I'm looking for advice and help, I'm thinking of setting up a gameserver, initially for an EA game, but theres no point if I cant provide ranked servers.
I've read a lot of talk that EA are restricting or have stopped applications. Is it still possible to go about getting approval?
Does anyone know where and how to go about approaching EA?
Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

I don't think EA will be approving anyone anytime soon, especially if you are not a very large and experienced company.

Moved > Game Servers.

Sorry for wrong post placement.
Thats very annoying about the ranked issue, I'm looking at doing this primarily as an experiment and to help a clan out. Their current host isnt doing a good job and there seem to be no choices nearby for them.
So this applies to the likes of the game cp companies as well, none of the game servers provisionable via their software are ranked either or do any of them have an agreement with EA?

there would be no way of becoming a ranked provider without being already established, with a brand that carries some form of weight before application, and a way to assure EA of growth and support etc etc - similar type of setup as the ventrilo license program which is a shame :-) along with a number of other conditions like running a certain number of servers per ranked server etc.

Yep, the only real way to get accepted is to be very well established, before the game even gets released.

How ridiculously counter productive, the ability of more hosts providing ranked servers could only have improved the games popularity.
So this pretty much concludes the issue then. Thanks for the help folks.

The chances of yourself or just about any other person getting a Ranked License from EA is very very low. I think you have already reached that conclusion.
Which host have your clan friends been using that wasn't up to par?

Trust me bud. Every time you will call EA and ask to speak someone in that department, you leave a message on a unknown voicemail, and you will never get a call back. Its seriously ridiculous! Spent a year back and forth trying to get one. really not work it bud. Sorry =/

I had a feeling that was the case jonbeard, I wonder if its ok to say creed3020? As its not me directly affected I dont want to go upsetting anyone. I'll PM the name to you.

Something you can do to host ranked servers for your clan is to rent a dedicated box from www.Hypernia.com
They are allowed by EA to authorize your servers on your dedicated box to be ranked servers but you must have your box through them.
Features:
• Full Desktop Access
• Unlimited Ranked Servers
• Unlimited Players
• Run all Games on a Single Machine

could be a solution, its just the clan wanted NZ server specifically, partly because some members already suffer worse pings from south Island, and to have server in AUS they think it will significantly raise all their ping rates.
Is Hypernia well situated for comms to NZ?
Another possibility I was going to investigate was a datacenter best located for backbone links to NZ.

could be a solution, its just the clan wanted NZ server specifically, partly because some members already suffer worse pings from south Island, and to have server in AUS they think it will significantly raise all their ping rates.
Is Hypernia well situated for comms to NZ?
Another possibility I was going to investigate was a datacenter best located for backbone links to NZ.
Their new up and coming Sydney Australia dedicated servers should have good connectivity to NZ. Better off asking them just in case.

Something you can do to host ranked servers for your clan is to rent a dedicated box from www.Hypernia.com
They are allowed by EA to authorize your servers on your dedicated box to be ranked servers but you must have your box through them.

You and Hypernia are not allowed to resell ranked EA servers. You can try, you'll be paying for a very expensive unranked server.
Also that "unlimited" marketing just encourages overbooking of resources.
Sorry for wrong post placement.
Thats very annoying about the ranked issue, I'm looking at doing this primarily as an experiment and to help a clan out. Their current host isnt doing a good job and there seem to be no choices nearby for them.
You give the exact reason why no-one should give you the license. It's an experiment.... just for a clan.....
You should know how many of these requests they get a day. Every clan tries it, every small/new or amateur GSP tries to get it. Code gets leaked... Performance goes down with those oversellers trying to get to 20 cents a slot. Bad thinking.

You should know how many of these requests they get a day. Every clan tries it, every small/new or amateur GSP tries to get it. Code gets leaked... Performance goes down with those oversellers trying to get to 20 cents a slot. Bad thinking.
Indeed,
this is also a good example what Ventrilo wants to prevent with their strict license distrubution. It just becomes a world of undercutting, bad support & crying customers.

