I have a card game on the iphone and I really would like to take it to the next step by allowing players to interact with each other in real-time environment.
My questions:
- Do I need a web server ?
- Is there a third party specifically for iphone multiplayer games that I can use to host the game?
- I would probably need a database – what is the best solution?
- Should Apple push notifications be considered ?
First off, I have never done one myself, but I imagine that any massively multi-player game would entail some sort of central server to hold statistics (wins/losses), rankings, game table information, etc.
I imagine some sort of remote service providing server is required. A web server would certainly fit the bill and would most likely be the most logical solution, but certainly not your only choice.
Hosting of this service depends on the service you choose. If you’re going the java route there are several places to look. Google’s app engine, a straight up java web provider, amazon’s cloud, etc. So many choices.
There are several open-source databases that would fit nicely with java. Postgres would come recommended by me. There are certainly others and other commercial options.