Playing video games online gives great pleasure, doesn’t it? However, in order to really enjoy your gaming time, it is crucial to find the right game server hosting provider. Unfortunately, it is not as simple as many people assume. Not only should you be a skilled gamer while, for example, playing Arma 3, but you should also choose the best Arma 3 Server Hosting Provider. To help you picking the right hosting provider for your game server, I will share with you simple, yet effective, tips and tricks!
MMO (Massive-Multiplayer-Online) has become increasingly popular, partly thanks to the break-throughs in technology, but also due to the popularity of multiplayer games in general. For the best gaming experience, you need to be able to access the game anytime you feel like playing it, right? Having the control over your gaming environment is also important. That is why game server hosting provider plays the vital role in pleasant and uninterrupted gaming experience.
Although I could say that picking the right hosting provider for game server is rather similar to choosing the hosting of other server types, I would like to point to several key indicators you should take into account.
• Make sure the hosting provider supports the game you plan on hosting. There are two ways to find that out; either by doing a research of their site or by contacting them. You should look for 24/7/365 technical support and easy-install-options for the gaming servers.
• How many players do you plan to host? If you want to play your favorite game with couple of your friends or co-workers, it is completely alright to choose a server with not so many resources. On the other side, if you have something bigger in your mind, for instance dozens of players from different time-zones and countries, dedicated server or a VPS with more resources should be your choices. After all, the server requirements depend on the game itself, so in order to be sure you’re picking the best option, contact the hosting provider and/or check out the official guidelines of the game you plan on hosting. If you, for instance, want to play above mentioned Arma 3 game, you could even look for the Arma 3 hosting provider.
• Game servers are, sadly, common targets for DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks. Thus, look for the provider that offers protection against them. Of course, it is possible to properly secure your server in a way that you need no DDoS protection, but it is always better to be safe than sorry.
• Always check the reviews. Search for the provider on social media networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to see what type of reviews they get. In case you see that users say they experience “downtime”, it might be the best to avoid that provider. However, keep in mind that not every review website is to be trusted.
• Free server hosting providers might not all be bad, but in most cases, they are not reliable. You can’t expect technical support, uptime or undisrupted performance if you pay nothing for it. Of course, for games without specific requirements you plan to play with a few friends, free server hosting providers might be alright.
• Server location should be close to you (and other players). So, if you and your players are, for example, from Australia, it would be recommended to pick the server location from Australia too, if it is possible.
• Performance and speed are crucial for the best gaming experience, so your server should be powered by the latest hardware and SSDs. Game play without lags and latency depends on process power too, that’s why your server should have at least an Intel Core (or an equivalent central processing unit).
So, follow these useful tips and tricks to find the best server hosting provider that meets your own requirements and suits your own preferences. And, of course, good luck playing your favorite MMO!
