This getting started course was designed to introduce game developers to the principles and best practices for hosting their game in the AWS Cloud. The Part I course will explore the emergence of online gameplay and cloud hosting. It will also examine solution design patterns for core game functions, including game server hosting. You will be introduced to some of the options available in the Amazon Web Services (AWS) game services portfolio. You will learn about design considerations that will help decide which options best meet your game's needs.

• Course level: Foundational
• Duration: 55 minutes

Activities

This course includes videos, practice exercises, knowledge checks, and a final assessment.

Course objectives

In this course, you will learn to:

• Describe the evolution of Game Tech and the drivers moving games to the cloud.
• Recognize cloud architectural solution patterns for core game functions.
• Differentiate managed and unmanaged services in the AWS services portfolio.
• Identify design considerations for cloud game architectures, and determine which AWS services best fit a given use case.
• Locate additional information, tools, and resources.

This course is intended for Game Builders including:

• Game Designers
• Game Developers
• Game Producers
• Game Artists
• Game Administrators

Prerequisites

We recommend that attendees of this course have:

• Foundational understanding of cloud computing and Amazon Web Services (AWS) equivalent to Cloud Practitioner Essentials or Technical Essentials.
• Familiarity with principles of game development and operations.

Course outline

Lesson 1: Course Overview

• Introduction

Lesson 2–3: The Evolution of Game Tech

• Player experience
• Game hosting models

Lesson 4–6: Core Game Functions

• The art of what’s possible
• Core game functions
• Service level options

Lesson 7–10: Game Servers

• Game servers in the cloud
• Virtual servers
• Container solutions
• Fully managed servers

Lesson 11: How to Decide

• Decision tree, job aid, questions to ask

Lesson 12: Practice Scenarios

• Three practice scenarios

Lesson 13: Summary

• Course content review

Lesson 14: Next steps

• Where to go to learn more
• Additional resources

Course Assessment

• End of course­­ assessment