians game, the main feature of which is modern technologies.

It is a free-to-play game where you can earn NFTs. It means, during the game, you can get unique objects. You own it. And you can sell them for real, not in-game currency. The idea of turning gaming achievements into real winnings resonated with the players. And if you are thinking about joining them, you can watch the trailer.

Use this life-hack

If you want to create a game, choose Stepico studio. We use the Unity cross-platform engine to make a universal game that will run without problems on any gadget. Unity game development has more benefits than native.

The code works on all platforms at once and adapts to any device. So you can take advantage of Android and iOS and get double the benefits. A single technology allows updates to be made simultaneously on all devices and avoids duplicate bug fixes. Remember that satisfied players are the key to the success of any game.

Also, the Stepico studio is in Ukraine. Development costs here will be much lower than in West Europe or US. And the quality will be at a high level, especially in comparison with cheaper India. We offer full-cycle game development, from the idea to post-release support. With us, you can relax and not worry about anything.

Take the first step towards developing your first game right now! Write to us, and we’ll help you to create a mobile hit.

Looking for Game Development Partner?

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8 Tips For A Great First Time User Experience In F2P Games https://stepico.com/blog/8-tips-for-a-great-first-time-user-experience-in-f2p-games/ Sun, 01 Mar 2020 20:06:02 +0000 https://stepico.com/?p=7386 The world of a game industry is full of free to play (F2P) games. The game manufacturers try to do their best in order to outdo each other and the competition is cutthroat and desperate.

It is not difficult to create such a type of game but it is much more difficult to make users stay in-game and continue playing.

What is the secret of those the most popular F2P games? How do they manage to force their devoted player to fall in love with a game from the first seconds of user experience and game interactions? How do they manage to make users come back to the app again and again?

Undoubtedly, the main and most significant thing which can absorb players is the first time user experience.

How to make the first time user experience more successful and well-directed. There are 8 tips below.

1. Immediate Satisfaction

If any user buys a game and pays money for the game, he has to play at least a few times, and it does not matter if he likes it or not. But it is another case with F2P games.

A developer of a F2P game must interest the player immediately. The first game session determines whether a person will play the game or not. And it is the biggest responsibility of a game designer to deal with that. No advertisements, no new accounts on a shadowy platform at this stage. After seeing advertisements or some extra steps in the very beginning, the player will start looking for another game.

2. Simplicity Is Power

After downloading and opening the game we have to make a user play the game. And at this stage he starts to interact with all main menus and gameplay itself. The hardships can happen right at the phase of guided tour. In the case of simple and low-tech mechanics do not use tricky guides. Not to make the game over complex.

The interface must be simple and understandable and only a few steps must detach a player from the game.

3. Limited Functionality For Newcomers

In the first stages, it is much better to hold your horses.

All extra options, features and possibilities can be added later.

Users can know about some extra, forthcoming possibilities or features but they cannot be available from the very beginning.

As Pascal Luban (freelance game designer and creative director) said the task of game-designer is to force a player think like that:

  1. I understand what I must do
  2. I can do it easily
  3. I will get a bonus for that
  4. I have a short-term goal and I know how to achieve it.

Bear in mind that for the first time the player does not have to lose because along with the defeat they will lose the motivation.

Check Our Case Study With “Century Siege: TD Battle” Full-Cycle Game Development

4. Metrics Matter

In game development, metrics are like a wand which helps to learn number of new unique users per day, level of engagement with the game, etc. That’s is really important to understand in which stage the user gives up and leaves the game forever. Metrics may give an idea where and when some improvements must be done. Sometimes, improvements are needed in the first time user experience.

When it comes to F2P games, one of the most significant metrics is the index of retention. A game needs to have strong retention to have time to build proper relationships with users. Common days used for retention are 1, 3, 7 and 30.

5. Allow Players To Be Successful

Everyday presents or bonuses for the active players is a great solution for building strong relationships. The best option is to inform the players about everyday presents or bonuses at the beginning of interaction or user experience. This fact can attract users and make them log in the game more often to get the pleasant bonus/prize.

E.g. Wargaming uses a method of increasing XP and Money for the player’s first wins of the day. After all, you always want to play a game “for an hour” to get an increased number of experiences and rewards.

6. Personalization Should Be Present

It would be nice to give a possibility to users to improve their in-game heroes on their own, on condition that is provided by game, of course. It can be a simple avatar customization. For most of the users altering the appearance of their avatar is a big fun and users like to put their own twist on the game.

When users find something they like and enjoy the retention rates and other metrics often rocket up.

7. Keep Your Users Up-To-Date

Inform your players about some competitions, updates, etc. The game Tanks online is a really great example. If you do not visit the game for a long period of time, you will get the temporary privilege and will be asked to battle. Just try to resist.

