Dino Patti Aims to Spark an Indie Multiplayer Revolution

Dino Patti is on a mission to create more innovative and unique multiplayer experiences, and he believes that the indie game development community is the key to achieving this goal. As the co-founder and CEO of Coherence, a tech startup that has developed a Unity SDK to simplify the process of adding multiplayer functionality to games, Patti is passionate about empowering indie studios to create groundbreaking multiplayer experiences. In a recent interview, Patti expressed his frustration with the lack of innovation in big-budget games, where the focus on technology often overshadows the core idea. He believes that indie games, on the other hand, offer a wealth of creative potential, citing examples like Papers Please, which challenges players' perceptions and emotions. Patti envisions a future where indie developers can use Coherence's technology to create innovative multiplayer experiences that are currently beyond their reach. With his own background in single-player game development, Patti acknowledges that his shift to multiplayer tech may seem unexpected, but he sees it as a natural evolution of his career. He cites games like Journey, which use multiplayer to create a sense of community and shared experience, as an inspiration for his work. Coherence's SDK is designed to be an 'off-the-shelf network stack' that eliminates the need for studios to build their own multiplayer infrastructure, a process that can be time-consuming, expensive, and difficult. The company's goal is to democratize access to multiplayer game development, making it easier for indie studios to create innovative and engaging experiences. Patti's vision for the future of game development involves a rapid iteration process, where developers can create and test multiplayer games quickly and easily, with the ability to add new features and content on a regular basis. While Coherence aims to make the implementation of multiplayer easier, Patti acknowledges that the biggest challenge still lies with the developer – creating engaging and fun multiplayer experiences. He believes that the key to success lies in creating meaningful interactions between players, citing Journey as an example of a game that uses multiplayer to create a sense of connection and shared experience. Patti also points to single-player games that allow players to create their own experiences, such as Skyrim and The Sims, and notes that the ability to share these experiences with others is a major draw for players. Coherence is available for free, with users receiving 30,000 credits that can be converted into concurrent user hours, simulator hours, or bandwidth. Patti believes that making the technology free is essential to unlocking the creative potential of the indie game development community, and that it will ultimately lead to the creation of more innovative and engaging multiplayer experiences.