Monetizing gameplay is every gamer’s dream. But the process can be long and complicated, and can actually make you lose money if you don’t know what to do.
Our team of experts has compiled a series of tips and insider tricks to help you make money hosting game servers. Let’s dive into it.
Make Money From Hosting Game Servers
Choose a Lucrative Game
You need to remember the principle of demand and supply. You can only generate revenue from something people want. Naturally, the best place to start is finding a lucrative game.
Minecraft, Space Engineers, and Starbound are currently some of the most profitable PC games.
If you already have your sights set on a game, but don’t know if it’s profitable or not, here are two tips that can help. Firstly, find out how many people love the game. This includes people that play it and talk about it on social media.
Secondly, you need to know if people are willing to pay for the game. You can do this by looking for influencers in the field (influencers usually troop to the most successful spaces.)
Pick a Server Hosting
Once you have a game, you’ll need an excellent game server. Qualities to look for in a game server include uptime, server locations, bonus features, and customer support.
The ideal gaming servers provide a high-performance, lag-free gaming experience for players. Consider a dedicated gaming server to attain this goal. Dedicated servers offer more customization options than shared or cloud-based hosting solutions. This hosting service allows you to configure the gaming server to meet your gaming community’s specific needs.
Once you begin raking in the big bucks, your users will depend on you for constant service, and that’s why you’ll need a server with maximum uptime.
Server locations are also essential because the closer you are to a server, the faster your processing speed will be. Customer support comes in handy if you need help with any technical issues.
It also helps to look out for bonus features like DDoS protection, automatic backups, and 1-click mod installation. Some of the best game hosting providers include HostHavoc, PingPerfect, and GameServers.
Means to Earn Money From Hosting Game Servers
1. Promote Games
Promoting games is an easy way to make money. Like other money-making means, it is best for when you’ve built up an audience. Once you have a loyal following, game companies will pay you to promote their new games and get people to play.
Your audience makes you so valuable that you may end up turning down offers because you can’t promote them all. You could even build enough clout to reach out to bigger games for a chance to work with them.
You can create engaging content to promote games on social media. For instance, you can create gameplay videos, screenshots, trailers, behind-the-scenes looks, or even just funny memes. The goal is to create compelling content to capture people’s attention and entice them to learn more about the game.
2. Ask for Donations
You probably already know that gaming skills are critical to earning money in this industry. If your gameplay is entertaining enough, you can ask for donations from your loyal audience. They may be watching your gameplay on YouTube, Twitch, or other platforms.
Most people use Patreon to accept donations because it’s easy to use and has tons of bonus features. You can also use other lesser-known platforms like Heights, Tribe, and Kickstarter. Since it’s a donation, avoid using a direct payment means like Paypal or Venmo because of legal complications.
Hosting a gaming tournament can also help you raise funds for gamers who are still students or need medical funding. It’s a great way to bring together gamers while raising money for a good cause. You can charge a registration fee for the tournament and sell tickets to spectators. You can also get sponsors to donate prizes to the winners.
In addition, gaming companies may be willing to donate money or prizes to support gamers who are students or those with medical conditions, like cancer or disabilities. You can reach out to gaming companies via phone call, email, or through their social media channels.
3. Communicating and Promoting on Discord Server
Discord is a highly lucrative platform [1], and thousands of gamers are currently making a killing on it. The platform allows you to communicate with team members via text, audio, or video. Most people use their Discord to share their thoughts while gaming.
You can promote a game or product to your audience, charge a small fee for access to your forums, advertise other Discord servers, or even sign up to a Discord ad network. Discord ad networks allow you to advertise and earn through a simple bot install.
Already have a Discord server? Then, here is how you can make yourself admin on Discord to enjoy admin privileges in this platform.
4. Sponsorships from Different Platforms
You can accept sponsorships from various platforms, ranging from server hosts to gaming equipment retailers. For example, you may get sponsorship to promote gaming chairs, desks, or even keyboards.
Creative hosts think farther outside the box and secure sponsorships from brands that everyone uses, like razors, boxer shorts, or even deodorant. As long as you have an audience, you can get sponsorship from almost any brand and get paid.
In addition, you can show your gaming skills and obtain brand sponsorships by participating in gaming tournaments and events. When you do well in tournaments, be sure to let people know about it on your social media channels to boost exposure and potential sponsorships.
5. Advertise Exclusive Content
Exclusive content has become one of the most niche ways to earn online today. The beauty is that anyone can host exclusive content, from YouTubers to Patreon owners, and even people with an Only Fans page. The key is to create and share content that no one else has. Get that, and people will follow you to any platform.
Some content is harder to monetize than others. For example, you may get tons of followers by giving Minecraft or newbie gamer tips, but it doesn’t necessarily mean people will pay you for them. If you want to make money hosting game servers, you need to find exclusive content that’s also monetizable, like streaming exciting gaming sessions or roasting your fellow gamers on a live feed.
6. Promote Game Server Offers
This strategy helps you earn by helping others earn too. The way it works is, you promote a server offer, like discounts or gifts. The server makes money through increased sales and traffic to their site. In turn, you’ll make money by earning a small percentage of their revenue.
Be sure to find the most lucrative deals because not all servers offer the same rates. It may help to ask for the terms before signing an agreement or promoting a server.
Earn Through Minecraft
Yes, you can get paid playing video games, like Minecraft. By the end of 2020, Minecraft had over 131 million players and generated over $415 million in revenue. This means that each Minecraft player is willing to spend at least $3 on the game. You can tap into this revenue stream using any of the methods mentioned above.
Some of the most lucrative methods for Minecraft include collecting membership fees for your servers, asking for donations, and sponsoring products.
Buycraft is another way to earn money from Minecraft, then check our guide on setting up Buycraft here.
FAQ
Can you make money hosting a Minecraft server?
Yes, you can make money hosting a Minecraft server. First, you’ll need to set up your high-performance server. From there, you can charge other players for joining your server, stream your gameplay for donations, and sell your own merchandise.
Conclusion
Earning from online games can be easy if you know what to do. Once you’ve found an excellent game server host and built an audience, you can stream your gameplay, use Discord advertising networks, sponsor products, or charge a monthly membership fee.
If you are looking for reliable and dedicate server hosting, you can also check the following list:
