Verified Game Streaming Without Legacy Code Changes
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge of porting legacy games designed for standalone workstations to online streaming environments, where the game's source code is unavailable, and securing them against unauthorized play, is addressed by implementing verified game streaming technology that extracts security tokens and discerns the game streaming provider identity without modifying the game's code.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves receiving a network request, extracting a security token, and discerning the verified game streaming provider identity to perform operations such as identity verification, analytics, and configuration adjustments, all while maintaining security and compatibility with existing licensing frameworks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If game source code is modified to support streaming, then streaming functionality is improved, but game integrity and security are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
A streaming provider intermediary is introduced between the game client and server. The intermediary handles streaming-specific operations (virtual device creation, session management) without modifying the original game code. The game communicates through standard interfaces while the intermediary translates streaming requirements into game-compatible commands, preserving game integrity while enabling streaming functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is segmented into distinct components: the original game application, the streaming provider layer, and the virtual device abstraction. Each component operates independently with well-defined interfaces. The game code remains unchanged and untrusted, while the streaming provider handles security-sensitive operations separately, allowing streaming functionality without compromising game integrity.
2Reliability
If security tokens are extracted and verified, then unauthorized play is prevented, but system complexity is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The game application itself performs security token verification through its existing authentication interfaces. The game receives tokens from clients and validates them using its built-in security mechanisms. This self-service approach leverages the game's existing security infrastructure rather than requiring an external verification system, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining strong security against unauthorized play.
3Reliability
If virtual devices are created for each streaming session, then multi-tenant isolation is improved, but computational overhead is increased
Solution Approach 1:
Virtual devices are designed as universal, reusable entities that can serve multiple tenants and games. A single virtual device instance can be allocated to different game sessions and multiple clients sequentially. The virtual device maintains isolation through cryptographic context switching and state management, allowing one virtual device to fulfill the security requirements of many tenants, thereby reducing the total number of virtual devices needed and lowering computational overhead.
Data Source
AI summary
At a proxy outside a virtual machine which is hosting a game in a cloud, some embodiments select a network communication which represents a call from the game or the virtual machine. The proxy modifies a header of the call, or adds a new header, with a security token which is distinct from any user authentication token of a game player. A call receiver extracts the token and uses it in an attempt to discern an identity, such as a streaming provider identity. The call receiver performs a management action, and responds to the call, based on one or more of: the streaming provider identity or another result of the attempt, the particular call, or the presence of the security token. The management action manages a game streaming support item such as a licensing mechanism, an analytics mechanism, a game configuration, or a telemetry service.