Impress your users with updated game sessions, news, bonuses and do not forget to present the prizes even for the weakest players in the leaderboard. Nobody wants to be a pushover.

8. Develop Competitions

Competition is a really nice method to increase retention and this method can be traced in Candy Crush Saga.
The player competes with friends to complete each level and earn the most points or lose everything and play the level over and over in order to win. That encourages you to return to the game, move forward, replay levels and use boosters to improve the result.

Here is one more example of competition in “Century Siege” game fully developed by Stepico Games.

Summing Up

The importance of the first time user experience must not be taken for granted. And developers should understand that they have just a couple of seconds to impress users and absorb them.
Use the above tips to improve first time user experience in F2P games and to make them come back for more.
In Stepico Games we’re always pay special attention to first user experience. If you need help with game development or game design, just contact us.

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Choosing Game Protocol https://stepico.com/blog/choosing-game-protocol/ Mon, 27 May 2019 09:26:58 +0000 https://stepico.com/?p=7156 Finding Solutions For Successful Game Services

Whether building your own game as indiee, large studio or working as a game vendor, one of the most important elements of any multiplayer game is the very thing that carries the information between players or from player to central server(s). This layer of connectivity is Protocol, and choosing the right one for your game is a crucial step of planning architecture setup.

First of all, you’ll need to decide, what protocols you can use with your technology stack of choice and try to classify then as detailed as you can. Later this classification will help you point out their strengths, weaknesses and core utility.

Basic high-level protocol solution can be dichotomized using following criteria (among many others, of course): underlying low-level carrier protocol, persistence of connection, reliability, state preservation, encryption, human readability, compression, proprietary. Lets look on utility and common examples of protocols in some of the above categories.

Check Our Case Study With “Century Siege: TD Battle” Full-Cycle Game Development

Persistence Of Connection

This factor is one of the most important that influences a decision on what protocol solution to pick for your game. There is basically only two options in this category, but choosing one basically is the most important decision one can make when looking at protocol solutions. Persistent connection means, that protocol creates a connection “tunnel” between two endpoints that is persistent and constantly reused throughout the session. This one is massively favoured for any real-time experience, especially MMO, multiplayer FPS, real-time RPG and RTS kind of games.

Another advantage of this approach is ability to send data both ways, without a need of permanent network identification for all the participants of the communication process, as they can just send data through the already established connection. Non-persistent connection means that you can only rely on tunnel existing when you make a new request. Here you’ll have to “find” an endpoint you wish to connect to within the network every time, establish the connection and pour data you want into it. Connection “tunnels” may actually persist for some time, to improve performance of the connection establishing, but you can not rely on this being true every request.

This approach, though sacrificing speed, saves a lot of resources, especially on central servers, where free sockets can be a commodity resource. This type of connection is perfect for turn-base games, where preserving state and slowness of data transfer can be easily masked by end-turn animations or other effects, that don’t influence the gameplay. In the persistent camp you can find solutions like UNet, Forge, Photon, Smartfoxserver and HTTP 1.1 (kind of, with magic and correct keep-alive properties being respected on all sides).
Non-persisten are usually based on TCP/HTTP solutions and WebRequest in Unity.

Reliability

Another key factor, that severely influences the way one is planning the development process around is protocol reliability. Should you wait until you get the data package or timeout? Should you assume it will never come through and extrapolate the result? That’s were reliability comes into play. Reliable protocols claim, that they will either explicitly deliver the data in exact order, or let you know they didn’t. Unreliable protocols do no such thing. With those you’ll get much more speed, ignoring the checks for hashsums and package orders, but you’ll need a lot more development on client or server logic compensating for this. Reliable protocols are either based on TCP trasport layer (HTTP, some flavours of smartfoxserver and Photon) or use their own delivery checkup functionality (like reliable-udp flavour of Photon PUN). Unreliable protocols are usually based on udp or direct websockets.

Other important factors you always need to consider are encryption (https and other ssl based protocols) vs speed and simplicity, human readability vs compactness and need for state preservation (e.g. fetching any unsensitive data can be completely unencrypted and stateless, maximizing simplicity and speed).

Summing Up

Whenever you start development of a new game, that requires multiplayer, or any other kind of client-server connectivity, you now know what flavours and categories of protocol you can choose from. Take a look on a game you plan, decide on security and performance challenges standing before you, come to a compromize and reach into the category of a protocol you feel is best suited for decisions you’ve made.

About Stepico Games

Founded in 2014, Stepico Games is an international games developer, focused on the fast-growing Mobile and PC gaming market. On this way Stepico became Leading Game Development Partner in US & Europe. Working with NBC Universal, Rovio, Section and others company built a team of experts to deliver solutions at all levels of Game Development.

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