Macworld's Gameranger Review

[Supernatural Pie]

Shall we play or talk?

Gameranger is a mac only online chat service that offers gaming capabilities. Players can log on, exchange messages privately or publicly, and then join or host online games as the mood arises. It's an easy, user friendly way to find and play mac games online?and it's free.
As the longest running mac only online game service, gameranger has more than 100000 registered users and works with more than 100 games.
Gameranger features a series of publicly accessible caht rooms that have no particular order or organization. In the more popular locations, chat often turns into vitriolic exchanges stimulated by political and social issues. Fortunately, you can limit displays of profanity via an option in gameranger's preferences.
Wandering into a heated argument is hardly the best way for a new user to first encounter gameranger or online gaming in general?and it's definitely not a family friendly introduction. Genre based organization of chat rooms and more rigid policing of chats by administrators could resolve this difficulty.
Although Gameranger is free, a new premium mebership tier gives users access to exclusive features for $50 a year. Most of the premium features are superficial?appearance changes, better personalization, prioritization in user lists?but therea re a few meaty new options. As a premium meber, you can create your own chat rooms. you can also set "i'm away" autoreplies and see time stamps on messages from your friends.
The price tag of gameranger premium mebership gives me some pause, what with the makeup of the new features. But gameranger's developer still deserves the backing of the people who use his service, and buying a premium membership is an important way to demonstrate that support

The Bottom Line:
Gameranger is an indispensible resource for Mac gamers looking to play with others online, even if public chat can get unruly. Gameranger's premium service is a bit overpriced, but it's one way for regular users to support this invaluable part of the online mac gaming experience.

Rating: 3.5
Pros: Easy to use; supports many games and has many users.
Cons: Disorganized and badly managed public chat rooms often contain coarse language; overpriced premium membership
Price: Free; Premium membership, $50 per year
OS Compatibility: Mac OS 9, Mac OS X
Company: GameRanger Technologies, www.gameranger.com
?June 2003 Macworld

[Supernatural Pie]

BTW... someone please let me know if this is any sort of copyright infringement. I'll delete it, I just wasn't sure if I'm allowed to post a review.

Macworld. Page 58. June 2003.

[Snipes]

I agree. GameRanger is a bad for people who just want to make nice friends and play online peacfully. Alot of the people talk with coarse language, and are very rude (well, only the noobs arent  ). And, I beileve GameRangers Premium service is overpriced. I suggjest they lower it down to $20 or $30.

Although, If you are a lound an obnoxious, than GameRanger is a good source for mac gaming   Like Me!!!

[Mr. Lothario]

     It doesn't matter whether it's overpriced or not. Scott has set his price point, and people are willing to buy. Besides, it's pretty clear that Scott is working on new features to make premium worth the price. In the meantine, premium is more to give support to Scott than to get nice features.

[Cossack]

Unregulated chaotic rude and boorish chat is a pro in my opinion. It is obvious the reveiwer visted the Bar and Grill.

[Brain]

yea.
it's a shame that macworld doesnt review vapor-ware or else we would have heard more about the future features.

p.s. if they wanted clean language, they should have stayed in the lobby. for some reason, nobody talks there

[tasty]

If some 45 year old loser writing for Macworld causes Evill to get a bunch of admins and censor the hell out of everything, I'm going to be pissed as hell. In fact, I think he should take the profanity filter off. That way maybe we can get all the 8 year olds and grannies off of the service, including that cunt Suellen from Westlake.

[Snipes]

Scott probably created the profanity filter for parents who dont want their kids going online and looking at the coarse language.

[Brain]

duh
snpey. i want you to think critically about what you just said
the filter has a password lock
now do you think that an 8 year old is going to lock the profanity filter?  assuming they do, what good is it if they know the password?


please snipey, for the good of the forum
think before you type

[tasty]

Umm snipey, no shit... what else would you create a profanity filter for?

[Supernatural Pie]

maybe snipey turned it on, set a password, and beat himself until he forgot the password so his virgin ears wouldn't be scarred for life.

