Should a MMO fansite break even?

[Shelby]

Fansites by and large are a passion. The people creating the independant fansite typically pour a great deal of time and effort into their sites. In addition, a good deal of money. My question is, should a fansite break even?

I know there are several fansite experts here. :rolleyes:

So I wonder, should a fansite break even?

I'm not sure they can or should. Example. SV is a pretty graphic entensive site and with this many users, assuming a moderate amount of page stickiness, SV might serve a million pageviews a month. (I have no clue, just guessing).

Sites this popular typically depending on the type of content can burn through easily 50 gigs of bandwidth, or on very good months (read gameplay movies etc), burn through 1000 gigs. Now bandwidth aside you have to think about number of simutanious connections, % of processing is being used, etc.

So when you add on the prospect of databases, etc, the costs in time, software, and hosting services add up quick.

If fansites should be able to break even, how should they go about it? What is an acceptable form of revenue generation? Donations? Google Ads? Filtered Google Ads - RMT?

Thoughts?

[Lord_Vyper]

I'm not sure they can or should. Example. SV is a pretty graphic entensive site and with this many users, assuming a moderate amount of page stickiness, SV might serve a million pageviews a month. (I have no clue, just guessing).
It's actually not graphically intensive at all. Most of the graphics appear called once, then recycled for the different pages.

Sites this popular typically depending on the type of content can burn through easily 50 gigs of bandwidth, or on very good months (read gameplay movies etc), burn through 1000 gigs. Now bandwidth aside you have to think about number of simutanious connections, % of processing is being used, etc.
With a average hosting plan, the only thing that needs to be addressed, as far as pricing goes, is bandwidth.


So when you add on the prospect of databases, etc, the costs in time, software, and hosting services add up quick.
I've yet to see an average hosting package that doesn't include MySQL/PHP as part of the package, or, worst case, at an additional $5-10/month.

If fansites should be able to break even, how should they go about it? What is an acceptable form of revenue generation? Donations? Google Ads? Filtered Google Ads - RMT?

Thoughts?I think you need to look at what's involved with site construction and hosting a little more...

[rabb1t]

So I wonder, should a fansite break even?

Wouldn't the fact that they were paid remove their 'Fan' status? :rolleyes:

[Shelby]

Mind you I'm not talking about little fansites. I'm talking fansites that do more than 1-2 million pageviews a month, or in some cases as much as a million a day. 60-100+ users online at all time.It's actually not graphically intensive at all. Most of the graphics appear called once, then recycled for the different pages.Actually it's about 500kb in size and larger on some other pages, not including the images from the gallery etc. Its not a huge site, but with the number of viewers this site potentially recieves those kb's add up quick.With a average hosting plan, the only thing that needs to be addressed, as far as pricing goes, is bandwidth.Most hosts (for any type of shared server of a clause in their AUP that prohibits websites from esentially using too much processing power. Since the processessor is being shared, by hogging (creating a very popular site) it a person could potentially be negatively impacting other users. Thus this is the loop hole hosts use to prevent shared sites from being too popular. Nearly every AUP has this clause in there. This is especially noticeable if your site gets /.'d, or dugg.I've yet to see an average hosting package that doesn't include MySQL/PHP as part of the package, or, worst case, at an additional $5-10/month.Again, you can even find free hosts that offer those things, but again. You get what you pay for. Root access? SQL/PHP versions? Static IP?I think you need to look at what's involved with site construction and hosting a little more.Well using this site as an example you've got a 160$ dollar forum software, image gallery software that depending when it was bought is up to about 80$. Toss in the excellent work by coders etc. It ads up easily. Lets say X site pays 10 bucks a month, for 3 years. Normal fansite development time, add in forums, and other software, we're easily up to about 800$. Still pretty cheap mind you.

Now toss on databases. So now your shared server DEFINATELY won't do the job. The processing power will get you kicked faster than you can say Intel. Not to mention database sizes begin to swell. Bandwidth becomes an issue, multiple redundent servers now...

Still the question remains. Should a fansite break even? If so, how should a fansite break even (by what means)?

[Shelby]

Wouldn't the fact that they were paid remove their 'Fan' status? :rolleyes:Nope. :rolleyes: Unless of course places like Stratics, Warcry, aren't fansites.

[lagremage]

If I were to run a fansite, I would aim for it to break even. I wouldn't want to profit off of something like that, but that's me.

Oh and to answer the how part, I would guess that donations would help, or maybe sell t-shirts or something. Beats me. I don't run a fansite, and I will never run one, either, lol.

