24/7 Games reaches new audiences and devices with AWS
Similarly, in 2007, John Battagline, an intern with some time to spare, found his computer only had essential programs, no games… This success prompted him to launch the company 24/7 Games, which would subsequently deliver classic card, puzzle, and word games for online play… Today, 24/7 Games…
According to internet lore, an intern created the first version of digital Solitaire in 1990, and the classic game quickly became a PC operating system staple. Similarly, in 2007, John Battagline, an intern with some time to spare, found his computer only had essential programs, no games. So, he built a Flash-based version of Solitaire that could run directly within a web browser, shared the link with his friends, and the game took off.
This success prompted him to launch the company 24/7 Games, which would subsequently deliver classic card, puzzle, and word games for online play. Today, 24/7 Games is home to more than 270 free online games, now based on HTML5, and with a backend that has run on Amazon Web Services (AWS) since 2012. Its platform draws in 10.5 million players globally, with a daily average of 500,000 players and growing.
“Without AWS, we couldn’t operate at scale,” said Battagline, CEO and Founder of 24/7 Games. “All our games are hosted in one location, and the services are straightforward and consistent, which is key when you’re trying to make classic timeless games.”
In addition to browser-based access, titles on 24/7 Games are available through Android- and iOS-based operating systems. Most recently, the company added support for Amazon Kindle Fire tablets, and plans to roll out smart TV applications next. With a scalable, low-latency backend on AWS, 24/7 Games can intuitively package the application for new entertainment platforms to expand player reach. In fact, the biggest challenge for the development team is adjusting the control mechanics from keyboard and mouse to touch screen, and soon remote control.
Unifying development
Bringing 24/7 Games to the Kindle Fire marked the next step in the company’s latest evolution. Previously, each game was available as a separate application. In June, the company unified its games into a single app to streamline the player experience. Given the simplicity of the games, the undertaking was more tedious than complicated.
Now, developers can cascade backend changes across its games, rather than tackling updates individually. At the same time, the games can also be adjusted separately, without impacting the overall app experience. The move has already paid off, with player traffic up 10% this year. It’s also streamlined how ad buyers secure inventory, helping boost revenue potential.
“When starting out, I just wanted to keep making content. Every site I made was a little better, but over time managing hundreds of domains and separate products became a nightmare. We consolidated everything from a tech standpoint so that we could continue to grow. It also helps with the branding, so it’s more seamless for players to find our games and for ad buyers to purchase inventory,” Battagline explained.
Following the app unification, Battagline next turned his attention to launching on Kindle Fire, a development choice that was both strategic and personal. He shared, “My driving inspiration is to create online versions of the classic games I used to play with my grandmother, and her preferred device was the Kindle Fire tablet, so launching there was important to me as well. We previously had individual games on Kindle Fire, but the sprawling nature of our products made it difficult to maintain them. Now that our app is consolidated, it’s much more manageable to support across platforms and we can make our games available wherever players choose to access them.”
Broadening accessibility
Since the app was already running on Android, standing up the 24/7 Games app for the Kindle Fire tablet launch took less than two weeks. Then, the technical team spent another few weeks testing and debugging to ensure performance was up to their standards and the graphics ran smoothly. Now, they’re focused on preparing the app for other entertainment platforms and devices, like smart TVs and public transit screens.
“We’re working towards a future where 24/7 Games titles can be played on any device on the planet. You don’t need to reinvent classics like Solitaire, chess, poker, or Scrabble, but you must deliver a positive, consistent experience, which we couldn’t do without AWS. They support us globally and continue to provide us with the reliable technology we need to run and grow our games,” Battagline explained. “At this point, we’re pretty married to AWS. For one, customer service is excellent, we can trust the tools and services, and our cost performance is phenomenal. This gives us confidence to keep building. The proof is in the pudding.”
AWS in play
24/7 Games primarily uses Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3), Amazon Route 53, and Amazon CloudFront to power its platform. Games are stored in Amazon S3, accessed through Amazon Route 53 DNS routing, and delivered through Amazon CloudFront content delivery network (CDN). It has used these core pieces since migrating to AWS in 2012, making small adjustments or adding custom code to the setup as needed.
Battagline initially built his games using a turnkey web hosting solution, and for a time, that met his needs. As his games grew in popularity, latency and scalability became problematic. Then, one of the sites, also hosted by the provider, suffered a DDoS (Distributed Denial-of-Service) attack and that server went offline. This meant the games were no longer discoverable through the search engine and proved the deciding factor in finding a new approach.
“We took our sites, applied them to AWS, and it was the perfect fit. We serve static low latency pages and could now do edge caching across the globe. Almost overnight our traffic skyrocketed. We want our games to load as fast as possible. On AWS, we have 100% scores,” noted Battagline. “I’m juggling so many things as a small business owner, so it’s nice to have a largely ‘set and forget’ solution that still gives us a level of control for customization and to make adjustments.”
Parting inspiration
Battagline concluded with advice for emerging casual games developers. He said, “Do something that you love. People try to shoehorn into zeitgeist, but that’s not always interesting. Adhere to what you find entertaining, and while it’s a lot of work, then it’s also fun.”
Learn more about how to build, run, and grow games with AWS, or get in touch with an AWS for Games representative.
Further reading
Author: John D’Eufemia