Who will be the first to register "Unnamed Player" in protest.  If people are allowed to lock-up an online gaming name then it will be painfully obvious quite soon that unless you pay you may have to keep retyping different names online just to get into a server.  A backdoor way of pay to play.  Smart idea isn't it.

So in protest (and to force the saw to hit a knot quickly), someone should register the default game name of "Unnamed Player."  Think of the instant complaints by people that just forked over $50 to play online but didn't immediately pick a name.  They will quickly and unhappily get hit up for another $12 to avoid future hassles.  They will be left with a rude opinion of whoever let this shakedown take place.

I suggest that nobody be allowed to register "Unnamed Player."  That would avoided sticker shock from people that just bought the game.  I will revert to always using the name so I can be guaranteed not to get bumped online by the paying chumps.

interesting...

just curious what is the $50 for i kner that you were going to be charged $12 for the name but i didn't know about no $50

$50 for the game which you Bought with your hard (yeah right I'm at work now ) earned money

I think even if you register your name other people will be able to use the exact same name online.

The PB (POS) adds a thing to your name, so that it shows like you want it but has chars that you cant see... or something...

from there website it is not entriely clear, but i think it is anyone can use that name, but if ur registerd it, it has special verification beside it, to prove its u

I guess they could give you a little special "support" logo that suggests you support anti-cheating (like the red ribbon for the fight against aides).  Quite frankly, who would pay online gaming money for a logo thingy?  I would guess that you register a name just like you register a name to become a member of this forum.  In the case of Punkbuster it probably guarantees you a gaming name in any game that uses Punkbuster; therefore you make your name exclusive with SOF2, RTCW and so forth.  As this thing grows, every online game will include Punkbuster out of the box.  Names, like domains on the web, will get bought up.   Eventually, clan names will be extra (or auctioned off from the non-clan person that registered another clan's name just to make money).  You could inherit a family gaming name... There would be lawsuits between siblings as to who gets the online handle.  Farfetched?  Perhaps you are unaware of the history of online gaming communities and the goings-on over gaming entities on EBay.  Remember all of the discussions about pay to play in this (and the other SOF2) forum?

It is certainly a future money maker.   Either cough up the name money or be forced to play guessing games with your name just to get online.  I guess someone could develop a "name-gen" that you could boot up.  It would then randomly give you a name at a fast speed until you found a free one.

Understand, this is not a Raven issue.  Raven is the artist aspect in all of this.  Activision is the publisher and hence the profit center.  For our gaming dollar we should get cheat protection if a game is to be played online.  Historically, we looked toward the source of the game.  Quite frankly, it is not in the financial interest of a publisher to make a game playable for a long period of time.  The perfect game would be like an expensive dinner... enjoyed quickly, and then gone overnight.  If you bought a game for $50 and played it online cheat-free for years.... well, where is the profit in it?

Therefore, cheat protection will be out-sourced.  Set up a separate entity to monitor cheating and folks will cough up cash to play.  The only problem here is where the admins and their free servers fit into this mix.  They will become the victims of an ever increasing angry paying public that now expects perfection.  Since people are paying good money they want the cheaters and idiots off of the servers.

Admins will either start charging for their servers or pull them.  Punkbuster will make money...  Activision will smile and expect to make quite a bit more money 'cause there will be less longevity in each online game... which is all they wanted to begin with.

I will not pay.  As an old-time gamer I will gravitate out of the system.  Young people who love games will find a way to beat the system or simply pay up.

wtf?

when are we gonna have to buy our names?

i think its stupid
why should i pay to play online if the game was 45 euros thats enough for me im not gonna charge more money for it then it cost me