Online Game was born with the origination
of internet, its long history stems from 1970s. In the early years, online
games were mostly played by real world friends in a LAN. With the development
of internet and increasing speed of data rate, Massively Multiplayer Online
Role Play Game (MMORPG) comes into people’s lives. Honestly speaking, it is not
difficult for us to find the prototype of Social Networking stuffs in online
games, as players in a typical MMORPG have their own identity and friend lists,
some social elements like guild, auction and voice-based collaboration have already
became fundamental functions of an online game.
MMORPG
While Online Games have formed a mature
system, there is a new kind of online game called web game which becomes
popular with SNS websites within the recent five years. Unlike traditional client-server
online games, web games request no client installation on their users’
terminals, which make it more accessible for SNS websites users, and the
important thing is that these web games have higher interactive level with a
strong relationship to SNS functions. It is not difficult to find some apps or
links of web games on most popular SNS websites like Renren.com or Weibo.com in
mainland china.
a popular web game in mainland China
With the rapidly increasing number of web
game players, web game companies encounter new problems on server technologies.
Large number of users give a web game server heavy load, and it reduces the
response speed of the server, which has a considerable negative influence on
user experience. Traditionally, web game companies tend to rent temporary
server from IDC suppliers, they don’t have own server as MMORPG suppliers. If
they want to reduce the load pressure, more servers have to be rent and the
cost is hard to balance. As a hardened online game player, I would not waste my
time on a game which requires me to queue to log in at peak period, and uncomfortable
delay makes me depressed when playing games.
a comic about network delay
One efficient way to solve this problem is
applying cloud computing servers. Some IDC suppliers have started to offer
cloud computing service for web game companies. For example, in mainland China,
an IDC supplier CloudEX offers advanced IaaS cloud service called ECC (Elastic
Computing Cloud) which is applied in many web games.
All data processing is
shared among several node servers spread in different provinces. The load
pressure is reduced and the IT structure is easier for administration. Although
cloud computing is more efficient, this technology is not universally used in
mainland China. IDC suppliers spend big money on setting up node servers, and
it is the web game users that pay this bill. The task to reduce the cost of
cloud computing server still has a long way to go, however, it is a trend of
future web games.
Answer of questions in Note of Week 6
1.Class Activity One A
(1)A Social Cloud is a resource and service sharing framework utilizing relationships established between members of a social network.
(2)A Social Computation Cloud; A Social Storage Cloud; A Social Collaborative Cloud; A Social Cloud for Public Science; An Enterprise Social Cloud.
Class Activity One B
(1)A Social Cloud is a scalable computing model in which virtualized resources contributed by users are dynamically provisioned amongst a group of friends.
(2)Cloud computing server for web games.
Class Activity Two
(1)Cloud computing is the use of computing resources (hardware and software) that are delivered as a service over a network (typically the Internet). The name comes from the use of a cloud-shaped symbol as an abstraction for the complex infrastructure it contains in system diagrams. Cloud computing entrusts remote services with a user's data, software and computation.
(2)Did not reach to a conclusion.
2.What was the epistemic aims in (1) Class Activity One (individual work) and (2) Class Activity Two (group work)? Is there any change in epistemic aim? If so, why did you change your aims?
I think the epistemic aim of Activity One is to acquire true, justified beliefs. The epistemic aim of Activity Two is to adopt minimally justified beliefs. I changed my aim in group discussion because I don't have a deep understanding of this topic, the aim of this group discussion is to find the common part shared by answers of different group members to reach a minimally justified answer.
3.Is there any differences in terms of individual and group epistemic cognition, how?
The difference is that group epistemic cognition has exchange of understanding between group members which will make the result more generic.
4.How did you approach to the problem individually and in group, respectively? Is there any differences in the processes involved?
Individually I would search for several answers on internet and then choose one which is more likely with my experience. In group we exchange our answers and form a new result through discussion.
Answer of questions in Note of Week 6
1.Class Activity One A
(1)A Social Cloud is a resource and service sharing framework utilizing relationships established between members of a social network.
