On March 23, 2022, as part of the Game Developer’s Conference, the AWS Game Tech division present its new cloud service. Called “AWS for Games”, this service offers many features, and dedicated to the development of video games to help developers design ever more realistic games.
What are the main features of AWS For Games?
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a branch of e-commerce giant Amazon specializing in products and services related to cloud computing, a growing market. AWS Game Tech, one of the divisions mainly interested in video games and its development, presented its new creation supported by the cloud. This revolves around six main features:
- Amazon Nimble Studio : this virtual studio will allow developers in creative studios to produce quality visual effects and animations, entirely in the cloud.
- Graphics processing unit (GPU) powered workstations : it will be possible to configure workstations allowing all members of the video game design chain to work on several files at the same time in the cloud. This new service leverages the entire AWS global infrastructure present in 26 regions around the world.
- Setting up trial versions to test games faster : Thanks to the solutions of several AWS partners (JFrog, Nasuni and Incredibuild), it will be possible to create and test primitive versions of a game under development thanks to analysis pipelines.
- Creations of 3D worlds : the Open 3D Engine solution can be used by video game designers to create huge open worlds rich in graphics and where players from all over the world can interact with each other.
- LiveOperations : This solution will allow developers to deploy new features to improve the player’s experience without degrading their gaming experience during the update.
- Presence of an assistant : Several AWS partners will provide assistance to developers in order to best support them, regardless of their location or the size of the project they wish to set up.
AWS for Games relies on the cloud but also on other technologies
In addition to these six main functionalities relying mainly on the cloud, AWS for Games relies on other technologies such as artificial intelligence, and more specifically machine learning to improve the player experience.
Sandbox, a division of Google specializing in quantum and AI, is emancipated
The new service offered by Amazon highlights the Cohort Modeler solution which allows online game developers to identify malicious players, by detecting their behavior and their interactions. This functionality could be particularly useful in the context of the development of the metaverse.
In order to guarantee maximum security, it will be possible, thanks to AWS for Games, to put in place several measures to fight against DDoS attacks, which are frequent in the world of online video games. These measures may also improve the protection of personal data.
Cloud computing players are increasingly exploiting the video game market. Several companies have already launched their cloud gaming services such as Google with Stadia, Nvidia with GeForce Now, and Microsoft with Xbox Cloud Gaming. The latter also launched Azure Game Development, allowing developers to create games in the cloud as well.