Edgegap vs Gameye
Edgegap and Gameye both offer container-based game server hosting orchestration. What sets them apart?
Here’s a comparison of Edgegap’s highly optimized multicloud orchestration (with the ability to use Bare Metal + Cloud hybrid) and Gameye’s bare metal-only orchestration.
Initial Setup
Edgegap’s onboarding, available across both documentation and video, highlights its ease of integration. Additionally, Edgegap provides plugins for both Unity and Unreal Engine, netcodes like Mirror, Fish-Networking and Photon, alongside samples to help start quick across a host of other tools. This helps game studio quickly containerize their game server for their project, and deploy it to Edgegap’s platform.
Speaking of, Edgegap is the only game server orchestration endorsed by Epic Online Services.
Edgegap is intuitive. Every user can quickly oversee its deployment on its dashboard. For more insights, Edgegap has support process to simplify life for game developers creating and releasing multiplayer titles. Our support includes 24/7 on-call engineers, and we provide SLA on a case by case basis.
Gameye also provides the ability to containerize its game server, plugin into the API and deploy it to its platform. However, for its container, it requires the use of Docker HUB. Edgegap provides game developers with the flexibility to chose which Container Registry they want to use – including Docker Hub, but also GitLab, Google Cloud for Games, and Amazon Elastic Container Registry (ECR).
Products
Once your project is deployed to Edgegap, additional services like matchmaker, managed Kubernetes, managed databases and CDN becomes available as a simple add-on to Edgegap’s managed clusters.
Gameye requires developers to have their own matchmaker as it doesn’t offer one.
Beyond game server orchestration, Edgegap offers these services which Gameye doesn’t always:
Network of relays that is netcode-agnostic
Performance - Latency Reduction, Scalability & Resilience
Edgegap prides itself on having a patented orchestrator and built the world’s largest edge network to deploy game server across 17+ cloud and bare metal providers as to be the only platform to deliver meaningful latency reduction for players globally.
Built from the ground up to provide a multi-tenant environment. Each studio can manage multiple productions within a single, geographically distributed, and highly available environment. This design minimizes overhead and reduces the need for extensive engineering and resources.
Edgegap’s platform can support the deployment of 40 game servers per second, sustained for 60 minutes. Stacking 2 instances of our platforms allows you to manage as much traffic as Fortnite had during their peak launch (100 req. per seconds).
Additionally, as proven by a case study with an unnamed AAA studio (one of the world’s largest), despite that large game studio having massive resources that allowed it to have a larger number of locations than most game developers could hope for (read: more than what even most studios would be able to afford!), by using traffic from 600,000 transactions and comparing the results with a AAA studio’s current architecture, Edgegap demonstrated an average latency reduction from 116 milliseconds to a drastic 48 milliseconds. On top of that, 78% of the transactions had a latency below 50 milliseconds, compared to only 14% without the Edgegap solution.
Finally, Edgegap’s platform has been running live 24/7 for the past three years, maintaining over 99.99% availability.
Gameye does not provide information on it’s latency reduction, it’s deployment capacity, and claims a vague “99.999%” uptime without historical data nor a “status” page for it’s platform or in its documentation.
Gameye, per their documentation, has 9 regions in centralized database but doesn't disclose its exact location; also regrouping cities far away geographically likely leading to poor latency for locations farther away from the data base - e.g., NA-Central covers "Dallas & Chicago" despite 800 miles (1,300 Kilometers) distance.
Platforms & Adoptions
Edgegap supports studios developing mobile, PC, VR, WebGL and console games across various genres, and with features unique to certain genre – namely sessions & fleets.
In terms of games, Edgegap currently manages live games from AAA titles to indie projects alike. Current AAA games running on Edgegap includes (as of writing) PAYDAY 3 by Starbreeze, Six Days in Fallujah by Highwire Games, 7 Days: Blood Moon by The Fun Pimps. Case studies for certain of these games are available to read.
Over 450 studios have utilized Edgegap platform in the last quarter (as of writing). It manages hundreds of thousands of game servers and players each day.
Gameye works with studios developing mobile, PC, VR and console. With high profile client Tripwire Interactive’s Chivalry 2, Doborog’ Clone Drone in the Danger Zone, and Space Team VR’s Cooperative Innovations.
