Cloud game development can spark new ideas and solve unique problems facing AAA and indie studios.
What's Cloud Game Development?
Cloud game development makes use of cloud providers like AWS, Azure, and GCP to create, release and maintain games. Cloud deployments are not new. Cloud game development has seen an explosion in usage with the advent of game engines.
Cloud-based processing power can be used to run network-intensive games development applications. Instead of upgrading hardware, teams can access the cloud to have the most recent and greatest. Remember, employees, aren't available 24 hours a days. Why pay for expensive hardware every day? You only pay for what you actually need.
What you need to consider for cloud game development
For some, deploying in the cloud can be a daunting task. Before you jump to cloud-based game development, there are many things to think about.
Cloud Game Development
Let's begin with the pros.
Flexibility
Cloud game development offers the greatest benefit to teams: it allows them to be flexible. Cloud computing allows teams the flexibility to quickly spin up and pause resources when they need them. Studio owners don't have to invest in additional resources for every project. Instead, they can access the exact resources that they require.
Scalability
Scale is another important benefit. Cloud game development eliminates studio limitations. In just a few mouse clicks, memory requirements and high-graphic capacities can be met. Developers have all the benefits of high-end equipment without having to purchase additional hardware or use admin resources.
Latency
You are wasting your most valuable resource, human innovation. If team members wait for feedback and files to be uploaded, you're wasting your time. Cloud game development can help reduce latency by deploying servers near your teams.
Many studios can set up build servers in order to reduce the traffic on their main commit servers. When determining your cloud needs, it is important to have tools that scale to meet those requirements.
Stability
Cloud game development can help studios become more stable. Integrated tools make it easy to monitor their network. Studio developers can keep their development going without halting because cloud providers are compatible with all application teams. There are no new tools; just an upgrade to the location.
Customer support is another benefit to stability. Teams can rely on their cloud provider to get information. There are also many slack communities and threads that can help them diagnose and solve problems. Studio owners can continually improve their environment by learning more.
Ready to go Cloud?
Everything you need to develop world-class software in one environment.
Cloud Game Development - Potential Challenges
Consider these things before you decide to deploy in the cloud.
Price
Many teams find upfront costs associated with cloud deployments to be prohibitive. However, when considering cloud deployments, you should also consider long-term hardware expenses. What happens if a server is down? How much admin time do you invest in monitoring, upgrading, and installing new equipment.
Where will you store your hardware? How much would the rent cost? Who would need to reboot the server in case it crashed?
Cloud game development is more expensive than on-premises on day 1. It is different on day 90, 120, and 360. A majority of studios use only 10% of their bandwidth and server space during normal traffic periods. The remaining 90% of server space and bandwidth is needed only for scheduled releases or builds. Scalability can help reduce long-term expenses.
It is important to assess how long your developers spend waiting for files and builds. It will only lead to more frustration for your team if developers sit idle waiting for feedback.
Security
Security is a major concern for game development studios when it involves the cloud. Security has been easier for on-premises solutions in the past. Studio owners had to balance security and accessibility when they were deciding on their team members.
Cloud providers provide many features to protect your source code and infrastructure. These services are regularly audited and maintained to ensure that your cloud deployment remains secure. Use best practices regardless of your provider to lockdown access via an Identity Provider (IdP).
How do you build a game in the cloud?
Cloud game development requires tools that are flexible and can scale to your requirements.
Version control is an essential tool. Cloud game development requires that your tool can handle large files and many contributors, many of whom are contractors. If your cloud tools are slow to deliver files or feedback, you won't maximize your cloud investment. You could also be limiting the speed at which your game goes to market.
Helix Core to Cloud Game Development
19 top game development studios trust Helix Core, a Perforce version control system. Why? Studio owners can reap the full benefits of the cloud. Flexibility. Scale. Speed. Helix Core is used by teams to speed up their builds and manage all digital assets, not just code.
Helix Core is a great choice for cloud game development. It scales to handle everything.
Secure Digital Asset Management
Helix Core, unlike other version control systems, can manage large digital assets related to cloud game development. Your entire project can be managed from one central location by your team.
You can store binary files, audio files and video files as well as code inside a Helix Core Depot. These assets can then be combined and released with any game engine on a variety of platforms.
You can also lock assets within Helix Core, down to the individual file level, for security purposes. It is easy to create projects that only allow access to those who require it.
Top Performance
Helix Core is the media and game standard for a reason. Perforce Federated Architecture makes it possible to deploy servers anywhere you need them. You could, for example, set up cloud-based servers to host large game engine files. You could also deploy an edge server near remote team members to provide them with instant access to files.
Key Integrations
Helix Core is compatible with all popular game engines, including:
- Integration impossible
- Unity integration
- Lumberyard integration
- Integration of CryEngine
It integrates all the top digital tools that digital creators already use -- 3ds Max and Maya, Photoshop, and many more. Helix Core is another option for creatives. Helix Sync, the free desktop client, allows teams to version everything without having to rely on DropBox or unsecured email. With the ability to create and manage digital assets, teams can have the speed required to do so.
How does Helix Sync work?
Helix Sync can be used as a single tool, so there is no need for additional tools. Drag and drop assets can be done by team members. It's simple to get started. Designers and artists will quickly be able to version like developers without even knowing it.
- Connect to Helix Visual Client (P4V).
- Use the tools that you love to create.
- Drag and drop assets to a local folder.
You can build more precise builds because all digital assets and codes are stored in one place in the cloud.
Cloud Game Development Software - Free
Are you ready to optimize cloud game development? Perforce is ready for the cloud. In just a few clicks, you can get Helix Core (plus code review and project management tools) for free.
Azure, now available, contains all the tools required to develop world-class applications in one pre-configured environment.
You can quickly and easily deploy all the necessary cloud development infrastructure on your cloud choice in just a few steps. No cloud knowledge is required. You can get all the infrastructure you need to support large files and projects.
You can deploy your way.
