Internet gaming in the era of IPv6

Abstract

We have not seen an Internet‐based game that can be identified with the arrival of Internet gaming for the masses. Due to the foundational structure of the Internet, there probably will not be one anytime soon. The problem is that the underlying Internet protocol, IPv4, has not had a major update since its introduction in the early 1970s. Fortunately, in the mid‐1990s the standards‐based Internet Engineering Task Force began addressing IPv4’s deficiencies. The result of these efforts is a new version of IPv4 called IPv6. IPv6’s entry will present the Internet gaming community with many opportunities as well as challenges. One of biggest challenges is that the rollout of IPv6 will take years for completion necessitating its coexistence with IPv4 in a number of forms. This paper focuses on issues associated with this coexistence, transition mechanisms that will be used, and what the gaming community can do today to be better positioned as IPv6 becomes the mainstream Internet protocol.

Citation

Kerbs, R.W. (2004), "Internet gaming in the era of IPv6", The Electronic Library, Vol. 22 No. 1, pp. 16-22. https://doi.org/10.1108/02640470410520078