[bf1942] Issues regarding "ranked servers"

[Chris Adams]

Everywhere except the USA, EA's 'Official' ranked servers will be hosted
by ordinary GSPs. EA have been arranging these deals for about six
months now and they have scrutinised our security lest anyone should get
hold of the code for the ranked servers. The deal basically consists of
total management and maintenance of their servers.

---------------------------------------
Chris Adams
GameSwitch Ltd.
www.gameswitch.co.uk

(0871) 218 GAME
+44 (0)871 218 4263

-----Original Message-----
From: Luke [mailto:luke at techfreak.org] 
Sent: 04 June 2005 14:12
To: bf1942 at icculus.org
Subject: RE: [bf1942] Issues regarding "ranked servers"

It seemsclear to me that they are 'advertising' the superiority of
'ranked
servers'. Why? Well, arent ranked servers going to be official EA
servers?
Are they going to rent them to admins? If so, seems like a clear
marketing
strategy, not a game-play strategy. If they shut out the GSP's and clan
admins, they could make a lot of money in the next three years on server
rentals......

Luke

Craig Fletcher said:
> I really doubt you will see much of a financial consequence to EA.
This
> game is set to be a massive hit regardless of the ranking system.  EA
has
> taken the attitude in the past that it can afford to annoy a minority
in
> the
> full knowledge that it's going to shift several hundred thousand units
> regardless.  You can't please everyone after all :).
>
> A classic example of this was during a "question time" style panel at
a
> conference, where the EA delegate was quizzed by a gamer in the
audience
> as
> to why they would not release another patch for Generals: Zero Hour to
fix
> all the bugs.  His response was along the lines of "how does that make
me
> money... the game has been and gone".  However, things are changing
for
> the
> better it seems.  Subsequently they did release a patch, albeit
several
> months later.  In the UK at least they seem to be trying to be a lot
more
> proactive in engaging the gaming community as a whole.
>
> I'm not sure the whole ranked servers issue will be as big a deal as
> people
> are making out in this thread.  There will be plenty of ranked and
> unranked
> servers out there and I can understand their desire to keep the
ranking
> secure.  It's not ideal I agree, but I think it's the best we're going
to
> get at the outset.  Will be interesting to see how it all pans out.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Craig "Wizzo" Fletcher
> Multiplay
>
> Email: wizzo at multiplay.co.uk
> URL: http://www.multiplay.co.uk
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Anton Jansen [mailto:gradius at fmf.nl]
>> Sent: 04 June 2005 13:57
>> To: bf1942 at icculus.org
>> Subject: Re: [bf1942] Issues regarding "ranked servers"
>>
>> Dave Snodgrass wrote:
>>
>> >They've said forever that our servers will not be allowed to
>> >participate in the ranking system - You're reading the tone
>> correctly.
>> >I gave up on bf2 a lonnnnng time ago.
>> >
>> >./d
>> >
>>
>> We will have to see how things work out. If it doesn't,
>> EA/Dice are the ones who take the financial consequences.
>> There are plenty of other games in the world to entertain us ;-)
>>
>> With kind regards,
>>
>> Anton Jansen
>>
>
>
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