The top-level domain (TLD) .GAMES is an Internet category that is part of the Domain Name System (DNS) of the Internet. A TLD is part of the internet address that comes after the final dot of a domain name. With a .GAMES TLD, the domain name can institutionally align itself or associate with the gaming industry. It was approved by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and went live on the Internet around September 21, 2016.
Rightside Registry is the sponsoring organization for the .GAMES domain name. Rightside Registry was acquired by Donuts Inc., one of the world’s leading domain name registrars, in 2017. Thus, Donuts is now the official sponsor and technical provider for the .GAMES domain extensions. These extensions are accessible and available to the public for registration without any significant domain restrictions, meaning private individuals, companies, and organizations can register a .GAMES domain name.
According to “Domain Name Stat” website, as of November 2021, there are 21,098 domains that use the .GAMES TLD. The .GAMES TLD can be used by entities within the video games, sports, board games, gambling, and other gaming-related industry to promote their products, events, or services. For individuals, it can be used for personal blogs, reviews, walkthroughs, or forums about video games or other gaming-related topics.
One significant example of .GAMES usage is www.greenmangaming.com, an eCommerce store and community platform offering millions of gamers a single location for all things gaming. With customers in 195 countries, the company attributes much of its success in acquiring and retaining customers to its easy-to-remember and more proportionate .games domain, GreenMan.Games.
The general advantages of using the .GAMES TLD other than conventional ones like .COM or .NET includes higher availability of the desired domain names, better and straightforward communication of the website’s content or business (in this case – gaming), potential for better search engine results for searches related to gaming, and the ability to attract traffic with a more catchy and creative domain name.
To purchase a .GAMES TLD, interested parties can visit domain registration providers such as GoDaddy, Domain.com, or other ICANN-accredited registrars. The cost of a .GAMES domain varies based on the provider, the specificity of the name, as well as any available discounts, but it generally ranges from $10 to $1,800 per year.
This information is derived from reliable sources, including ICANN’s official website and the websites of Rightside Registry and Donuts Inc., which are amongst the world’s leading domain name registrars, as well as the Domain Name Stat.
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Sources:
- Icann.org. (2016). New gTLDs – ICANN.
- Donuts.domains. (2017). Donuts Inc.
- Domainnamestat.com. (2021). .Games domain statistics.
- GoDaddy. (2021). .Games domain names.
- Green Man Gaming. (2021). GreenMan.Games.
- Donuts.domains. (2021). TLD: Rightside Registry (.Games).
