The Business of Cloud and Game Servers

Jun 14, 2024

Learn about the backbone of all video games with CEO Sid Dhulipalla and VP Steven Hartland as they discuss cloud infrastructure, player experience, and server orchestration. Dive into topics like bare metal, peer-to-peer, dedi servers, and the business dynamics of game launches. Discover the landscape of cloud providers, hybrid setups, and the critical role of predictability, cost, and flexibility in game development.

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Intro

00:00 • 3min

Exploring Cloud Gaming Infrastructure and Business

02:50 • 8min

Types of Computing for Cloud Gaming

11:14 • 5min

Cloud Stack in Gaming: Player Experience and Infrastructure

16:04 • 24min

Exploring Bare Metal Providers and Lease Options

40:09 • 2min

Roles of Hathora and RocketSci in the Gaming Server Market

41:41 • 2min

Cloud Gaming Infrastructure and Business Models

44:04 • 21min

Exploring Options for Delivering Games and Contact Information for Services

01:05:07 • 2min

Apex Legends is known for having one of the most “boring” game launches in history in the best of ways. Jokingly called Uptime Legends, Apex pursued a multi-tiered cloud infrastructure that helped EA deliver one of the smoothest PvP launches in history. Sid Dhulipalla, CEO and Co-Founder of Hathora, and Steven Hartland, VP of Engineering at Rocket Science, join our host, Alex Takei, Director at Ruckus Games, to discuss the role of cloud and server orchestration in the distribution of modern video games and the business surrounding it.

We chat all things bare metal, peer-to-peer, dedi servers, hybrid setups, and their implications on the player experience and the developer’s cost profile. We learn about the landscape of players from public cloud to bare metal to server orchestration to boutique backend teams that are available to studios across the AAA and indie spaces. We also have the age-old chicken and egg debate of “predictability, cost, and flexibility” as relative unknowns for every game launch despite being major components of any game's financial health. This episode is about the backbone of all video games - tune in!

Big thanks to GRID for making this episode possible. GRID is a game data platform providing esports data infrastructure, analytics, and distribution solutions to leading game publishers including Riot Games, Ubisoft, and KRAFTON. If you're a fan, developer, or entrepreneur with an idea for a live data-powered project, make sure to apply for GRID Open Access, get free access to official data, and start creating today! To learn more, visit: https://grid.gg/?utm_source=naavik.co&utm_medium=media&utm_campaign=Naavik

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Sound design by Gavin Mc Cabe.