How is demand with Dedicated servers?

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IcEWoLF
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How is demand with Dedicated servers?

Post by IcEWoLF »

With CSGO literally killing the dedicated servers scene how are things going for GSP providers? Have you guys seen a decline in customers?
It appears nowadays games like PUBG/Fortnite are taking away from smaller games.

I don't recall the last time a triple a studio released a game that allowed users to host their own servers. Most companies these days appear to be hosting their own servers.
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Re: How is demand with Dedicated servers?

Post by Edge100x »

GSPs are certainly suffering, overall, due to the fact that they can't run servers for most new games, and old games have either been dying off in popularity or switching (like TF2 and CS:GO) to microtransactions and developer-run servers. Hosted voice servers are also becoming a less popular offering due to new cloud-based services that offer some additional features and come free (where, like other free services, the user -- and ability to advertise to them and collect data about them -- is the real product).

It's a shame that most new games don't allow customer, user-run servers, because having a strong community with players who are motivated by the ability to own and customize their own space leads to satisfaction and long-term success. Modern AAA games have traded that for the ability to control the game progression and sell in-game items.

Developers often contract out their game server hosting instead of truly doing it in-house. Amazon and Microsoft have been particularly aggressive at pursuing developers to use their virtualized cloud hosting options, making the assertion that it is easier than leasing servers and highly scalable (though they don't have the more developed management systems that we do, and lack the performance that bare hardware has). There are also a couple of GSPs that are established in the business space and do some behind-the-scenes deals with developers through contacts that have been cultivated over the years.
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Re: How is demand with Dedicated servers?

Post by TacTicToe »

IcEWoLF wrote: Tue Nov 28, 2017 1:16 pm I don't recall the last time a triple a studio released a game that allowed users to host their own servers. Most companies these days appear to be hosting their own servers.
While they are not AAA studios, with the volume of players they can be considered AAA titles.

Ark Survival Evolved
RUST
Conan Exiles
Dark and Light (kind of)
Don't Starve Together

PUBG and Fortnite are not really AAA studios. I mean Epic is ok, but nothing like the other big dogs.

The greed of developers and publishers ramps up year after year. Look at the debacle with EA. Their loot crate BS has already costs their company 3.1 billion in value, and deservedly so. I have stopped buying EA games and Activision games. I think the last CoD game I bought was Ghosts, and I regretted that. I bought BF4 and regretted it and did not buy any DLC, BFH or BF1.

I like to gravitate towards the developers that still look at for the gamers and allow us to host our own games. Angels Fall First has the potential to be a block buster if the devs do things right. Days of War is an example of developers having great potential and doing things wrong.

I heavily promote voting with your wallet. As long as people continue to buy games that the devs put out despite the horrible server setup they choose, they will continue to release games in that manner. Just stop buying their game.

I hear all the time how great PUBG is, but then all I see are people complain about the laggy servers. I can't tell you because I do not own the game, nor do I intend to. If they release the dedicated server software so we can host our own, then I will buy. Granted there are enough foolish people that have already bought, so my not buying wont really make a difference. But it is still the principle.

Titanfail and Evolve are two of my favorite fails. Both games failed miserable for exactly the reasons I told the devs they would. And now EA owns Respawn? Yeah, that's a disaster waiting to happen.
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Re: How is demand with Dedicated servers?

Post by FAST »

Our communities will need to promote games that do allow community server hosting. And avoid purchasing the "tainted" ones. In terms of longevity, those games wont last but these particular developers don't care as long as they grab your initial $$.

In a perfect world, we need to stop giving in. I doubt that will change anything though, we are a small fraction compared to the rest. With my limited time, I refuse to play any game that I cannot run servers. Just to way it works with me now.

Squad is a great one, Hell Let Loose is another.
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Re: How is demand with Dedicated servers?

Post by Soulzz »

I think the future of hosting is in the indie game market.

While many fail, there are still plenty that succeed. This will help other GSP's, including NFO.

Post Scriptum, Battalion 1944, all titles to watch out for.
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Re: How is demand with Dedicated servers?

Post by TacTicToe »

Survive the Nights is another to watch for.
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