Using Microsoft's Windows Azure
Cloud Backend Successfully for Games
Agenda
• Intro (5min)
– Stephan Harms (Business Development Manager Microsoft Germany)
• The Evolution of Game Development (20min)
– Christof Wegman (Founder & CTO Exit Games)
• MobileBits (20min)
– Karsten Wysk (CEO & Co-Founder)
• Windows Azure Engagement Model (15min)
– Finn Boysen (ISV Lead Microsoft Germany)
2
The Evolution of Game DevelopmentThe Right Mix of „Make vs. Buy“
Christof Wegmann, Founder & CTO Exit Games
Photon in a Nutshell
• Socket Server and Framework• Realtime, Multiplayer, Cross Platform• 23,000 developers (Indies and AAA)
8
The Evolution of Hosting and Rise of the Services
Iron InfrastructureaaS
PlatformaaS
SoftwareaaS
You are on your own!
Scale fast and patch (fast)!
Scale fast and convenient!
Relax!
9
The Choice Seems to be Easy ...
PaaS / IaaS Iron
Ramp up ++ „Instant“ - 1-3 days
Ramp down ++ „Instant“ - Monthly
Snapshots ++ Yes. - 3rd party
Automation ++ Rightscale, OpsCode + Manual, Scripts
Power/CCU + „Weak“ Socket performance
++ Better „bang“ for the „buck“.
Services (Saas) ++ DB, MsgQueues, Storage, Backup
- Nothing
Traffic/Bandwidth Cost - Medium to High ++ Low (with the Right Partners)
-Operations Monitoring, …
-Promotions, Rewards, …
-“Social” API, Friends, …-Leaderboards, Badges, Payments, Items, …
11
Be Smart: The Mix of Make vs. Buy
Make your own ...-Registration, Login-Facebook etc. Integration-Custom Server Logic-Authoritative Logic
Azure delivers ...-Web, Worker Roles-Global Availability-Automated Patching & Backup-Scalability, Load Balancing, UDP-Storage (SQL, NoSQL)-CDN-Notifications
-Matchmaking-Realtime data exchange
12
Casual Connect Announcement
Photon Server fully support Azure• FREE download• Get started with the „Photon Azure Starter Kit“ (PASK)
Combine it with the Cloud• Get 6 month Cloud 100CCU for free
MobileBits
Casual Connect HH 2013
15
MobileBits – Games since 1994
16
SoulCraft - Action RPG
• free2play Action RPG• Android, Win8• iOS & WP8 very soon• >2m downloads in
beta
17
SoulCraft – made with Delta Engine
DeltaEngine.net„XNA for all platforms“
18
SoulCraft - Trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnJ4M5hJ_CQ
19
SoulCraft – Action RPG
• featured by Apple, Google I/O, NVIDIA (Microsoft soon? :)
• True cross-platform sync via Azure
20
True cross-platform gaming
• Play with touch, xbox controller, mouse & keyboard
21
How we use Azure
•Cross-Platform Sync (continue playing on all devices)•Storage for Android Download•User Management•Soon: Asynchronous Multiplayer•Soon: Synchronous PvP
22
How does Azure work technically?
1.Configure Azure via Visual Studio Wizards (Worker/web role, VM)2.Adapt your code to Azure (clone method for worker role or build wrapper) – easy3.Deploy via VS wizards
Easiest way to build & deploy for Windows Devs
23
Microsoft is very supportive – use it!
Windows Azure Engagement Model
Windows Azure – Easy to get started, but how exactly?
Do It Yourself
Documentation(far more than you ever wanted)
Videoschannel9.msdn.com
Do it – on your ownwindowsazure.com
Need a helping hand?
Together with local Microsofties
Paper Excercises – 1 day
• Understand– We want to understand your
current architecture– Listen to your pain points
• Design– Design your solution in
Azure– Validate design– Ensure you understand it
• Sizing– Calculate the size – and
costs – of your solution in Azure
• Code Name Microsoft“Architecture Design Session” (ADS)
Hands-on – 2-4 days• Just make it happen
– Work with your technical team– Take your code base– Make it ready for the cloud– Extend it – Ship it
• Code Name Microsoft“Proof of concept” (POC)
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