question: Why is it so difficult for games to support a large amount of users on the screen?
comment: Because raw speed isn't everything. The latency between you and the server, the servers upload rate and the other players ping is important as is packet loss and the games engine may have limitations in displaying too many people causing it to chug and send information more slowly.
passages: Typical MUDs and other predecessor games were limited to about 64 or 256 simultaneous player connections; this was a limit imposed by the underlying operating system, which was usually Unix-like. One of the bigger problems with the modern engines has been handling the vast number of players. Since a typical server can handle around 10,000–12,000 players, 4000–5000 active simultaneously, dividing the game into several servers has up until now been the solution. This approach has also helped with technical issues, such as lag, that many players experience. Another difficulty, especially relevant to real-time simulation games, is time synchronization across hundreds or thousands of players. Many games rely on time synchronization to drive their physics simulation as well as their scoring and damage detection.
   Many games become more challenging if the player is successful. For instance, real-time strategy games often feature "upkeep", a resource tax that scales with the number of units under a player's control. Team games which challenge players to invade their opponents' territory (football, capture the flag) have a negative feedback loop by default: the further a player pushes, the more opponents they are likely to face. 
   Section::::Gameplay.:Battle system.
   When matchmaking, the system attempts to match individuals based on their estimated skill level. If two individuals are competing head-to-head and have the same estimated skill level with low estimate uncertainty, they should each have roughly a 50% chance of winning a match. In this way, the system attempts to make every match as competitive as possible.
   Section::::Engagement strategies.
  
  Since social network games are often less challenging than console games and they have relatively shorter game play, they use different techniques to stretch game play and tools to retain users.
  
  Continuous goals: The games assign specific goals for users to achieve. As they advance in the game, the goals become more challenging and time-consuming. They also provide frequent feedback with their performance. Every action will translate towards a certain goal that will be used to attain higher gaming capitals.
   Section::::Interface design issues.
  
  User testing for software often focuses on inexperienced or regular users. Power users can require different user interface elements compared to regular users, as they may need less help and fewer cues. A power user might use a program full-time, compared to a casual or occasional users, and thus a program which caters to power users will typically include features that make the interface easier for experts to use, even if these features might be mystifying to beginners.
   However single player in MMOs is quite viable, especially in what is called 'player vs environment' gameplay. This may result in the player being unable to experience all content, as many of the most significant and potentially rewarding game experiences are events which require large and coordinated teams to complete.
   While a multi-player game relies upon human-human interaction for its conflict, and often for its sense of camaraderie, a single-player game must build these things artificially. As such, single-player games require deeper characterisation of their non-player characters in order to create connections between the player and the sympathetic characters and to develop deeper antipathy towards the game's antagonist(s). This is typically true of role-playing games (RPGs), such as "Dragon Quest" and the "Final Fantasy" series, which are primarily character-driven.
  
  Section::::Game elements.:Exceptions.
   Working with large files, such as editing raw videos, can cause excessive login and logout times, as Windows will copy files in the roaming profile to the computer on login and back to the server on logout.
  
  In environments where the large files are not mission-critical and do not absolutely need to be backed up to a server on a per-login basis, the applications requiring such excessively large amounts of user data are instead usually run on a stand-alone local account that does not roam, to bypass these network storage and retrieval problems.
  
  Section::::Limitations.:Network congestion.
   Most modern console games and arcade games are designed so that they can be played by a single player; although many of these games have modes that allow two or more players to play (not necessarily simultaneously), very few actually require more than one player for the game to be played. The "Unreal Tournament" series is one example of such.
  
  Section::::History.
   A report by the Council on Science and Public Health to the AMA cited a 2005 Entertainment Software Association survey of computer game players and noted that players of MMORPGs were more likely to play for more than two hours per day than other gamers. In its report, the Council used this two-hour-per-day limit to define "gaming overuse", citing the American Academy of Pediatrics guideline of no more than one to two hours per day of "screen time." However, the ESA document cited in the Council report does not contain the two-hour-per-day data.
   Section::::Gameplay.
   Processing of 3D graphics is computationally expensive, especially in real-time games, and poses multiple limits. Levels have to be processed at tremendous speeds, making it difficult to render vast skyscapes in real-time. Additionally, real-time graphics generally have depth buffers with limited bit-depth, which puts a limit on the amount of details that can be rendered at a distance.
   Some video game players have been able to make a viable business model out of playing video games as both a guide and for the entertainment of viewers. As a result of the influx of players uploading or streaming their content, multi-channel networks were formed in order to assist content creators in multiple areas, in exchange for a percentage of the advertisement revenue generated.
  
