Possible Large Project by New New Designer

[First Timer]

Basically the way I've been thinking over the past while was to develop a game based site, comparable to Gamespot or IGN, but not have so many ads or garbage flowing around.

There's numerous things I want to have beside this site, such as a Wiki, blog, and forum as well, but I know it's a very large project to take on, as right now it'd only be a solo project (by one person - myself).

For this size of project, what kinds of things should I look for in a host, price wise, well, the whole nine yards deal?

 

[Blue]

To be honest, those types of sites are very well funded and very well staffed.
Hosting is the least of you worries.

The reason there are so many ads on those sites is that they are not self sustainable. You need a revenue source unless you have a whole lot of money you want to sink in to a loss leader.

 

[romes]

Well, he can do the same thing as them but not have so many ads floating around. Putting the ads in specific places will make the site look nice and clean and will still maxamize income off those ads.

 

[Blue]

Sites like Gamespot have the ads optimized.
They have studies on these things.

Yes, you can have less ads or less invasive ads but at the end of the day it's either a profit site or a non profit site.


At the end of the day if the site is going to be significant you need a pretty big investment and after that it's your choice on whether or not you want a return on that investment.

 

[romes]

Well, that is true blue but he can still get a $10.00 a month shared package and do fine for a while. It will give him time to gain traffic and advertisers.

 

[SenseiSteve]

Not familiar with GameSpot, but their site is quite comprehensive. The whole nine yards to compare to them would encompass a massive project on your part. When are you forecasting going live?

 

[siforek]

Well, that is true blue but he can still get a $10.00 a month shared package and do fine for a while. It will give him time to gain traffic and advertisers.

Agreed. "a while" all depends though. Could be a month, could be a week. But as said before, hosting is the least of your worries. I'd focus more on the development of the site and funding.

 

[romes]

Well, the I figured i'd through it out there so the hosting part of the equation would be solved and he could focus on the development and funding aspect of it.

 

[JamesCWilson]

Many gave tried and failed to take down IGN and Gamespot, and all either went under, or were bought out by IGN and Gamespot themselves. The reason those 2 are so successful is a combination of brand recognition, smart advertising, and just being well ran and advertised. That doesn't mean you can't start a smaller gaming site and have it be successful, but being the next IGN is near impossible.

 

[daemon2008]

I think you shoud get a VPS, otherwise you will worried about CPU & RAM limit.

 

[First Timer]

@ daemon2008: What is a VPS?
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How would you get funding for a site like that that?