Game Server Providers

Interactive game server hosting offers individuals from all walks of life an opportunity to engage in hours of adventure, intrigue, and escapism in virtual reality. Game servers are dedicated machines used by Internet players to compete in group tournaments or amongst large communities of gamers. Servers enable online players to login to websites that feature video games from simple solitaire to intricate plots involving numerous characters and alter egos. Serious gamers are usually not content figuring out crossword puzzles or playing solitaire on PCs. They love the mystique of entering into a world of virtual reality occupied by waifs and warlords, super heroes and heroines, and military mercenaries. Imaginations can run wild as players become absorbed in competing against seen and unseen foes and the forces of evil, or engaged in global conflict. Would-be warriors can fulfill a dream of engaging in hand-to-hand combat without ever leaving the comfort and safety of their office or living room. Dedicated game server providers connect an entire subculture of individuals who love and live to interact with other players from around the world.

The type of game hosting utilized is determined by the number of participating players. Options include public, private, and dedicated server packages. Dedicated servers give groups access to public machines that anyone in the world can log onto. However, gamers who purchase a dedicated package do not share the machine with other players outside of their group, or clan. Groups pay game server providers an initial set up fee and monthly rate to reserve specific machines. Public hosting also allows groups of a limited number to log onto servers accessible to anyone on the web; however clan members pay for limited ownership of a public machine for a small fee, usually less than dedicated packages. Private game servers are up 24/7 and are password accessible. Hosting packages are relatively inexpensive, starting at less than $5 per month, plus a minimal set up fee.

Some servers are used by individuals and small groups of players connected on a local area network. Rival interoffice teams, neighborhood associations, or private gamer clubs frequently use what is termed "listening" servers to compete in games which are run by shared software. Unlike dedicated machines, which are housed in secure data centers with the power to host massive players from all over the world, listening servers are limited by lower bandwidth and central processing unit requirements. The unlimited use of dedicated game server hosting by massive numbers of players only serves to enhance the online experience. Players often take on alter egos and usernames that allow individuals to act out scenarios in virtual reality. The most popular servers include war games, which allow players to wage virtual battles on foreign soil or outer space. Web-based gaming is exciting and entertaining, but there is a danger in becoming overly engrossed in an imaginary existence. "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought to the obedience of Christ" (II Corinthians 10:3-5).

While game server providers have little control over players' overindulgence in fantasy, they are mainly concerned with providing hosting that is affordable, reliable, and compatible with participants' personal PCs. Dedicated game server hosting offers serious competitors options to modify leased games and make interactive competition more appealing. Global matches with massive multiple players can go on for days, weeks and months, with sessions modified to correspond with plots and story lines that change. Some games are inspired by military maneuvers, espionage, adventure, or intrigue. And because gamers expend a considerable amount of time and keeping up with players and plots, a method of maintaining communication is essential. Provider packages include email lists and addresses to enable clan members to track one another and send notification of play dates and times. Some groups not only lease websites through server providers, but regularly issued e-zines and e-newsletters offering gaming tips and strategies.

Dedicated game servers, accessible using IP addresses, provide hours of fun and fantasy at affordable rates. Game server providers packages are priced according to bandwidth and the number of players in a clan simultaneously logged onto a dedicated, private, or public server. Two players can challenge each other in unlimited gaming for less than the price of a hamburger, fries and a shake per month! For tons of fun and cyberspace combat, server providers make it worthwhile for gamers of every age and income bracket to join in the fun. However, the more players added, the greater the monthly fee. Gamers can research provider websites to check rates and the number of players allowed to log onto any one particular game. Multiple players may elect to split the cost to have unlimited access to dedicated, public, or private servers.

Game server hosting packages include amenities, such as domain names and websites; but may vary according to providers. Players should shop the Internet for the best amenities at the best price. Bargain basement pricing websites are also great places to find low-cost provider packages and compare features. Surfing the Web gives players an opportunity to make informed decisions before committing to specific game server providers or plans. Players can also shop online for the latest game server software compatible with most operating systems. Whether two or thirty-two players choose to engage in online competition at home or across the globe, the affordability of gaming makes it an attractive and entertaining option for the young, the old and in between.

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