| Gaming with GameSpy | |
| Inside the Net's Most Popular Game Tool | |
Although many games now come with built-in player matching services for
finding games on the Internet, and despite the fact that many of these built-in
tools are powered by GameSpy, GameSpy Arcade, the latest incarnation of their
stand-alone game matching software, continues to be very popular. I can recall
the humble beginnings of this tool, which was one of the first to make finding
a Quake server and joining an online game a simple point-and-click process,
free from typing in IP addresses and console commands. Since then GameSpy
has continually added features, to the point where it is now the most complete
gaming service on the Internet, offering not only game matching, but chat,
news, player tracking, file downloads, instant messaging, and even a collection
of their own free parlor games.
Why use GameSpy Arcade when a game already has functions for finding online
games? The most obvious reasons are that many people play more than one game,
and that GameSpy has a very sophisticated buddy list system which makes it
easy to find your friends. Of course, GameSpy has a variety of other convenient
features which appeal to millions of gamers, so here is a quick summary of
what GameSpy can do for you.
Multiple Game Support
Arcade now supports over 400 titles, so it scans your system for compatible
games and lists them on a handy menu for you automatically. This saves time
and makes it possible for you to move from one game, or mod, to another
with minimal effort. It works with both dedicated server games, such as Counter-Strike
and Battlefield 1942, as well as peer-to-peer games such as Medieval Total
War and Age of Empires.
Player Tracking
This is probably GameSpy's strongest feature, as it greatly simplifies the
process of organizing games with specific players. Getting into a game with
your friends using to require a lot of searching, Instant Messaging, and
exchanging of IP addresses. It worked, but it typically involved running
several programs and was cumbersome to say the least. Arcade includes a system
called PlayerSpy, which lets users create a "buddy list." Upon running GameSpy,
you can see immediately which of you buddies are logged on, and what room
they are in or game they are playing. You can join them simply by kicking
on their name - a dream come true for online gamers.
Better Filters
Arcade has a variety of server filters that make finding a suitable game
quicker, and are superior to what most games offer. I find that being able
get a list of Counter-Strike servers that are in my country saves me the
trouble of refreshing a list of almost 30,000 servers every time I want to
find a game.
Screenshot of GameSpy Arcade
Chat and Instant Messaging
There are an abundance of ways to communicate in Arcade, including public
chat rooms, private chat rooms, Instant Messaging, and even voice chat. It's
very nice to be able to talk to your chess opponent, for example, as you
play. Subscribers get enhanced voice capabilities and the ability to transfer
files large than 1 MB.
Free Parlor Games
Even if you don't play high-end action games, Arcade is still worth the download
for people that enjoy multiplayer games of Poker, Spades, Hearts, Backgammon,
Chess, Checkers, Reversi and YARN.
I don't care much for Arcade's built-in mini-browser, which seems to like to stop working when a page is half loaded, but they do try to integrate the latest gaming news into the software. Some users will, however, find that this is all the gaming news they need or want.
Downloads
Through a partnership with FilePlanet, GameSpy offers downloads of the latest
demos, mods, patches and other files. As these files get larger, it gets
harder to find sites serving them up for free. FilePlanet still has free
downloads, but you have to register, and then it can be a long wait depending
on how busy their servers are.
Cons
It's difficult to complain about a program which offers a free package with
ample functionality for unlimited use, not just a short trial period. Of
course, if you choose not to subscribe, you will have to tolerate a considerable
dose of advertising. Arcade runs large ads that come up before you reach
any server lists or other content, making them nearly impossible to ignore,
but again, nothing is small price to pay.
Another issue that will concern some gamers is that GameSpy does consume
some system resources that the game you are playing might otherwise make
use of. Although they have made every effort to minimize this problem, older
systems may choke on the load.
Games like EverQuest, which charge monthly fees and run only on official
servers, are not supported by GameSpy. You aren't able, for example, to use
PlayerSpy to locate a buddy who is playing such a game.
Finally, Mac and Linux users are out of luck, Arcade is only available for Windows. A recent version of IE is also required.
GameSpy 3D
If you don't like Arcade, GameSpy still supports their original game utility,
GameSpy 3D. It's a good program if you simply want to find a server to play
on, but it lacks the communications features which make organizing with other
players so convenient in Arcade.
