In today's digital era, the potential to create and manage multiple virtual worlds is a fascinating prospect. Whether for gaming, virtual events, or interactive experiences, understanding the limits of running several virtual worlds simultaneously is crucial for developers and businesses alike.
The number of virtual worlds one can have running simultaneously depends on several factors. However, depending on the kind of virtual worlds desired, the number of things that one needs to consider varies greatly. Generally speaking, the following parameters should be something that developers recommend after their clients list their expectations for their virtual world(s) project.
Running In-house Virtual Worlds
One may choose to develop their own virtual world in-house, from scratch. Be it hiring a development team or outsourcing that work to a co-development company, developing virtual worlds in house requires many resources and also presents the most number of considerations to make. For example:
Server Capacity and Performance: The hardware specifications of the servers hosting the virtual worlds (CPU, RAM, storage, and network bandwidth) will significantly impact the number of virtual worlds that can run concurrently.
Platform or Software Limitations: Some platforms or software solutions may have inherent limitations on the number of virtual instances they can manage simultaneously.
Virtual World Complexity: The complexity and resource demands of each virtual world (e.g., the number of users, graphical detail, AI processes) will affect the total number of worlds that can be run at the same time.
Cloud Services: If you are using cloud services, the scalability options provided by the cloud provider (e.g., AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) can allow for a larger number of virtual worlds to be run concurrently.
Management and Monitoring Tools: Effective management and monitoring tools can help optimize resource usage and ensure that multiple virtual worlds can run smoothly without overloading the system.
Running Virtual Worlds on a Platform
Compared to running in-house virtual worlds, keeping a virtual world on a platform is significantly more convenient. For starters, most of the overheads of setting up a servers are borne by the platform provider, and not the business itself. However, that does not mean that there are no considerations to take as well.
Server Capacity and Performance: The platform manages this, but usually sets some limitations like those below.
Platform or Software Limitations: As the servers are run by the platform, they usually have set limits on how many people can be in a server at one time, with a limit to how high performing each server can be.
Virtual World Complexity: While there are customization options, they may not be as extensive or flexible as those available in a fully custom-built virtual world.
Cloud Services: Once again, this is managed by the platform. However, the platform may begin imposing costs on the business if the user count grows beyond a certain threshold.
Management and Monitoring Tools: Limited by what the platform is able to provide.
Overall, choosing to run virtual worlds in-house tends to come with more overheads. The more complex the virtual worlds, the more costly it is to run multiple instances of it at the same time.
On the other hand, running virtual worlds on a platform presents a more budget-friendly version. Most platforms also cater for the ability to have various instances being hosted at the same time, allowing one to have multiple different virtual worlds with their branding spread across them all. However, depending on the platform, there could be costs associated with the number of worlds, or the number of visitors to said worlds.
If you would like to make your own virtual world, and are still considering all the different technicalities, feel free to reach out to us! We are more than happy to discuss your needs and help you find the best fit when developing a virtual world for your business!
Comments