Latency Reduction in Online Multiplayer Games Using Detour Routing

Long network latency negatively impacts the performance of online multiplayer games. In this thesis, we propose a novel approach to reduce the network latency in online gaming. Our approach employs application level detour routing in which game-state update messages between two players can be forwarded through other intermediate relay nodes in order to reduce network latency. We present results from an extensive measurement study to show the potential benefits of detour routing in online games. We also present the design of a complete system to achieve the potential, which is called Indirect Relay System (IRS). The experimental and simulation results show that IRS: (i) significantly reduces end-toend round-trip times (RTTs) among players, (ii) increases number of peers a player can connect to and maintain good gaming quality, (iii) imposes negligible network and processing overheads, and (iv) improves gaming quality and player performance.