A new form of network technology could see 1,000 players fragging each other in the same game.
The typical online multiplayer shooter will only pit a few dozen players against each other at a time. The network technology required to do any more than that can get complicated. Games that allow 12, 24, or even 256 players like the PlayStation 3’s MAG have nothing on network technology company Pikkotekk, which is currently aiming at a 1,000 player game.
Pikkotekk talked to Rock, Paper, Shotgun about the wizardry behind such a feat. The company’s method works similar to how cellphones silently switch their users between base stations as they move around.
Pikkotekk’s technology would connect hundreds of players to a central “Pikko Server,” and several “cell servers.” As players move around the virtual world, they’ll switch between cell servers seamlessly, taking a large amount of load off the network.
Once Pikkotekk perfects its work, it hopes to go for a world record. It’ll pit 1,000 players against each other in a virtual world, and from a web browser no less. Pikkotekk plans to let the public get involved, as it doesn’t employ 1,000 people, so keep an eye out for more information if you’d like to participate.
Source: Rock, Paper, Shotgun
Published: Mar 8, 2011 03:29 pm