1. Dynamic Updates for Videogames
Seamless and Transparent Integration of Content and Engine Update in Online and Connected Videogames
by Thomas Bousquet & Edouard Kieffer

2. Motivations & Existings Products
However none of them provides transparent update of both content and code

3. Architecture & Technologies
Technologies : SOA
Server (JBoss application)
Back-end : Hibernate, Spring, XFire
Front End : Flex
Client
JNotify, Webservice

4. Architecture: Back-End

5. Architecture: Client API

6. Dynamic Classes: How Do We Update?

7. Dynamic Classes: Three Suspects
"Automagically" Managed
Leave the migration process to us!
Migrate to new version using field reflection
The dynamic class needs to implement an interface
Custom
Dynamic Class
You control the migration process
May also apply the automatic process beforehand
The dynamic class needs to implement "ICustomMigration"
Implicit Dynamic Class
The most flexible implementation
Doesn't need to conform to an interface
Need only extend ImplicitDynamicClass
... But rather ugly for now

8. Dynamic Classes: Back – Client Interactions
Two channels
Client may request through RMI
Data push emulated by JMS
On initial connection, client requests up- to-date report of dynamic classes
If an administrator changes current class revisions, client notified through JMS

9. Content Update – Main Concept

10. Content Update – 1 Interface, 2 Classes
IupdatableResource
Provide renewing method for considered resource
New implementation for each 'type' of resource (texture, model, sound, XML file)‏
ResourceListener
Listen to a particular file
Contains a list of registered IUpdatableResource
New implementation for each 'type' of resource (texture, model, sound, XML file)‏
UpdatableResource Manager
Manage the listeners and act as a middleman for registering IUpdatableResource
New class inheriting from this for each new application

11. Demonstration Time !
Proof of concept of the applicability of our framework to existing solution
Java Monkey Engine
AirCarrier showcase application
What we will demonstrate
Administration Interface
Dynamic texture update
Dynamic update of AI Manager Behavior

12. Evaluation Dynamic code : Dynamic content
constant overhead for calling dynamic : calls 6 to 8 times slower => only use on computationnaly intensive methods
Dynamic content
Disk access and content renewal creates 'acceptable' stutter.

13. Limitation of this demo & extension
With more time and/or a better architecture:
Use AMF instead of web services for back / front communication
Describe ressources used by object with XML file and listen to this files.
Extend the existing resource manager to integrate smart cache management

14. What happened to C++ ?
C++ is still the leading language for videogame application
Too complicated for the scope of this project (lack of existing framework)‏
Advantages :
Function parameters as reference
SWIG enables to automatically create wrapper for other languages ranging from Java to Python, Lisp and C#

15. Extensions - Code Features : Tools :
Plugin eclipse to enable traditionnal function call for dynamic code
EJB 3.0 (abstraction of persistence)‏

16. Extensions – Content Features : Tools :
Intercept message containing data written from memory to disk to suppress disk access.
Tools :
Model Oriented Programming : provide tools to create implementation of IUpdatableResource and IresourceListener at once.

17. Conclusion Features : Tools :
Intercept message containing data written from memory to disk to suppress disk access.
Tools :
Model Oriented Programming : provide tools to create implementation of IUpdatableResource and IresourceListener at once.

18. Thanks for your attention
QUESTIONS ?