Cost of Server

Solar2D General Questions/Discussion
#1

I read on the web site of a service like Digital Ocean…  cost of $5 or $10 (per month) to manage server action for an app.  That is not a bad price and I would imagine it would handle my app’s needs.  

What rules or requirements are there, for the developer (me) of an app that has a feature in the app that relies on that server access?

If the sales (.99 cents per app), drop down to just a couple a month, that $10 monthly fee will be losing money.  I guess I am allowed to remove the app from the market at any time; but what of the existing users?  

My question is :  is there some ‘reasonable’ length of time(after app is removed from market) that I would no longer be required/expected to maintain that cloud server account for that app?

Has anyone experienced issue with an app they had initially a good number of sales, that then dropped down to nearly none, and continue to payout cloud server costs even though generating no more income for the app?  Do you just continue to pay that cost?

I know this is a rather strange question, but it is something I am concerned with.

Thanks

#2

It’s nice that you’re worried about it – it means you probably won’t dump people with no warning.

I’m in a similar situation – a few years ago I was doing something different (not game dev) and created a service where I needed a dedicated server. I got out of that business and stopped promoting it, so that and normal attrition means I’m now paying about $200 a month for two paying customers. So on that part of my business I lose $140 a month.

Fortunately for those two customers I need a server for my tools/tutorials business, so they’re safe for now. But if I ever come up with a way to do my game dev business without that server I’ll give those folks a 90-day warning and then shut it down.

Nobody (reasonable) expects you to lose money, so if your sales tank, apologize, give folks a decent warning, and close it down on the deadline.

That’s my thinking, anyway.

 Jay

#3

The $5 Digital Ocean option should be enough for most things unless your app is very popular and in that case you upgrade when needed.  You can use it for many things, web server, irc bouncer, VPN etc, its always handy having a server :) 

#4

J.A.  and Jon,

Thank you both for your input.  Very helpful.

#5

It’s nice that you’re worried about it – it means you probably won’t dump people with no warning.

I’m in a similar situation – a few years ago I was doing something different (not game dev) and created a service where I needed a dedicated server. I got out of that business and stopped promoting it, so that and normal attrition means I’m now paying about $200 a month for two paying customers. So on that part of my business I lose $140 a month.

Fortunately for those two customers I need a server for my tools/tutorials business, so they’re safe for now. But if I ever come up with a way to do my game dev business without that server I’ll give those folks a 90-day warning and then shut it down.

Nobody (reasonable) expects you to lose money, so if your sales tank, apologize, give folks a decent warning, and close it down on the deadline.

That’s my thinking, anyway.

 Jay

#6

The $5 Digital Ocean option should be enough for most things unless your app is very popular and in that case you upgrade when needed.  You can use it for many things, web server, irc bouncer, VPN etc, its always handy having a server :) 

#7

J.A.  and Jon,

Thank you both for your input.  Very helpful.