Game Server Solution finds its way home

I've been in communication with the group at http://www.x3mservers.net/ and been very happy with the result of our talks.

I was working with GoGrid as mentioned in previous posts.
I cant achieve the results I need to launch NiHao World effectively on their systems unfortunately.

GoGrid specializes in Web TCP package handling. For game serving TCP is redundant as most online games will use UDP for speed.

Ping tests with GoGrid's best systems in place showed that the average pings from the game client to the server were 230ms.

Anyone thats played an online multiplayer game before will know that anything over and above a 90ms ping is far too high and creates in-game lag.

So hunting for another solution I went, until I found X3M Game Hosting.

Different than other game hosting companies I talked to, X3M were happy to offer me their slot system in which I pay per X number of users in the system, eg. 32 users could cost around 20 Euro's a month.

Other game hosting companies that I had checked in on had denied me this service insisting that I go for their dedicated plans starting at an average price of 140 US$ per month.

20 Euro or 140 US$.....hmmm.....
If I only have 30 users for the first three months which would be the best plan?
I wonder with great effort.

You see launching a game comes with it many draw-backs.
The greatest of these is the initial financial outlay.

Launching a new game, a first game carries with it many tasks that need to be performed such as, hosting the game, a successful web face to it all, a customer / user support system in place, a marketing plan and strategy, and an advertising campaign to get the thing started.

All of these cost the small game companies dearly. Some small game companies give up the thing and sell out to bigger companies. Others are simply looked over because their marketing and advertising campaigns were not strong enough.

So where does all the money go upon launching a new / first game?
That is the big question that a game company crew such as mine have to ask.
More money on good hosting means less on advertising.
More on advertising runs the risk of inadequate hosting, and a game that users will join and forget in 10 minutes.

Its an ongoing consideration for small game companies to get the rewards they deserve for the work that they have done, and developing an expenditure system that meets all of their game's needs without breaking the bank is the greatest cosideration of all.

Why is it so much trouble to get something that has been worked upon for such a long time started?
Simply because at the time of launch....
The last beautifying features have been added, and some of these features have to be bought. eg: flash movies for advertising, extra in-game adornments that were needed and added quickly to meet the deadline, sound files of good gaming quality, and many such small items.
Most of the time more money goes into the game's trimmings than the game production.

So there it is....the ready to launch game, so whats wrong now?
Now....the game is ready, but it is still to earn its keep.

Most small game companies that give up the thing do so at this point.
Its there....but the money is gone, and the game is still to produce an income.
Yet....more money needs to be spent.

So therein lies the problems of game developing and why its hard to be the smaller team wandering around in a world that is dominated by the game making giants.

So me and my team decided on X3M, and X3M it is.
In the next coming week/s we'll be sending NiHao World up to X3M's servers and give it a trial month or two.

Until then.....

Keep you posted.