Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Summary
Over the course of this chapter we've looked at a couple of different topics, from
Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) to different types of multiplayer topologies and how
to connect to other computers with Windows 8.
These may be random topics, but, they are all crucial to adding in networked multi-
player, and hopefully by reading through this topic you now understand some of the
many different options available, so you can implement multiplayer if you feel it fits
your game.
You may have noticed that in this chapter we didn't alter the sample game. This leads
back to what I mentioned before. It's important that you add features that will enhance
your game, and if that means leaving out multiplayer, then you should do so. In our
case the game didn't quite work with a multiplayer mode, so we left it out. However,
keep it in mind for any games you make in the future, as it can really add to the replay
value of your game if it works.
We also looked at the different types of sockets you might want to use, and why (or
why not). Remember that UDP will require more work on your part, but gives a large
speed boost that could be useful. If you don't need that latency you can make do with
TCP and gain the benefits of ordered messages and reliable transmission.
Next steps
So we're done with our sample game, all of the features are in, and now it's time to
look at getting it out there to an audience. Over the next two chapters we're going to
look at what you need to do so your fans can download your game, from submission
to certification. We'll look at the tools available to make certification easier, tips and
tricks to remember so you pass the first time, and how to work through the submis-
sion process so that you can actually get your game into the store. After that we'll
look at ways to monetize your game so you can make a profit on your work. freemi-
um games are big and you might want to try out that business model, so we'll take a
look at in-app purchases and how to add them to your game so you can make money
even after the player downloads the game. If you don't want to go down that path, you
can always sell your game upfront using the store, and adding a trial version of your
game has never been easier. We'll take a look at the trial game options available to
you, and how to add a timed trial version without changing any of your code.
