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CS5961: Networked Game Design

CS5961: Networked Game Design. Introduction to Mobile Gaming. Mobile Gaming. (One of the?) fastest growing segments of game industry Mobile consoles (e.g., PSP, N-Gage, Nintendo DS) Mobile phones Unique challenges Constrained I/O (small screens, limited/slow input devices)

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CS5961: Networked Game Design

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  1. CS5961: NetworkedGame Design Introduction to Mobile Gaming

  2. Mobile Gaming • (One of the?) fastest growing segments of game industry • Mobile consoles (e.g., PSP, N-Gage, Nintendo DS) • Mobile phones • Unique challenges • Constrained I/O (small screens, limited/slow input devices) • Power-constrained (battery life issues) • Wireless networks (slow, unreliable, power-hungry) • Unique opportunities • Cell phone market >> game console market • Opportunities to exploit “real” social interaction • Location-based games

  3. Common Mobile Game Genres • Standalone • Miniature version of console/PC games  non-interactive • Often “casual” games (e.g., Tetris)  very popular with women • Multi-player • Typically head-to-head or small groups • Conventional games vs real-time trivia (e.g., sporting events) • Location-based / “mixed reality” / “alternate reality” • Exploit presence of GPS in modern phones • Harder to determine “location” for generic wireless (triangulation) • Ex.: GeoCaching, PacManhattan, Can You Find Me Now? • Social games / interaction-based • Virtual love, digital clubs, share w/ friends • E.g., Avapeeps (Digital Chocolate)  date other people’s avatars

  4. Mobile consoles PSP, N-Gage, Nintendo DS 300+MHz cpu, vector unit, FPU 32MB+ embedded DRAM/Flash Display: 480x762 (PSP), 256x192 (DS) Support for 3D graphics/sound 802.11, USB, game inputs Cell phones Weak cpu, special cell circuits 12MB DRAM (RAZR), 32MB (Sidekick) Display: 176x220 (RAZR), 240x160 (SK) Usually no 3D graphics support SMS, 3G, Bluetooth Hardware Platforms

  5. Development Platforms • J2ME (Java 2 Micro Edition) • Seems to be dominant software platform • Portable across many hardware platforms • Pretty much every cell phone has J2ME • “Not most powerful or pretty, but pervasive” • BREW (Qualcomm) • Popular in the US (less so abroad) • Better support for 3D graphics and sound • Symbian OS (Nokia) • Powerful OS/platform for high-end phones • Typically more expensive games • ExEn, PalmOS, DoJa, WIPI, …

  6. Common Limitations • Low processing power & small screens • Need to count on good game play over flashy graphics • No uber powerful game AIs or high res 3D graphics • Limited sales channels  typically cell providers • Hard to market games  tend to rely on well known IP/genres • Wireless communications • Limited wide-area bandwidth, lossy, unstable • Depending on technology, not pervasive (802.11/Bluetooth vs 3G) • Limited location accuracy • GPS is pretty good, but only to ~20meters (outside ok, inside not) • Proliferation of heterogeneous devices • Need to design for lowest common denominator

  7. Technology Issues

  8. Technical Challenges • Low-res displays • Weak processors • Small memory/storage capacity (no VM) • Example: BREW could only access 200 bytes of dynamic data (2002) • Severe power constraints • Wireless/mobile networking issues

  9. Power-Aware Computing • Mobile devices have limited battery power • Major power consumers: • Display / backlighting • Wireless network • “Vibrate” • CPU / memory • Q: What kinds of things can you do to preserve power? • Discuss • Turn off units (disks, displays, network, …) when not being used • Voltage scaling (often available in mobile processors) • Power-aware scheduling (OS or app-based)

  10. Wireless Networks • Wide range of wireless technologies • Bluetooth (802.15): “personal area network” • IRDA: short range, point-to-point • 802.11: wireless LAN (variety of bandwidths and ranges) • 802.11b: 2.4GHz (shared), 11 Mbps, ~300 feet indoor range • 802.11g: 2.4GHz (shared), 11/54 Mbps, ~300 feet indoor range • SMS: cell phone messaging (160 bytes max, 4+ sec latency) • 2G/3G: high bandwidth digital cell based • WiMAX: wireless MANs (802.11 on steroids) • Access points versus ad hoc • Security (WEP, authentication, encryption, …)

  11. Internet Cellular Network Topology Base Station (BS) Fixed Host (FH) Wireless Cell

  12. Wireless Challenges • High bit error rates • Congestion (shared channels, data corruption, …) • Asymmetric channels • Bandwidth asymmetry • Differing latencies • High delays (compared to wired networks) • Channel reservation  “slots” • Transceivers often go into “sleep” mode for power savings

  13. Programming Embedded Devices • Programming for small memory footprints • Limited stack size  must have predictable maximum size • Compressed data  adds to compute overhead • Overlays  careful memory management • Memory allocation tools (manage different “flavors” of memory) • Need predictable execution times • Similar to “30Hz frame update” cycle • Must do it in the face of disabled I/O devices (radio, display, …) • See Regehr’s Embedded System course for details

  14. Location Tracking Technologies • GPS: • Typical accuracy is 15 meters • Signal can be disrupted by other electromagnetic radiation • Limited effectiveness inside buildings (metal blocks signals) • WLAN triangulation: • Typical accuracy is 1-5 meters  but high variance • Requires multiple WLAN access points to triangulate signal power • Somewhat effective indoors • Multipath problems (reflections, signal loss) • RFID: • Can be highly accurate (under 1 meter), but very short range • Increasingly common and available

  15. Develop on software emulators SDK/emulators typically free Getting certified for deployment can cost a couple thousand dollars Need to test for compatibility & safety To actually sell your game: Need to partner with carriers (typical)… … or market via web to “expert users” Most cell users have no clue how to download and install applications Getting Started BREW toolkit J2ME toolkit

  16. Possible Future Developments • Growth of interactive / “alternate reality” games • Example: PacManhattan (NYU) • Five players on the street, five in a control room • Simple (cell voice based), but effective • Successfully used as a form of viral marketing • Wearable computing • Computer is always with you  unobtrusive as clothing • Hands-free use, many sensors, embedded in real world

  17. “10 Hot Trends in Mobile Gaming” • Advertising-supported games • Direct-to-consumer • Next generation N-Gage • More connectivity and multiplayer • Tetris will sell millions of downloads • More crossover with Web and online gaming • 3D gaming will take off (handheld consoles) • Flash Lite will make an impact • Mobile game audio finally gets some props • More camera and location-based games Ref: http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/Mobile/feature.asp?c=2075

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