A Global Retro Gaming Network, Powered by Netmaker
How a Retro Gaming Community Built a 3,000-Player Global Mesh Using Netmaker.
Multi regions. Near-LAN multiplayer. Instant global access.
Multi regions. Near-LAN multiplayer. Instant global access.
Overview
Madness Gaming Network is a global retro gaming community dedicated to reviving multiplayer experiences for platforms like PSP, 3DS, and other classic systems that rely on local wireless networking.
To deliver a fast, seamless multiplayer experience to thousands of players worldwide, they turned to Netmaker. Today, their network serves 3,000+ users across 9 datacenter regions, all interconnected through a fully automated Netmaker Private mesh.
To deliver a fast, seamless multiplayer experience to thousands of players worldwide, they turned to Netmaker. Today, their network serves 3,000+ users across 9 datacenter regions, all interconnected through a fully automated Netmaker Private mesh.
"Retro games weren’t built for the internet. Without Netmaker, getting thousands of players connected globally with low latency just wouldn’t have been possible."
- John M, Madness Gaming Network Admin
- John M, Madness Gaming Network Admin
The Challenge
Retro and emulated multiplayer games were designed for local or ad-hoc wireless connectivity, not the open internet. Achieving low latency across continents was nearly impossible using traditional VPNs or centralized servers.
Their goals:
- Connect players globally
- Deliver near-local latency for peer-to-peer gameplay
- Scale to thousands of devices
- Keep performance high while keeping costs low
Their goals:
- Connect players globally
- Deliver near-local latency for peer-to-peer gameplay
- Scale to thousands of devices
- Keep performance high while keeping costs low
"We tested multiple solutions before Netmaker. Nothing else delivered global reach, regional routing, and stability at this scale."
- John M, Madness Gaming Network Admin
- John M, Madness Gaming Network Admin
Solution: Netmaker-Powered Global Mesh
Madness Gaming Network deployed a three-part architecture:
1. Home Server Cluster (North America)
Handles game logic, player hubs, lobbies, and initial matchmaking.
2. Global VPS Nodes (9 Regions)
Using Vultr’s high-frequency VMs, they deployed regional gateways in:
‍
- USA
- Canada
- Brazil
- Germany
- Israel
- India
- Singapore
- Japan
- Australia
‍
- USA
- Canada
- Brazil
- Germany
- Israel
- India
- Singapore
- Japan
- Australia
3. Netmaker Mesh Networking
Netmaker connects all nodes into a fully automated WireGuard mesh:
- Nearest-gateway routing
- Always-on regional connectivity
- Secure encrypted links
- Automatic peering across every node
- Desktop/Mobile Apps for player access
Netmaker became the backbone of their entire global network.
- Nearest-gateway routing
- Always-on regional connectivity
- Secure encrypted links
- Automatic peering across every node
- Desktop/Mobile Apps for player access
Netmaker became the backbone of their entire global network.
“Once we deployed netclient on our nodes, the entire global mesh basically built itself. Netmaker became the backbone of everything.”
- John M, Madness Gaming Network Admin
- John M, Madness Gaming Network Admin
Result: Near-LAN Multiplayer Across Continents
Retro games use a hybrid model:
- Lobby traffic → main server
- Gameplay traffic → direct P2P
Netmaker optimizes the second phase automatically.
Performance Example
Two players in the UK:
- Lobby latency: ~200ms (via US-based server)
- Gameplay latency: 15–20ms (via Germany gateway)
By routing gameplay traffic regionally, Netmaker enables near-local performance regardless of where the game server itself is hosted.
"Players regularly message us saying they can’t believe they’re getting 20ms on PSP and 3DS games. Netmaker’s routing makes it feel like actual local multiplayer."
-John M, Madness Gaming Network Admin
-John M, Madness Gaming Network Admin
Scaling to 3,000+ Users
With Netmaker:
- The network remains stable across thousands of devices
- New gateways can be deployed instantly
- Players connect effortlessly from desktop or mobile
- Security remains end-to-end encrypted
Madness Gaming Network is now one of the largest gaming deployments running on Netmaker.
"Netmaker scaled with us effortlessly. Even as we crossed 3,000 players, the mesh stayed rock-solid."
-John M, Madness Gaming Network Admin
-John M, Madness Gaming Network Admin
Future Plans
Madness Gaming Network is preparing significant upgrades:
- Full 10GbE home datacenter rebuild
- Threadripper Pro platform migration
- A fully integrated user portal enabling
- Account creation
- Connection visibility
- Self-generated Netmaker VPN configurations
Netmaker will continue to serve as the platform enabling this next evolution.
"With Netmaker at the core, we’re confident we can scale to 5,000 or even 10,000 users. The network is ready for it."
-John M, Madness Gaming Network Admin
-John M, Madness Gaming Network Admin
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