| Game Servers use something called a dedicated | | | | game performance was proportionately dismal. |
| server application. This dedicated server app is a | | | | Even if the bandwidth on the newest broadband |
| program specifically designed to collect data from | | | | internet services could keep up with the load, the |
| each player and redistribute it, as necessary, to | | | | computer itself was still behind in computing the |
| the other players in the game. This is much more | | | | data needed. The capacity to process data for 3D |
| efficient and effective than a peer-to-peer | | | | graphics, game physics, sorting and distributing |
| arrangement, but it requires a separate computer | | | | network data to the other players on one |
| to host the server application. And this new | | | | computer, especially back then, simply could not |
| computer is not a game machine. It is a server | | | | do it. |
| machine. It has very special needs. To effectively | | | | When online gaming finally hit it’s stride, |
| host and support a game server, you must know | | | | Leagues, LAN events, and dedicated |
| every aspect of its inner workings, which include | | | | teams—with members scattered all around the |
| both the hardware and software within the | | | | world were created, the gamers started looking |
| system. | | | | for something better, a solution to the server |
| One of the most popular games available is | | | | dilemma. They needed something with the power |
| Counter-Strike, The Half-life engine can be run on | | | | to smoothly host the game, faster and more |
| many different operating systems, but the | | | | reliably. They needed a solution that would give |
| primary bottleneck on your server’s | | | | them true performance, with latency return in |
| performance is always bandwidth—how much | | | | tens of milliseconds (rather than hundreds or |
| data you can move into or out of your computer | | | | thousands) for all their team members in games |
| at once. Most users that buy and play these | | | | of up to twenty players. And more. Thirty. Forty. |
| games are using a "broadband internet service," | | | | Sixty. The player count is still rising, even to this |
| the most popular of which are DSL and cable. | | | | day, thanks to ambitious game designers. |
| With a DSL or cable modem connection, a player | | | | The solution was obvious. Use a professional |
| can host his or her own dedicated server | | | | server. A computer designed to read data and |
| application, but with this kind of a connection the | | | | transmit vast amounts of data as fast as players |
| server can only "serve" a few people at a time, | | | | need it. A handful of game hosting pioneers such |
| usually between four and ten. A server with | | | | as realized the need for such systems. They |
| better internal hardware—a faster processor or | | | | purchased rack mounted server machines and |
| more memory—might improve these numbers | | | | colocated them within datacenters to host their |
| a little, but the tightest bottleneck is still network | | | | games. They paid between $200 and $700 a |
| bandwidth, and cable and DSL have their limits. | | | | month for this luxury, and the teams that could |
| In the past, this is how the majority of game | | | | foot such bills were few and far between, but the |
| servers were hosted. This was the only option. | | | | lucky ones were utterly amazed at the |
| The player would buy the game, and most | | | | improvement to gameplay. Within a few years |
| households only had one computer, so the player | | | | online multiplayer gaming became a huge success. |
| would use this one machine host his or her server | | | | Prices over the years have lowered dramatically |
| and play the game on, often simultaneously. The | | | | and subscribers increased 1000 fold. |
| stress on the computer was enormous, and | | | | |