Development
Edgegap, based in the region of Montréal, Canada, promotes its high-quality development and operations. Namely it’s product, development, and operations teams employ robust processes, including roadmap strategy, agile methodology, QA, and strict code reviews. It’s CI/CD pipeline spans development, staging, and production environments, resulting in a high-quality platform strong availability. The software is not made externally; everything is made in-house in our office in the region of Montréal by a strong and cohesive team.
Gameye does not provide insights into it’s development process.
Price
Edgegap has a clear, transparent pricing that is solely based on usage - $0.001/min. per Dedicated vCPU (which is fractionable) and $0.10/GB of monthly Network Egress as of 2024. For studios with live traffic, it offers volume discounts.
For managed infrastructure, Edgegap has managed cluster tiers with clear “per-minute” pricing.
It does not require a commitment, nor has upfront costs.
Gameye does not disclose its pricing on its website as of writing.
Switching to Edgegap from Gameye
Switching gaming infrastructure is no minor feat. To ensure a smooth transition that maintains the integrity of gameplay and player experience, certain steps and considerations are vital.
Analyze the GameyeSetup:
Audit Current Implementation: Start by taking stock of the current setup on Gameye. This involves understanding the architecture, assessing any custom configurations, and identifying integrations or plugins in use. Edgegap and Gameye both use game server containers, and you might fight the transition easier using the Edgegap Unreal or Unity plugin.
Documentation & Backup: Before initiating the migration, it's crucial to document the existing setup comprehensively and back up all essential data. This provides a safety net in case of unforeseen challenges during the migration.
Integration of Edgegap’s plugin and API:
Initial Integration: Post the preliminary analysis, the next step is to replace the Gameye API with the Edgegap API. This serves as the bridge between the game and Edgegap’s distributed infrastructure.
Custom Configurations: Depending on the complexity of the game and its features, developers might need to implement custom configurations that cater to the unique demands of their game, such as environment variables and port mapping.
Leverage Edgegap's Matchmaker:
Transitioning Matchmaking Systems: If your game requires a thorough matchmaking service, you’re in luck. Edgegap’s built-in matchmaker, optimized for latency and player preferences, can be configured to replace the existing system.
Player Experience: The objective of this step is to ensure that players continue to experience efficient, latency-optimized matching without disruptions during or after the transition.
Testing:
Stress and Load Testing: After the migration process, it's imperative to subject the game to rigorous testing. This includes stress tests to understand how the new infrastructure holds up under heavy loads and comprehensive game testing to identify any hitches or issues. See Edgegap's multiplayer launch checklist which includes load testing deep dive for details.
Feedback Loops: Engaging a set of players for beta testing on the new setup can provide invaluable feedback to make necessary adjustments.
Monitoring & Optimization:
Continuous Monitoring: While Edgegap is always there to monitor the current deplyoments, game studios can also monitor their servers using Edgegap's tools ensures that the game remains performant and that any anomalies or issues are detected promptly.
Iterative Optimization: Based on performance data and player feedback, iterative optimizations can be made to improve server performance, reduce costs, and enhance the overall player experience.
Head-to-Head Comparison
Edgegap
Gameye
Leverages edge computing through the world's multi-cloud network for optimized latency and performance.
Managed hosting platform for multiplayer game servers primarily on bare-metal.
Distributed edge computing deployments nearest to players to lower latency & improve multiplayer experience.
Game server hosting orchestration on bare metal network.
Extensive global distribution with over 17+ providers with 615+ locations worldwide.
9 regions only.
Pay-as-you-go by the minute, paying only for active use and traffic, with precise costs calculations.
Gameye does not disclose it's pricing.
Plugins for native support within the Unity & Unreal editor, and support for Godot, Cocos. Soon available for Bevy.
Deployable with major game engine supporting containerization.
Up to 14M CCCU with dynamic rapid-scaling of 40 deployments per seconds for 60 minutes sustained.
Unkown scalability
Comprehensive documentation, dashboard, and 24/7 support for clients.
Documentation and logging system providing server logs and system metrics.
"One click" plugins for major game engine (Unreal, Unity), alonside seamless SDK/API integration. Video tutorials for major engine, netcodes & more.
Simple multi-step process: upload, configure & monitor server instances.
Optimized, low-latency network due to the world's largest edge computing network built by Edgegap.
Internally built bare-metal network.
17+ providers, including public cloud and Bare Metal, for multi-cloud to ensure automatic rerounting of traffic for the ultimate resilience.
Bare metal network.
