The cost of producing and creating a video game is a big investment. In fact, budgets for the latest video games would even dwarf those of a B movie. Estimates say that the video game industry is the fastest growing segment of the entertainment industry. But like movies, game developers have to get their investments back and then some.

Most of the games coming out of the shelves today come with a $50 price tag. This could be a strain on the pocket especially for teenagers and school children who make a huge chunk of the game’s target market.

Popular MMORPGs such as Everquest, Champions Online and Warcraft Online charge a monthly subscription fee for their services. This would cover the games development and maintenance expenses.

For MMORPG players the term private servers is not a new term. Type in your favorite MMORPG’s title and add the term “private server” would display a list of all the links available. Game play isn’t really that different from the official game servers but drawbacks include huge lag times and a small population of players.

Some game developers have tried to answer this problem by offering free MMORPG titles. Some games have even downgraded their games from paid to free services. This is in reaction to the millions of players who just don’t want or don’t have money to pay for these services.

Big gaming companies have tried to answer video game piracy by removing features such as multiplayer LAN capability. New games such as the much awaited Starcraft 2 title have disabled the LAN multiplayer feature entirely from the game. Those who wish to pit their wits against other players are required to authenticate themselves online.

The simple fact is that pirated video games and private servers continue to proliferate because people are willing these pirated games or continue to play at these private servers. Many players complain that games are being controlled by corporation who are just bent on making money. Finding a balance between developing a good game and offering it at a price which players could afford is important in curtailing the threat of video game piracy.