The Microsoft® DirectPlay® application programming interface (API) for the Microsoft Windows® operating system is a software interface that simplifies your application's access to communication services. DirectPlay has become a technology family that not only provides a way for applications to communicate with each other that is independent of the underlying transport, protocol, or online service, but also provides this independence for matchmaking (lobby) servers.
Applications (especially games) can be more compelling if they can be played against real players, and the personal computer has richer connectivity options than any game platform in history. Instead of forcing you to deal with the differences that each of these connectivity solutions represents, DirectPlay provides well-defined, generalized communication capabilities. DirectPlay shields you from the underlying complexities of diverse connectivity implementations, freeing you to concentrate on producing a great application.