[Belisarius]

If SV were to set up a tipjar, I'd hit it every once in a while. But Oloh is loaded! so no worries.:pirate:

[Havelock]

Merchandising, baby. ;)

[Traldan]

If that's the only thing I'm worried about at my fansite, I'm either a) in a very good position contentwise, or b) have the wrong motivations and shouldn't be running a fansite.

Luckily, I'm neither.:p

[Dillgaar]

I have a better question...

does Shelby ever think about anything but money?

[Fozzik]

I think you should all by our T-shirts. And mugs. And Ashtrays.


If we ever offer t-shirts and mugs and ashtrays. Just keep it in the back of your mind. Buy.

[Oloh]

Shelby is trying to stir the pot again, but I'll answer it.

Yes. Fansites should try to break even or even try to make a buck. At some point fansites and the community around sometimes become more popular and entertaining than the topic they discuss. See FoH's boards, for instance.

There is nothing wrong with providing entertainment and making money off it. How should they make money off it? It's up the owner, I'd say. Advertisements? Merchandising? Dontations? Premium memberships that removes ads for the things listed above? Premium memberships with bells and whistles? Sure. All are viable options.

As for Silky Venom, we will no doubt do something to generate revenue at some point. We aren't there yet.

We want this site to be a...no THE major resource for Vanguard. If Vanguard is as popular as we hope it to be, we will need to do something to defray the costs. Right now, think I pay about $3000 a year to run Silky Venom. We have a dedicated server, I purchase, rather than pirate every piece of software, I keep the support up and running and we do things like buy stuff to run contests and the like. Shelby is pretty close with 50g per month, we have 500g per month bandwidth purchased, mostly so that we can have a blazing fast MySQL server.

I pay for Silky Venom because I like doing it and it is a fun hobby. I like working with all the folks we have on staff. It is also nice to have your own little playground on the net, as well as the whole competition thing to be the best fansite. It is just another form of MMOG, I guess. I play video games hardcore and I like to be involved in a hardcore fansite...hehe.

So, yes, at some point you will see some form of revenue generation on Silky Venom, hopefully. If not, it is because we never grew past what I can afford personally, and I want us to get WAY more popular than that.

My thoughts on the topic at least.

[Xyrrus]

I think you should all by our T-shirts. And mugs. And Ashtrays.


If we ever offer t-shirts and mugs and ashtrays. Just keep it in the back of your mind. Buy.

Heck, I don't smoke but I'd buy an SV ashtray with that spider printed on the bottom.

-Xy

[Havelock]

I think you should all by our T-shirts. And mugs. And Ashtrays.


If we ever offer t-shirts and mugs and ashtrays. Just keep it in the back of your mind. Buy.

Silky Venom: The Flamethrower.

[rabb1t]

As for Silky Venom, we will no doubt do something to generate revenue at some point. We aren't there yet.

Small vials (that look like potion bottles) of colored liquid. Of course the purple one would be 'Silky Venom's Silky Venom'. Green could be something like 'Silky Venom's Toxic Venom'. One can just be like a punch, another like a power drink, etc.

Of course, if you go with that you guys owe me like $0.05 per sale or something. :rolleyes:

[Shelby]

I'd buy a SV shirt. If they'd let me and my tainted money. :pirate:

I don't think I was stirring the pot, more setting out the cheese to see how people would respond depending on who posted the idea.

Seriously though. I'm glad SV is so dedicated to the future. Obviously by Oloh's comments I think his numbers probably caught a few people by suprise just how much well executed endevours like this cost. SV has always been dedicated in both forethought and planning obviously.

Keep up the good work SV.

[Tdaaell]

*frantically looks for the tab for the online store*

Jumbo sized coffee mug ftw!!!

[Eye Gouge]

No we need a SV Sombrero, Flip Flops and Thong. Perfect beachware. They all need to have the Spider on it though. :D

Honestly I'd jump all over a baseball hat that had the Spider on it.

[GnomerBreltik]

Silky Venom: The Condom (Fanguard reference...:D )

[Labyrrinth]

Silky Venom: The Condom (Fanguard reference...:D )

ROFLMAO!! I had forgotten about that!

You guys had some pretty good (bad? haha) ones too!! In fact, didn't you guys win?

[GnomerBreltik]

ROFLMAO!! I had forgotten about that!

You guys had some pretty good (bad? haha) ones too!! In fact, didn't you guys win?

Only because we found something for every single entry and had the maxipad with wings represent the 'batwing' :D . I have to admit though that a opened condom being a 'knife sheath' was a good one.:pirate: