I talked about cheating in my last issue of TGS, and now it’s become one of the biggest things gaming companies have to deal with, since the creation of online gaming. Not only that, but along with these games comes the cost of servers, and the implementation of patches that save the game from complete failure. What does this all lead to? Company support. Which companies are good, which are bad? To tell you the truth, I’ve only seen good companies from the online games I have played, so let’s focus on some great companies: Microsoft and Blizzard.

    First off, I probably should inform you that I am NOT a Microsoft fanboy (I don’t own an X-Box) and that I have only played on of their games online, Age of Empires II: The Conquerors. That being said, let’s approach this. You have seen Microsoft do the monthly payment MMORPGs (Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games), but they also have had great support for the Age of Empires RTS series. Most online RTS games are free to play on the company’s servers, but www.zone.com has been exceptional in creating a great environment for AOE2 gamers and other gamers alike. There is a small client download and then some of the easiest and organized match-making on the web. The best thing of all though, is that this game has been out for several years and Microsoft still manages to keep up servers for the thousands of players at a time, and for free. The Zone also has servers for the original game, and again, for free. So, if you need another reason to skip all the huge MMORPGs people have been talking about; take up something that is offered on the Zone. I know it sounds corny, and probably mostly due to the lack of sleep I have as I am writing this, but it really does “pay off” to skip paying the insane twenty bucks a month in addition to the five different expansion packs and the original game.

    Now that I’ve probably won free copies of games from Microsoft for advertising their products, how about we move onto probably the best developer for cheat-control, patches and support. Yes, Blizzard makes great games and keeps on giving you more bang for your buck than hunting season in West Virginia. I’m going to focus on Diablo II, for this demonstration (ladies in the back, please, I need total silence in order to explain to complex workings of such a gaming experience!). That being said, let’s move on… Thousands, if not millions of accounts on Diablo II have been banned without question due to cheating. How’s that for tough justice? Blizzard has also been treating gamers of the Expansion Pack, Lord of Destruction, and the original, equally. Every time a patch comes out, it’s for both. Also, instead of forcing gamers to buy the expansion in order to play with their friends who have it, Blizzard has allowed players of the expansion to make normal characters. And to remind you, this is all for only the price of the original game and your Internet service. I’ve seen some people moan and groan about how long the patch (which, coincidentally, only adds new weapons and the very few remaining minor glitches) is taking to come out. Give them a break people, you pay fifty dollars for the original and perhaps twenty more for the expansion and you get years and years of free, online multi-play, then Blizzard continues to add new elements to the game, after they already have your money and you COMPLAIN?

    This is where I come to. Great companies like these, that go the extra mile to satisfy the gamer. These types of companies are being pushed back but whiney gamers, and being spoiled by cheaters. Uncle Sam wants you to fight. He wants you to fight for the justice of righteous, upstanding companies that don’t exploit us! He wants us to- what? Oh I’m sorry; I didn’t realize you had to get back to downloading that patch for EverQuest before your month runs out. Keep on gaming, and remember, if you fool me once, shame on me, fool me twice, shame on that other guy… right over there, yeah, he’s staring at you.