Game Servers by Google Cloud is now on beta launch. It is a new managed service that gives game developers backend services for their games to run in the company's cloud.
While Game Servers can only run on the Google Kubernetes Engine for now, Google Cloud plans to allow hybrid and multi-cloud support sometime this year. Google Cloud's Game Servers is not a game streaming server; the company points out. It is meant for game developers to utilize in building, scaling, and managing the backend services for their games, including multiplayer games.
Game Servers fully manages Agones, an open-source game server created through the efforts of Google and Ubisoft, which was first announced in 2018, as well as the Kubernetes container orchestration platform. According to Google Cloud product manager Scott Van Woudenberg, some parts of Google's Anthos is also being used.
Van Woudenberg pointed out that most games these days, be it designed by major game studios or indie developers, are in need of a cloud backend for several important reasons, like keeping persistent game stats, match-making, or for multiplayer features. That's where Game Servers can help.
Game Servers will allow game developers to scale their clusters up and down when necessary. In future updates, it will have integrations with the Open Match matchmaking framework, but for now, it provides canary tests and A/B testings.
It's worth noting that not a lot of gaming companies have their own on-premise servers, so having hybrid-cloud capabilities is essential for such a tool. Developers already using Agones outside of Game Servers will be allowed to bring those servers into the company's ecosystem. They only need to be registered with API of Game Servers.
Interested developers will have to containerize their game servers to get started. For those who have already familiarized themselves with Agones, however, that's a pretty normal exercise at this point. For those who need assistance, Google assured it has talked with its partners to help those in need.
Google Cloud currently offers Game Servers with no additional fees for the rest of the year. However, anything that's related to the use of Kubernetes clusters will incur fees. There are still no additional charges for the first cluster Google manages starting January 2021, but those who want to add an additional cluster will have to pay $0.50 per hour.
