The computer game industry is clearly growing in the direction of multiplayer, online games. Understanding the demands of games on IP (Internet Protocol) networks is essential for ISP (Internet Service Provider) engineers to develop appropriate IP services.  Correspondingly, knowledge of the underlying network’s capabilities is vital for game developers. 

Networking and Online Games concisely draws together and illustrates the overlapping and interacting technical concerns of these sectors. The text explains the principles behind modern multiplayer communication systems and the techniques underlying contemporary networked games. The traffic patterns that modern games impose on networks, and how network performance and service level limitations impact on game designers and player experiences, are covered in-depth, giving the reader the knowledge necessary to develop better gaming products and network services. Examples of real-world multiplayer online games illustrate the theory throughout.

Networking and Online Games:

• Provides a comprehensive, cutting-edge guide to the development and service provision needs of online, networked games.
• Contrasts the considerations of ISPs (e.g. predicting traffic loads) with those of game developers (e.g. sources of lag/jitter), clarifying coinciding requirements.
• Explains how different technologies such as cable, ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) and wireless, etc., affect online game-play experience, and how different game styles impose varying traffic dynamics and requirements on the network.
• Discusses future directions brought by emerging technologies such as UMTS (Universal Mobile Telephone Service), GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), Wireless LANs, IP service Quality, and NAPT/NAT (Network Address Port Translation/Network Address Translation)
• Illustrates the concepts using high-level examples of existing multiplayer online games (such as Quake III Arena, Wolfenstein Enemy Territory, and Half-Life 2).

Networking and Online Games will be an invaluable resource for games developers, engineers and technicians at Internet Service Providers, as well as advanced undergraduate and graduate students in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science and Multimedia Engineering.

The computer game industry is clearly growing in the direction of multiplayer, online games. Understanding the demands of games on IP (Internet Protocol) networks is essential for ISP (Internet Service Provider) engineers to develop appropriate IP services.  Correspondingly, knowledge of the underlying network’s capabilities is vital for game developers. 

Networking and Online Games concisely draws together and illustrates the overlapping and interacting technical concerns of these sectors. The text explains the principles behind modern multiplayer communication systems and the techniques underlying contemporary networked games. The traffic patterns that modern games impose on networks, and how network performance and service level limitations impact on game designers and player experiences, are covered in-depth, giving the reader the knowledge necessary to develop better gaming products and network services. Examples of real-world multiplayer online games illustrate the theory throughout.

Networking and Online Games:

• Provides a comprehensive, cutting-edge guide to the development and service provision needs of online, networked games.
• Contrasts the considerations of ISPs (e.g. predicting traffic loads) with those of game developers (e.g. sources of lag/jitter), clarifying coinciding requirements.
• Explains how different technologies such as cable, ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) and wireless, etc., affect online game-play experience, and how different game styles impose varying traffic dynamics and requirements on the network.
• Discusses future directions brought by emerging technologies such as UMTS (Universal Mobile Telephone Service), GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), Wireless LANs, IP service Quality, and NAPT/NAT (Network Address Port Translation/Network Address Translation)
• Illustrates the concepts using high-level examples of existing multiplayer online games (such as Quake III Arena, Wolfenstein Enemy Territory, and Half-Life 2).

Networking and Online Games will be an invaluable resource for games developers, engineers and technicians at Internet Service Providers, as well as advanced undergraduate and graduate students in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science and Multimedia Engineering.

Not worth the money

This book is an incredible waste of time for anyone even remotely interested in multiplayer games development. Much of the content is too general to be of use, and it varies from basic games knowledge, to basic networking principles. According to this book, Everquest was released in 1993...Needless to say that I wasn’t too impressed.

it is rather overpriced

Wiley has a habit of doing this. It commissions (ie. pays for and owns the copyright on) a technical book, puts it out in hardcover and charges over $100 for it. Sometimes, if the field is very narrow, this pricing might be ok. However, much of this book’s material is generic. I grant that the book is indeed a good overview of online games. With an accurate synopsis of its history, dating back to the MUD games of the 80s.

But several chapters cover material widely available in other computer books that are much cheaper. Like the chapter on the Internet Protocol, describing IPv4, the IP address formats and routing methods. Or the chapter on using widely available tools like tcpdump to find where the players are coming from. Then there is the chapter on broadband access networks. Addison-Wesley and O’Reilly have several books that treat these topics adequately.

An OK book, WAY overpriced

I am still reading the book but it already gave me a very distinctive feel of a textbook, grossly overpriced because professors can MAKE students buy these.
First impression: the book is 232 pages. I understand that this is not at all a criteria of quality but this was the first alarm - 232 page books rarely cost $100+ (I wish I looked at that when I was buying it).
Second impression: when you charge THAT much, can’t you get somebody to proof read the text? My English is lame at best but there are sentences that are incoherent, not even talking about constructs like "the sophisticated ... (something) was sophisticated".
Third impression... I don’t have it yet, I’m still reading the book, I didn’t get to the meat yet and I don’t want to judge technical level without reading (would be wrong, don’t you think). I know that buy the time I finish I will be too mellow about the money and lazy and I will not post a review.

I assume there will be useful information but I already know this book won’t be in my favorites.