Comparing single-player and multiplayer games
A single-player game runs on a local machine (PC, game console, and so on) as a standalone application. The player interacts with the game directly through one or more connected input devices (keyboard, mouse, game pad, and so on). The game simulation is handled on the local machine. Here’s how its setup looks:
Figure 10.1 – Single-player game
As with single-player games, a local multiplayer game runs on a local machine as a standalone application. The game allows multiple players (usually one to four players) to play the game together and interact with the game directly through their input devices. The game simulation is still handled on the local machine. The setup looks like this:
Figure 10.2 – Local multiplayer game
A network multiplayer game allows multiple players to play together on different types of devices (PCs, game consoles, mobile devices, and...