Colloquially the term is nearly-exclusively used to refer to independently operated, unofficial servers for video games.
As servers need adequate internet connection, power and can be noisy,[1] they are often located in a colocation center.
Ordinary desktop computers are not suitable to house in colocation centers as servers have specific form factor that allows them to fit many into a standard rack.
Private servers often host MMORPG genre games such as World of Warcraft, Runescape, and MapleStory.
Rightsholding companies often attempt to and succeed in shutting down private server versions of their games.