  Section::::Demographics.
   BULLET::::- Not being able to provide input using a conventional input device due to a motor impairment; for example, users who rely upon using switch controller or eye trackers to interact with games may find it very difficult or impossible to play games that require large amounts of input.
   Video games do not reward short and unscheduled periods of player time. Achieving competency in games requires a large time investment. Casual players will often be unable to catch up to more dedicated players due to their lack of skills or in-game items.
  
  Video games can generate strong emotions in players. Addictive games offer unique methods to create emotional connections with players. It is an unconscious decision for people addicted to computer games to spend more time playing when they are emotionally invested in a game.
   BULLET::::- Forty-two percent of all players are women and women over 18 years of age are one of the industry's fastest growing demographics.
  
  BULLET::::- Twenty-nine percent of game players are over the age of 50, an increase from nine percent in 1999.
  
  BULLET::::- Sixty-five percent of gamers play games with other gamers in person.
  
  BULLET::::- Fifty-five percent of gamers play games on their phones or handheld device.
   It is a non-disputed fact that game players seek out game play for social reasons, but especially in networked games, the attractions are the other players, the relationships between them, and their impact on out-of-game community and relationships.
  
  Section::::Socializing online.:Side effects in online communication.:Differences in gender.
   Section::::History.:Relating to mobile devices.
  
  In general, games on mobile devices, though using iOS, Android, or Windows Mobile operating systems, do not have cross-platform play support. Mobile games are developed with recognition of connection speed limitations of cellular networks, and thus most multiplayer games are often turn-based strategy games rather than real-time action games. Many multiplayer games for mobile devices are asynchronous, where players individually complete turns or actions, these actions sent to central services and pushed out to the other players that may be impacted by those actions.
   2. Efficiency: The virtual interface should allow efficient use of user's time. The screens should load and display content within acceptable amount of time. The more than expected time a user has to wait, more stress is built into the human body causing long term damage. The interface should also have functionality for advanced users. While being non-obtrusive to novice users, accelerators or shortcuts should be available for experienced users.
   display system supported this practice under the trademark SimulView. While the SimulView feature set
  
  was designed to work only with the Sony 3D monitor, the move renewed interest in this technology, and
  
  it was not long before the gaming community circumvented this vendor lock-in gambit, allowing
  
  SimulView-supporting games to utilize the feature on third-party 3DTV equipment.
   On the PC in particular, two problems are video game piracy and high system requirements. The free-to-play model attempts to solve both these problems by providing a game that requires relatively low system requirements and at no cost, and consequently provides a highly accessible experience funded by advertising and micropayments for extra content or an advatange over other players.
   The games themselves are also designed to create a fear of missing out. There are a few ways that FOMO is utilized, such as with daily login rewards. Again, Anthem is an example, having daily, weekly, and monthly challenges to complete for various levels of rewards, prompting players to return. “Daily login rewards are a type of system that rewards players for simply logging in to a game each day. Some games will give a player a set reward every day, while others will build up to better rewards the number of consecutive days logged in.”
   Ken Wasserman and Tim Stryker in a 1980 "BYTE" article identified three factors which make networked computer games appealing:
  
  BULLET::::1. Multiple humans competing with each other instead of a computer
  
  BULLET::::2. Incomplete information resulting in suspense and risk-taking
  
  BULLET::::3. Real-time play requiring quick reaction
   Much like FarmVille, players had to wait real time for plants to grow and could've helped out farms belonging to other players. Players could help out an unlimited number of people a day, but each farm could only be helped out 3 times per day.
  
  Section::::Environment.:Mission Center.
  