You and Hypernia are not allowed to resell ranked EA servers.

Actually you are allowed to resell BF2 Ranked from Hypernia. No other Ranked Titles can be resold. ;)

Not sure what game you want to host or what you mean by "ranked" but I know that EA allows it for Ultima Online, but it's still gray area and they may be more strict about newer games. The last thing you want is to really get them involved in any kind of way. Just do your own thing. They have never shut down any shards, but technically if they wanted to they could.

I run an Ultima Online server so feel free to ask me any questions regarding that, if that's what you're trying to do. My engine is totally customized though, so I don't give code, sorry. :p

Actually you are allowed to resell BF2 Ranked from Hypernia. No other Ranked Titles can be resold. ;)

Are you sure? I was reading their TOS and it states:

3. Resale of Hypernia’s products and services without the express prior written consent of Hypernia (unless you are an authorized wholesaler).

So unless you have prior authorization, I would think that you can't resell anything.

Are you sure? I was reading their TOS and it states:

3. Resale of Hypernia’s products and services without the express prior written consent of Hypernia (unless you are an authorized wholesaler).

So unless you have prior authorization, I would think that you can't resell anything.

I'm quite sure since I work for them. ;)

I'm quite sure since I work for them. ;)

I don't suppose you can explain the process of how a GSP makes a server go from unranked to ranked then? :)

Are you sure? I was reading their TOS and it states:

3. Resale of Hypernia’s products and services without the express prior written consent of Hypernia (unless you are an authorized wholesaler).

So unless you have prior authorization, I would think that you can't resell anything.

I can confirm you can do it (Ranked BF2), as I have before without issue :)

I can confirm you can do it (Ranked BF2), as I have before without issue :)

I believe he meant legally.

I don't suppose you can explain the process of how a GSP makes a server go from unranked to ranked then? :)

You contact EA to become a Ranked provider and get the ranked server files along with submitting your IP's after you become a provider.

I believe he meant legally.

It is completely within our Terms to Resell ONLY Ranked BF2 Servers.

Contact
sales[at]hypernia.com

patrick[at]hypernia.com

You contact EA to become a Ranked provider and get the ranked server files along with submitting your IP's after you become a provider.

So the files themselves differ and you need to have EA whitelist IP addresses for ranking? Interesting, I always figured the files themselves were the same.

I really wonder who they choose to accept.

I'm looking for advice and help, I'm thinking of setting up a gameserver, initially for an EA game, but theres no point if I cant provide ranked servers.
I've read a lot of talk that EA are restricting or have stopped applications. Is it still possible to go about getting approval?
Does anyone know where and how to go about approaching EA?
Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.

We're just getting involved in the game server arena, partially because it's something I've been wanting to do for awhile, and partially because I've become completely addicted to the Call of Duty series since spending that $19.95 at Best Buy for COD2.

So, apologies in advance for the newbie-ish question - but can you explain what you mean via ranked servers a bit? It's my hope that our free/public COD2 server will automatically show up in the list of servers when playing? I'm hoping so, as it's my belief our ping times alone will attract a good number of players.

Thanks for the info!

<<signatures to be set up in your profile>>

We're just getting involved in the game server arena, partially because it's something I've been wanting to do for awhile, and partially because I've become completely addicted to the Call of Duty series since spending that $19.95 at Best Buy for COD2.

So, apologies in advance for the newbie-ish question - but can you explain what you mean via ranked servers a bit? It's my hope that our free/public COD2 server will automatically show up in the list of servers when playing? I'm hoping so, as it's my belief our ping times alone will attract a good number of players.

Thanks for the info!

John C. Young
Managing Director
Internet Gateway of South Beach
http://www.igsobe.com
COD does not use any sort of EA Ranking system, EA doesn't even publish Call of Duty.

COD does not use any sort of EA Ranking system, EA doesn't even publish Call of Duty.

Typo on my end, (I was playing COD5), my message should have referenced Battlefield as the game name.