How Gaming Devs Are Using Document Databases to Bring Consumers the Ideal Video Games Ever

The video game industry is no stranger to innovation; in fact, it thrives on it. article from IGN explains how innovation and creativity drive the industry and push the boundaries of what is expected in modern games even further.

From the early days of 8-bit graphics to today’s super-realistic virtual worlds, game developers have consistently tested the constraints of what is believed to be possible. Titles such as No Man’s Sky and Red Dead Redemption 2 stand as a testament to that, and even if developers don’t get it right first, they go back and keep building.

A significant part of this ongoing evolution within the sector is driven by advancements in technology behind the scenes. One such advancement that’s making waves in game development is document databases. These robust data management tools are helping developers create more immersive gaming experiences.

Here’s how document databases are revolutionizing the gaming industry and bringing consumers the best video games ever.

Enhanced Performance and Scalability

One of the key challenges in game development is managing large volumes of data efficiently, especially as demands on consoles and PC increase. Games are getting increasingly more immersive, and they’re expected to react to the player. Traditional relational databases, while reliable, can struggle with the sheer scale and complexity of these modern games. Document databases offer a solution by providing enhanced performance and scalability. Unlike relational databases, which store data in structured tables, document databases use a flexible, JSON-like format to store data. A guide to document databases published at MongoDB explains how documents map to objects in the most popular programming languages, allowing developers to develop their applications much more quickly. It allows those developers to handle complex data structures and large datasets with ease, leading to faster load times and smoother gameplay expected by today’s gamers.

For instance, an MMO, such as The Elder Scrolls, needs to handle thousands of users simultaneously, each with unique data and stats. Document databases can easily manage this load, ensuring all players experience a seamless, lag-free environment. This is crucial for maintaining player engagement and satisfaction, and in the choked MMO market alone, that is critical to a game’s success.

Dynamic Content

Modern video games are rich with dynamic content, from the procedurally generated worlds of No Man’s Sky to personalized character interactions on Red Dead Redemption 2—it makes them stand out from the old 16-bit titles that relied on playability. Document databases are critical for managing this type of content due to their schema-less nature, so developers can easily modify and expand the game’s data model without complex restructuring. When you consider No Man’s Sky, a boring experience when it first dropped, and then think about how deep and rich it is now, you can see the theory in practice. The game wasn’t restructured but instead added to over time.

Personalization

In-game personalization is becoming increasingly important as developers strive to create more engaging experiences. Greedfall, for instance, had a deep personalization process that gamers clearly enjoyed, given that Greedfall 2 is due to release soon. Document databases play a crucial role in this area by enabling real-time data processing and analysis. This capability allows developers to track player behavior and use this data to personalize the gaming experience.

For example, a game could automatically adjust its difficulty based on the player’s skill level, previously known as leveling in older titles like Skyrim. They can also be used to recommend in-game items based on past purchases or tailor the storyline to the player’s choices, as the Dishonored series did to great effect. By leveraging the real-time capabilities of document databases, developers can create highly personalized and engaging experiences that keep players coming back for more.

Seamless Content Updates

We all love content updates; Rockstars behemoth title Grand Theft Auto Online has survived on updated content, rather than a new release, for more than a decade now and will continue to do so during the long wait for GTA VI. Document databases play a significant role in simplifying the process by allowing developers to update content easily. Also, because document databases are schema-less, new data fields and structures can be added without disrupting the existing data or requiring extensive downtime.

Think about Fortnite, a game that releases seasonal events; with a document database, developers can quickly push these updates to players, ensuring the game world remains dynamic and ever-changing. In terms of GTA, it has allowed Rockstar to keep a game feeling fresh, which has been creaking at the seams for five or six years now.

Cross-Platform Compatibility

In today’s gaming landscape, players expect to be able to access their games across multiple devices, whether it’s a console, PC, or mobile device – that’s been demonstrated by the huge success enjoyed by the indie title Among Us. It’s been a cult hit, and document databases help to support cross-platform compatibility by providing a unified data backend that can be accessed from any platform. This means that players can pick up where they left off, regardless of the device they’re using.

For example, a player could start an Among Us game on their console, continue playing on their smartphone during their commute, and then finish on their PC at home. Document databases ensure that all game data is synchronized and consistent across all devices, providing a seamless gaming experience.