Discussion Creating large scale multiplayer metaverse

Hi, I need an assistace. We are currently developing a metaverse solution using Unity for a live multiplayer game, aiming to support a concurrent user base of 500 or more. Our project entails users roaming a map, interacting with each other, and engaging in various activities. To ensure optimal performance and scalability, we're seeking advice on the following: Multiplayer Service: What multiplayer service would you recommend for handling 500+ concurrent users in Unity? Are there specific features or considerations we should prioritize when selecting a multiplayer service for our project? Hosting Providers: Which hosting sites or platforms are best suited for hosting a Unity-based metaverse project with a large concurrent user base? Are there any hosting providers known for their reliability, scalability, and performance specifically for live multiplayer games? Additional Services: Apart from multiplayer services and hosting, what other services or tools would you recommend incorporating into our project to enhance user experience and performance? Are there any third-party integrations or middleware solutions that could be beneficial for our specific requirements? We greatly appreciate any insights or recommendations you can provide to help us ensure the success of our metaverse project. Thank you for your assistance!

 

Any. Same answer for all of your questions btw.

Because 99% likelihood that major scaling/tech issues you run into is going to be with your particular implementation, and/or how much you are willing or able to spend on premium services and support.

The rational approach is to start small and scale up as you go. 20, then 50 players, then 100, 200, 500.

And decouple all uses of specific services using the right design patterns in order to relatively easily swap out one implementation with another. You do NOT want to make (be forced into) final tech / service decisions before you even begin with the project! That‘s the most crucial advice for approaching this kind of project.

Do you have means and plans of testing at this scale? Eg closed and public betas? If you can‘t reliably get 500 CCUs frequently during the closed beta the public beta / release runs a great risk of being a disaster. For reference, research the troubles in the early days nearly any hotly anticipated MMO had, particularly the first ones made by the developer.

Have you done a project of this scale yet? Have you done small scale (4-8 player) multiplayer games yet?
If not, expect a huge learning curve. It would be desirable to have at least one senior developer on the technical team who has large scale MP dev experience. Proceed with utmost caution, assess and manage risks and tech debt first and foremost. You can answer all of your questions if the software doesn‘t care whether the player/world data is stored here or there.

 

If you are looking for high-concurrency per instance options, we have been working on tech that has a focus on that. Link is here if you want to take a look.