Over the last 2 months I’ve been paying for gamespot access. It’s only $4.99 a month so it’s no big deal. I get to download patches, watch streaming video, etc… I’m cool with that.
But when I attempt to download a map, I get mixed results. On some I can download immediately, but on most I get redirected to gamespy’s fileplanet. At the moment the non-subscriber servers are free of people, but usually I will have to wait in line for over 30 minutes, unless I pay a monthly or yearly fee.
It’s the same with fileshack. They make you wait in line, unless your a paid subscriber.
So is it worth it? I’m allready paying gamespot a fee, should I pay one of these other sites a fee as well? If I need a patch I can it over at gamespot, but user made mods, skins and maps are another story. Gamespot doesn’t support new content. So when I go to another site to search and download new content I’m usually sent to fileplanet!!
So does anyone use these services? Are they worth the $60 a year, or should I just quit the complaining and just wait in line?
If I were to signup with one of these sites, which one is the better one?
Yea… I would like to stick with just gamespot, but they don’t support user made content such as maps, mods and skins. I’m downloading new content all the time, so I was figuring on using one of these services.
Anyone use fileplanet or fileshack? Do you pay or are you a non-subscriber? Which one is better?
I had a personal fileplanet server for a bit, and it was pretty awesome. I don’t download much stuff, though–if you do, it’s probably worth it… if only for the convenience of it all.
Some people are know are quite happy with their FilePlanet subscriptions, others weren’t. For me there’s no need for them though, one can usually grab patches or demos from the publisher’s sites or mirrors like Worthplaying or Gamerhell without qeues at a speed which is fast enough for my purpose.
I pay for a few sites on the web, namely File Planet, Fileshack, Mywebattack, and Combatsim, and I feel that these sites offer enough features to justify the monthly fees. It all depends on what you’re looking for, really.
Fileshack looks to be the better then Fileplanet. I like the fact that there servers are spread out and not located in one spot. I’ve noticed that Fileplanet’s servers are mostly located in CA. I’m in NJ so my download speeds might not be as fast, but Fileshack has servers in NY. And there servers are uncapped.
I had an early subscription to FileShack… a few problems back then, irritants mostly (bad links, a few corrupted downloads). I haven’t heard anything bad about it in recent months though. Of course, with FileShack, you’re supporting Kyle in an indirect fashion . . .
ever since i found a couple ways around the ‘wait to download’ server shit on gamespy(fileplanet), i never, EVER EVER again thought “gee, it’s only a few $$, and i won’t have to wait”.
so fuck 'em. go google search, i’m sure you’ll find the righteous way around the bandwidth oppressive bastards that are gamespy(fileplanet), etc.
I’m not sure how asking people to pay for a service qualifies as being an oppressive bastard, but I’ve been pretty happy with my Fileplanet subscription. I think I paid $50 for the year and got 1 year sub to EGM in the deal, so not too bad. I d/l a lot so it has been worth it for me.
Ive found the files ive been after elsewhere on the net far quicker than it would even take to navigate to the personal server area on fileplanet. Most gaming ISPs run a free ftp, you can get all the main online patches and mods nps. Admitedly, im in the UK, so get good speeds from the myriad of european ftps that are out there. Im suprised anyone queues for anything tbh, ive had no probs in getting the like of HL patches within minutes of release.
The only files ive _had to get from one of the pay download sites have been obscure paks and mods for the likes of TA and other older titles, and then theyve been buried down on a little used ftp with no queue.
Stupid cretin. What do you think they pay to run their servers? Foul language? If you want something they have, fucking pay for it.
I’m sure they’re thinking so fuck u, jackass, don’t use our service[/quote]
This is a bit harsh, but it’s otherwise pretty accurate. Download bandwidth costs a whole lot of money, and the big “9000000MB free hosting with ad banners!” boom of the mid/late 1990’s is over.
Some people apparently still can’t get past the idea of “paying for a demo” (“Umm, I thought it was supposed to be free?!?!”), but they’re going to have to.
Some people apparently still can’t get past the idea of “paying for a demo” (“Umm, I thought it was supposed to be free?!?!”), but they’re going to have to.
Why do they have to? They’ve got the alternate option…don’t buy the demo or the game.
No, no…it’s ingrained in some peoples’ heads, thanks to the big internet boom of the 90’s, that the term “demo” means “I download something for free.” Bandwidth has always been expensive, but back in those days, there was enough in the way of poorly-spent Internet cash (especially in the form of advertising revenue) that game sites gladly swallowed the cost to provide the demos for free to users. Now the free-floating revenue to offset bandwidth costs has dried up, and more and more sites are charging money for download hosting. Yes, people always have the option of not getting either the demo or the final game, but some people do want the demos, but they don’t understand the bandwidth/download issue, so they still cry foul, because they do, in fact, want the demos, but they don’t want to pay.
I have used both Fileshack and Fileplanet. I curently use Fileplanet exclusively,> Every few months I will pay for one month or two and download and archive any files I need, and then in a few months will do the same. Seems to be worthwile to me.
Fileshack was a little faster in the download department, but one gripe I had against them is that it is very easy to sign up on their website for the service, but there is no way to cancel it via the web. I did manage to edit my credit card info so I wasn’t charged after the first month and I assumed that they would cancel me, but a few months later I got a bill in the mail. I paid this , and they told me that you had to call Speakeasy to cancel your subscription. Not very convenient in my opinion.
Their rational was that Fileshack was like any “utility” and that they wanted their customers had to call in to cancel. I suppose thats fair enough, but it was enough for me to go back to Fileplanet.
well ok, so my ‘justification’ for not wanting to pay for stuff doesn’t exactly ring well to the ears of more than a few people- oh well. i can live with that.
honestly, for the majority of the times that i am required to use fileplanet to download that demo or whatever that SHOULD be available on a website or magazine cover or whatever, i typically choose the ‘free, wait in line’ method and just deal with it… mainly because (tada) bypassing the ‘wait in line for the premium servers’ actually requires me to put some effort into it.
all that said, i tend to not use fileplanet,etc for ANY needs whatsoever whenever possible. (downloading &) playing video games on pc’s isn’t the primary use of my machines- i rarely get the chance to actually play a game, let alone a demo anyways.
I’ve stopped downloading demo’s, for the most part. From where I sit a demo is part of the promotion for the game; a demo I have to pay to get is crappy promotion, not too different from no demo at all.
I probably buy fewer games, but that’s OK. Might be part of a life stage change anyhow.
I might be willing to pay for other kinds of content (articles, downloading fan mods), but not demos.
