For some reason, many people think making mobile games is straightforward. They look at apps like Flappy Bird, developed in just three days, and conclude that other projects may likewise be completed in just a few days or weeks. This might be the case for some 2D and pixel art games, but even on mobile platforms, multiplayer and AAA games demand much more time and resource commitment.
If you need assistance with your project, this article will discuss how to create a multiplayer mobile game and where to locate mobile game development services. In essence, everything you require to begin working on your game.
Creating a Multiplayer Mobile Game: How Difficult Is It?
Although they are far more challenging to create than single-player games, multiplayer games have the extraordinary potential to quickly attract a sizable user base. This is because your app will require an internet connection and frequent data transmission to and from your server and won’t simply be a piece of software that the user downloads once and uses for free forever (s) unless multiple players can play the game simultaneously on one screen.
Knowledge is one of the main obstacles to game production. Game developers are frequently expected to be fluent in several programming languages and to have experience with the most significant game engines available. In truth, the majority of companies’ multiplayer projects entail a sizable team of specialists:
- Coders
- 2D/3D creators
- level architects
- UI/UX artists
- QA specialists
- Project director
Cost becomes a crucial consideration when there are so many people engaged. When salary and technical costs (hardware/software) are considered, the price of developing a mobile game can easily reach hundreds of thousands of dollars. Even once the product is released, you’ll probably need to maintain the servers, run upgrades, etc., adding to the expense.
Which mobile platform for your game should you choose?
The two most popular mobile game platforms, without question, are Android and iOS. Both are excellent options from a marketing perspective and can be used to target hundreds of millions of users. There are a few things. Nevertheless, that could influence your decision from the perspective of development. Let’s look more closely.
Mobile MMO Game Engines and Server Architecture
A look at the leading techniques and technologies employed in popular multiplayer games.
Creating a mobile multiplayer game using UE4
For the creation of expansive, graphically stunning games with high performance, Unreal Engine 4 is incredibly well-liked. The matchmaking and other networking modes of the engine are highly customizable, and it also includes a visual scripting system for quick prototyping and for those who find C++ coding difficult. Unreal’s Multiplayer game creation is backed by outstanding manuals covering several networking topics, including how to set up a dedicated server, perform testing, and track user connections.
Creating a Unity mobile multiplayer game
Unity is well-known as one of the most significant engines for mobile games, although its multiplayer features are a bit missing. Accord used the UNet technology for many years to simplify the creation and maintenance of multiplayer features. However, it finally got out of date. The engine now offers a solution called MLAPI, although it is still in its infancy and requires numerous upgrades. Thus, most developers are left to construct multiplayer functionality from scratch or use some of Unity’s premium solutions, such as Multiplay, Vivox, and Matchmaker.
Structure of the server
Setting up the client-server architecture for a game is one of the most complex technical areas of development. However, game engines will usually aid you with some necessary tools/features.
The practice of having all game action take place on a single central server is among the most widely used server architecture strategies for multiplayer games. In other words, the user only manages controls and gives the necessary input; the server processes the action’s results, which are displayed on the user’s device.
The central-server method prevents users from gaining an edge by altering their game copy. It is essential because multiplayer games are fiercely competitive and a common target for hacking.