Dev to Utilize BitTorrent for Free Mech Warrior Release

May 5, 2010

Proving that BitTorrent technology isn’t just for Internet pirates, an overwhelming response to the free download of a new game is forcing a developer to turn to the file-sharing technology as a replacement for its own overloaded proprietary download system.

MekTek is currently offering up MechWarrior 4 for download through its website, this after 100,000 customers brought down its MTX system, and website, over the weekend. The developer, according to TorrentFreak, is now preparing a release of the free game via BitTorrent, once the new version makes its way through MekTek’s beta team.

While noting that other game companies have turned to BitTorrent technology in the past, including Electronic Arts, who used it to distribute the beta for Warhammer Online, Torrent Freak offered:

For large and popular releases BitTorrent is definitely the way to go. The larger the demand and the greater numbers of people active on a torrent, the faster a file can potentially be distributed with the protocol, saving the publishers money too.

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Comments

Re: Dev to Utilize BitTorrent for Free Mech Warrior Release

Submitted by Kincyr on Wed, 05/05/2010 - 15:23.

I remember when Bandai released promotional videos for The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya via BitTorrent

岩「…Where do masochists go when they die?」

岩「…」

Re: Dev to Utilize BitTorrent for Free Mech Warrior Release

Submitted by SimonBob on Wed, 05/05/2010 - 14:56.

Isn't MechWarrior the game which integrates with an overly complicated control panel that sells for $150? Rhetorical via google; I'm thinking of Steel Batallion. Still, there's an idea: get the game for free, but you can't play it until you buy the proprietary hardware. Would we be able to say goodbye to DRM issues?

---
Fangamer

Re: Dev to Utilize BitTorrent for Free Mech Warrior Release

Submitted by Technogeek on Wed, 05/05/2010 - 13:49.

It's probably worth pointing out that their MTX system uses BitTorrent by default to distribute the installer -- I was able to get the actual .torrent file from the MTX install folder and plug it into uTorrent.

The fact that I was still lucky to get 1k/sec unless I turned on "direct HTTP download" in MTX suggests the problem was a bit more complicated than just "install torrent problem solved".

Re: Dev to Utilize BitTorrent for Free Mech Warrior Release

Submitted by Aliasalpha on Thu, 05/06/2010 - 02:35.

Did you open the correct port? Mine jumped to 300kb/s when I remembered that ports like to be open

Re: Dev to Utilize BitTorrent for Free Mech Warrior Release

Submitted by SeanB on Wed, 05/05/2010 - 12:57.

And the ISP's profits die a little inside.

Re: Dev to Utilize BitTorrent for Free Mech Warrior Release

Submitted by killatia on Wed, 05/05/2010 - 16:36.

How? the game was already being relased for free, all this move is doing is reducing the strain on there servers.

http://www.magicinkgaming.com/

Re: Dev to Utilize BitTorrent for Free Mech Warrior Release

Submitted by Thad on Wed, 05/05/2010 - 13:54.

Huh?

Re: Dev to Utilize BitTorrent for Free Mech Warrior Release

Submitted by Thad on Wed, 05/05/2010 - 12:54.

I remember when the first Win7 beta came out and MS's servers crashed, a popular response from wags was "You know, if they'd just used BT, this wouldn't have happened."

Nice to see SOMEBODY recognizing the potential of a technology where a high demand actually INCREASES download speed.

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