[Brain]

that would also explain the web design...
and how he acts...
and why he ignores other peoples posts...
and almost everythingh else for that matter.
i think you're on to something snipe

[(SEALs) one]

Yeah, I read that review too Snipe, I'll have to agree with Macworld though...SORRY GAMERANGER

My reasons
To me, Gameranger has become like a war-zone if you ask me.  Last time when I was on, people are saying retarded things, and others are arguring with the words "fuck","Ass",etc.  Owell, thats Internet Life Somehow it always happens in the Bar&Grill...maybe its because the Bar&Grill serves .sit file beer,drugs, and etc. for free.

-one

[†FiRE Infection]

Wandering into a heated argument is hardly the best way for a new user to first encounter gameranger or online gaming in general?and it's definitely not a family friendly introduction.

Oh but you can get good at that arguing!

This is very true but it's our way of molding the people into the chat and hopefully turning them into more intelligent speakers.  I do admit we are a little harsch on new people but it's kind of like going through school, eventually if you don't act like a dumbass you'll gain respect and power with age.

It is kind of obvious he visited the Bar and Grill whoever he was.

I don't mind the cursing, I don't see why he made such a large deal about it.

[(SEALs) one]

lol infect

[kami]

Hehe one, that reminds me of this comic here

I don't think enforced censoring would really solve anything, just make GR a dull place and force people to go to IRC to chat instead.

Tasty, Suellen owns you, she's practically a mac game god.

About the price, it's not about the features, it's about supporting Evill.

[AK_Rap1d]

Well, when you think about it, GR is a place to find a game, find some players, and play.  But it has become a hangout of straight up abnoxious brats, who feel the need to pick on "n00bs", to feel better about their low social status in life.  These brats play 20% of the time they spend on GR.  80% of their time, they spend taunting others, or teaming up on a particular person with the stupidest crap you can hear come out of a human being.  While the review is correct about the environment GR provides, it is stating something that is nothing but true.  That was their way of suggesting answers to problems that are obviously present.  If people want to chat and be abnoxious, they should get AIM.  GR should be a place for games and gaming, not a chat war arena.  I know from experience, since I was a chosen target by those that struggled in games against me.  It drove them to "hate" me to the point of out of control.  I mean, it carried onto these forums, and some even made sites in hope of making me go away.  Too bad I don't die, I MULTIPLY!  

There will always be a competitive soul that's better than you.  Something some people just can't accept or live with...  Being that so many immature kids play on GR, it is hard for them to gasp the whole concept, which is why they act out on shallow emotions.  The only bad thing, is we have to deal with these kids...  The price of free, is expensive when you think about all the BS you deal with...

[Brain]

first of all rapid, we all lived through the story you're talking about, you can stop retelling it. it isnt like is was normandy or something equally of note
secondly, if you're multiplying you should really stop for the good of the world. i really fear what the child of golo and rapid would be
(hey you said it in another thread man, it's fair game)

[Casper]

duh
snpey. i want you to think critically about what you just said
the filter has a password lock
now do you think that an 8 year old is going to lock the profanity filter?  assuming they do, what good is it if they know the password?


please snipey, for the good of the forum
think before you type

hehe Brain it would be so easy to "hack" that profanity filter just re-download GR.
and anyways I found my parents pass word out its so easy
But the point of your Post yes snipey you are a retard.

[Supernatural Pie]

I know from experience, since I was a chosen target by those that struggled in games against me.  It drove them to "hate" me to the point of out of control.  I mean, it carried onto these forums, and some even made sites in hope of making me go away.  Too bad I don't die, I MULTIPLY!  

There will always be a competitive soul that's better than you.  Something some people just can't accept or live with...  Being that so many immature kids play on GR, it is hard for them to gasp the whole concept, which is why they act out on shallow emotions.  The only bad thing, is we have to deal with these kids...  The price of free, is expensive when you think about all the BS you deal with...

For god's sake rapid, please don't continue anything related to any of this. Do you have to go into every thread setting up a flame war? Please, don't even reply to my post right now. Just read, think about it, and don't start anything.

Maybe you weren't trying to start anything. That's good. Keep it like that.