(2)A Social Computation Cloud; A Social Storage Cloud; A Social Collaborative Cloud; A Social Cloud for Public Science; An Enterprise Social Cloud.
Class Activity One B
(1)A Social Cloud is a scalable computing model in which virtualized resources contributed by users are dynamically provisioned amongst a group of friends.
(2)Cloud computing server for web games.
Class Activity Two
(1)Cloud computing is the use of computing resources (hardware and software) that are delivered as a service over a network (typically the Internet). The name comes from the use of a cloud-shaped symbol as an abstraction for the complex infrastructure it contains in system diagrams. Cloud computing entrusts remote services with a user's data, software and computation.
(2)Did not reach to a conclusion.
2.What was the epistemic aims in (1) Class Activity One (individual work) and (2) Class Activity Two (group work)? Is there any change in epistemic aim? If so, why did you change your aims?
I think the epistemic aim of Activity One is to acquire true, justified beliefs. The epistemic aim of Activity Two is to adopt minimally justified beliefs. I changed my aim in group discussion because I don't have a deep understanding of this topic, the aim of this group discussion is to find the common part shared by answers of different group members to reach a minimally justified answer.
3.Is there any differences in terms of individual and group epistemic cognition, how?
The difference is that group epistemic cognition has exchange of understanding between group members which will make the result more generic.
4.How did you approach to the problem individually and in group, respectively? Is there any differences in the processes involved?
Individually I would search for several answers on internet and then choose one which is more likely with my experience. In group we exchange our answers and form a new result through discussion.
Quite good point on the web games supported by cloud computing. In fact not only web games are utilizing cloud computing, traditional MMORPGS such as WoW can also benefit a lot from cloud computing. A simple example is that they use Akamai's CDN service to distribute game clients and patches. In WoW's most recent expansion (MoP), cross realm zones are introduced. Each game realm used to have its own dedicated servers before, however by introducing cross realm zones, game zones are hosted on a group of common servers or a "(private) cloud" now. In this case it's more energy efficient and also provide better gaming experiences because the cloud is more elastic to meet dynamic loads.
ReplyDeleteFortunately I find another WOWer~~~ Unfortunately the quality of server of NetEase for WOW-China never comfort its clients like me. Since the day when MoP was introduced to WOW-China, many players have been complaining about the difficulty of logging in and ridiculous bugs of tasks and cross-realm boss loots. It seems like NetEase has some troubles with their new technologies -_-!
DeleteI think the biggest difference between web game and traditional online game is that the traditional online game focus on the entertaining of the game experience while web game focus more on communication between people.
ReplyDeleteThe definition you mentioned in the post that Massively Multiplayer Online Role Play Game (MMORPG) is really a new concept for us. Yes, I think it'll make the learning more easy and can improve student' s epistemological behaviors. Game-based learning also a new format in modern education. With this tool, we can focus more on communication and collaboration.
ReplyDeleteApple's Game center do bring me great fun. the system record my scores as well as my friends.whenever my friend get a higher record, it give me a reminder. the Computing Storage (one most important feather of Computing Cloud)does help in improving our life
ReplyDeleteWhy yes, it's quite a good way to increase user stickiness. (However I don't play a lot of games on my iPad and game center seldom pops up as I did the jailbreaking.)
DeleteI didn't expect to see a comparison between traditional online game and browser game. In fact it's quite innovative following the trend of SNS. With easy action and everyday interaction with your friends, browser games has become a huge success these days. You remind me of an detailed article explaining how browser games build up the user stickiness→ http://necromanov.wordpress.com/2011/06/28/dig_in_sns_game_design/
ReplyDeleteYour thinking on the web game is really cool, and I am totally in favor of your opinion.I believe that games no matter web game or traditional , they both have relationship with social communication.
ReplyDeleteI'm attracted by your article's title. I'm interested in the web game very much. But in the past I had no concept of web game in the past. But according to your article, I have known the web game's character.
ReplyDeleteAnd I also like the web game such as the Happy Farm and Rich Man in Renren.
I think you give us a good example of cloud application in game aspect.