Re:Review my startup idea: Multiplayer game servers on demand
by mryan on Wednesday May 25, 2011 @06:00PM
(#2585734)
Thanks for the feedback Patrick.
I had not thought about the day/* pass option, so far I have been looking at hourly rates. Users will deposit funds to their account, and when the server is started the cost will be deducted from their balance. I definitely do not want to get in to utility billing, it seems like a headache I don't want!
Wrt the name - I came up with it on the spur of the moment and did not really think about it much after that. Cloud is indeed irrelevant to a lot of the target market, so MultiplayerOnDemand might be a better option.
In terms of pricing, charge hourly but have an easy discounted day/week/month pass option. (1 hour for $0.25, 1 day for $5, 1 week for $20, 1 month for $40 -- I have done no market research, these are just to show the discount curve.)
I strongly suggest selling credits rather than doing actual utility billing. Gamers are pathological customers in a lot of ways. Wait for credit cards to break, massive fraud issues, etc.
I do not like Cloud* branding for someone who is not selling to developers. That doesn't seem to communicate value to the customer for me, since Cloud is a meaningless buzzword outside our industry. MultiplayerOnDemand, your strap line, sounds better. (GameOnDemand?)
In terms of getting users for this, you have many options. Advertising rates for gamers are low... for a reason. You probably monetize better than T-shirts, so that is a definite plus. I would start trying to recruit folks for it right now, individually -- your gaming buddies, clans, what have you. If you can't give it away, you'll never be able to sell it.