AWS for Games Blog
Successful game launches with AWS Countdown Premium
Amazon Web Services (AWS) Countdown Premium can help improve the outcomes of game launches and events by providing designated engineering support, pre-event planning, and real-time assistance during critical moments. If you’re managing game launches, seasonal events, or large-scale infrastructure changes, AWS Countdown Premium streamlines preparation and provides expert support when you need it most.
Challenges in game launches and events
Studios face technical challenges that set them apart from other industries. The complexity of managing multi-region deployments, maintaining low latency for real-time gameplay, and handling massive player influxes during launches and events requires preparation and expertise. However, the process of preparing for these moments can be time-intensive for technical teams, requiring them to juggle AWS support cases, specialist reviews, and coordinated load tests.
AWS Countdown Premium addresses these challenges directly. With help from a designated engineer, AWS Countdown Premium streamlines event preparation through:
- Operational readiness reviews
- Conducting regular technical team check-ins
- Facilitating expert consultations
- Assisting with capacity management
- Implementing monitoring to expedite escalations
This approach lets game studios concentrate on building great player experiences. It’s equally important to carry lessons learned forward to future events. AWS Countdown Premium engineers facilitate post-event retrospectives, helping form plans on how to further engage with AWS to implement changes needed to improve. Through multiple engagements, customers develop a more refined approach to working with AWS, resulting in continuously improving event management practices.
Features of AWS Countdown Premium
AWS Countdown Premium provides proven advantages through its many features:
- Expert-Led engagement: At the core of AWS Countdown Premium is the assignment of a dedicated technical expert who maintains complete contextual awareness of your workloads and business requirements. This expert works to maintain consistency and continuous progress.
- Enhanced technical support: Customized runbooks, access to Subject Matter Experts, and pre-event testing and analytics.
- Comprehensive event coverage: Pre-event architecture and operational reviews, standby support staff during cutovers and go-lives using an all-day model, and post-event retrospectives.
- Proven methodology: Use the experience from thousands of critical AWS events by receiving access to proven artifacts, runbooks, and decision templates to streamline planning, execution, and monitoring.
Getting started with AWS Countdown Premium
AWS Countdown Premium is available for Business and Enterprise Support customers. Subscriptions are self-managed through the AWS console. There is no long-term contract, or minimum spend requirement. Before signing up, we recommend reaching out to your AWS Account Manager to explore any special offerings.
To sign up:
- Sign into the AWS Management Console and browse to Support Center
- Choose Change next to your support plan in the upper left corner
- Scroll down to the Support Add-Ons section
- Choose the Sign Up button under Countdown Premium
What happens next, within 5-7 business days you will meet with your designated engineer. The pre-event activities described earlier in this article are important for maintaining seamless support leading up to, during, and after your event. When we understand your different workloads, we can help resolve problems faster. We recommend engaging with AWS Countdown Premium at least 4-6 weeks before your event.
Conclusion
By maintaining availability through proactive risk management and rapid support response, AWS Countdown Premium can help prevent the cost of potential disruptions and deliver a better player experience—ultimately protecting your business from lost revenue.
Contact an AWS Representative to find out how we can help accelerate your business.