Have you ever considered getting a domain name for your game?

Discussion in 'Game Design' started by Shriker, Aug 13, 2017.

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Have you ever considered getting a domain name for your game?

  1. Already got one!

    33 vote(s)
    71.7%
  2. Yes

    6 vote(s)
    13.0%
  3. No

    4 vote(s)
    8.7%
  4. Would love to, but expense is an issue

    4 vote(s)
    8.7%
  5. Would love to, but my host doesn't support them

    0 vote(s)
    0.0%
  6. Would love to, but don' t know how

    1 vote(s)
    2.2%
Multiple votes are allowed.
  1. Shriker
    Magical

    Shriker Shadowlack Owner RPGfix Admin Patron Game Owner

    This is mostly for those sites out there that don't have custom registered domains. I think that having a domain name is great and cool in theory, but it is not at all necessary to run an awesome game. I'd love to hear other people's opinion on the matter. :)
     
  2. SithLordOfSnark

    SithLordOfSnark Resident Game Owner

    I've considered it, but the cost has always been an issue for me.
     
  3. Verridith
    Haunting

    Verridith QUEEN of GOLD !! Game Owner

    It's awesome!! I've had one for years now - and with Godaddy, I only pay like $18 a year. It's a wonderful investment and makes advertising especially easy, and putting 'forums' at the beginning or end isn't hard at all. :D
     
  4. Archivist
    Balanced

    Archivist Resident Game Owner

    I've managed several forum sites over the last decade or so- I highly recommend it.
    In one case it helped to go with a 'vanilla' name- that way as the interest fluctuated- the forum sections could be changed to reflect the current interests. Sure, it's a hassle but it's easier than and cheaper than registering a new domain every time things changed.
     
    Mister Karma likes this.
  5. Mim
    Relaxed

    Mim Resident Game Owner

    While we do have one on our main site, I don't think its a pre-requiste for a successful forum. I know a few that still do very well using free hosts. In fact I think when we were using the free pHpBB forums we had more than double the membership we have now.
     
  6. Death Kitten
    Kickass

    Death Kitten Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Game Owner

    I got a vanity tld for my game as our one year "present" and I think it helps with branding. The only problem I've had is that some form validation services don't recognize some of the newer tld, but that problem is easily avoided by using a .com or other longer established tld.
     
  7. Mister Karma
    Lurking

    Mister Karma Resident Game Owner

    It's been a major consideration, although I've had awesome results running just a free hosted game. Obstacles are basically funds. If I run out of money for bills n rent, and can't pay for the domain, the players are without a game for a month. Can't take that risk unless my money matters are more stable.
     
  8. Hebe
    Dreaming

    Hebe Newcomer Game Owner

    I started as a player/member of my game - and over time inherited the management. When we needed a re-start, the remaining players and I decided on changing from a forum to Nova. Although I was offered complete management of the old website, I opted to purchase my own domain name that was a bit more applicable after debating whether or not I could steal some space from my husband's website.

    It's a lot easier to send people to a website with a name that makes sense. The only way I could get to the original forums was by my bookmarks.
     
    Death Kitten likes this.
  9. Secret_Circle
    Amazed

    Secret_Circle Newcomer Game Owner

    I always recommend getting a domain name for your RPG, especially if you are looking for running it for an extended amount of time. Branding is important to keep your game running alive!
     
    Achera and Death Kitten like this.
  10. VirusZero

    VirusZero Resident Game Owner

    I've had a domain name for a few years now and it does make things a bit easier. When I had my site on Jcink and my wiki on another host, I could make it at least easier to remember how to access them. (Instead of having url for the forum and another for the wiki it was wiki.site.tld... ) Plus it looked more uniform, like they were actually hosted together even when they weren't.

    Though I will say it's entirely possible to run your own successful forum without needing a domain. There are enough free forum hosts it can be done. (Or tumblr or whatever to write on.)
     
    Elena and Death Kitten like this.
  11. Elena
    Arthritic

    Elena Resident Game Owner

    I am running mine for 7 years and it had never had a domain. It was first on invisionfree, then on jcink domains.
     
  12. SithLordOfSnark

    SithLordOfSnark Resident Game Owner

    I've never had a domain before either, and my currently longest running site has been going for three years.
     
    Elena likes this.
  13. Archivist
    Balanced

    Archivist Resident Game Owner

    Here's a thought- even though domain hosts- example host gator offer free installations of forum programs- if your forum is already established, keep it- use the domain as a place for branding and archiving.

    I'm one of those crazy people who like to archive, get the stories off the forums when they're done and showcase them on static web pages. It's not just about the branding or showcasing, it's also about the size of the forum database. Think about this- the more stories there are- i.e. post count- the larger the database. Taking stories off the forum and moving them to static pages reduces the size of the database.
     
  14. InDireStraits

    InDireStraits Newcomer Game Owner

    Not necessary, but I do think it shows that your forum is probably not going to die in five minutes.
     
  15. Sammiie
    Cracking up

    Sammiie Newcomer Game Owner

    I always felt like a game has to be running and active for a while in order to get a domain name. Like giving a domain name to your RPG that's only been running for 6 months might not be a good idea until you know your game can pull through for the long haul.

    Perhaps I'm just picky about these things, but I prefer not to "waste" money anywhere I don't have to.
     
  16. Death Kitten
    Kickass

    Death Kitten Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Game Owner

    While I can totally understand this perspective, a domain can help advertising to help ensure the game will last. There are registrars that offer first year discounts on your domain registration, so depending on which tld you want, there might be an option that's only a few dollars.
     
    Sammiie likes this.
  17. Naen

    Naen Newcomer Game Owner

    When I first started with forums, I didn't have my own setup. Now I have my own forum with my own domain. I love having the domain. Probably not necessary, but fun for a sense of identity.
     
  18. Sadrienne

    Sadrienne Resident Game Owner

    It's certainly not a requirement to succeed, but I like having one. I pay about $9/yr for my registration, which isn't a massive cost in the long run, and it's so much easier to remember! I

    I don't think players much care, but I like the neatness up in the address bar. Makes me happy.
     
  19. ulla

    ulla Newcomer

    a custom domain is something that i've been considering (and i know how to implement because i've done it for other sites just ironically not my own lol), but i've never really looked into the pricing since i'm a poor college student that has other expenses to be worried about in all honesty

    but a consideration for the future, definitely
     
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