Why wasn't Punkbuster released with UO?

**Adam** · 12-11-2007, 10:07 AM

I asked Tony Ray, founder of Punkbuster, why the integration with UO, was cancelled.

His reply is as follows.

Quote:

Hello Adam,

There were no technical issues or problems. PB was quickly and fully
integrated. As far as we know, it may still be on the table. However,
the decision to release with PB always rests with our clients and even
if we fully knew and understood the reason, I would not be at liberty to
share. I'm sorry I can't be more helpful to you.

-Tony

Shame..

Jeremy wrote to me to say it was due to Legal issues, apparently negotiations reached a deadlock.

**kingtony** · 12-11-2007, 10:51 AM

Thanks For The Update Adam

Merion · 13-11-2007, 04:26 AM

Well, that would be great step for UO to regain some credibility - on the other hand: cheater pay their monthly fee too, and as I do not know how many players/cheaters we are talking about - maybe EA can't afford to lose them all

Malachai · 13-11-2007, 06:34 AM

Well, how many decent, regular folks can they afford to lose? Especially those of us with multiple accounts.

**Tabbitha** · 13-11-2007, 07:26 AM

Good points and shame about the update

Gyvalor · 13-11-2007, 10:49 AM

Seems odd to me, I thought EA had other titles that used PB.

JCtheBuilder · 13-11-2007, 02:25 PM

This may be a little far fetched, but I think the Punkbuster cancellation has something to do with Kingdom Reborn.

One of the features of Kingdom Reborn was to be a more secure client to prevent cheating. This would also encourage people to make the switch "for the good of UO". But if Punkbuster is introduced, it makes the 2D client as secure as whatever Kingdom Reborn can do. It also has the lesser effect of showing that the old 2D client can still learn new tricks. Updating 2D in any way would be "counter productive" in trying to push KR. So players suffer while Darkscribe pushed his new client on everyone.

JCtheBuilder · 13-11-2007, 02:36 PM

Wow! Someone posted this old FYI message in the Stratics topic I started:

Quote:

After a lot of research and development, we’ve come to the conclusion that for now, it would be better for us to focus on internal fixes and security improvements instead of trying to install PunkBuster. The integration of PunkBuster into the Ultima Online client is being indefinitely postponed, until we can do justice to the marriage of the two products.

We enjoyed working with the team from Even Balance, and hope to do so in the future. We do have the same goals, after all: Ensuring fair play is one of our highest priorities.

Please know that we are working to make systems within the Kingdom Reborn client extremely tough on cheaters. We’ve made cheat prevention, and other in-game measures, a top (and ongoing) priority for our coding team.

So Tony says that it was quick and easy, but this FYI says it never happened and they could't do it justice. Then the FYI goes on to brag about Kingdom Reborn security.

http://www.uo.com/cgi-bin/newstools.pl?Article=9619

Malachai · 13-11-2007, 06:13 PM

Looks like we have our answer.

Anyone notice how Darkscribe kinda popped in out of nowhere, dropped KR on us then left?

Was he, to UO, supposed to be the equivalent of "Pimp my ride" to a beat-up old hatchback? If so, it didn't work...

**Adam** · 13-11-2007, 06:45 PM

I'm guessing they thought, that with UOKR approaching, they wouldn't need Punkbuster, because everyone would switch to the mega awesome UOKR client..............................

Seriously though, that's probably one of the reasons.
I wonder what the negotiations/legal issues were though.

12-11-2007, 10:51 AM	#2 (permalink)
kingtony How do you tell when you run out of invisible ink? Join Date: Jan 2007 Shard: alantic Posts: 2,835 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Why wasn't Punkbuster released with UO? Thanks For The Update Adam __________________ For to win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the acme of skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the acme of skill.

13-11-2007, 04:26 AM	#3 (permalink)
Merion Join Date: Jun 2007 Shard: Drachenfels Posts: 274 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Why wasn't Punkbuster released with UO? Well, that would be great step for UO to regain some credibility - on the other hand: cheater pay their monthly fee too, and as I do not know how many players/cheaters we are talking about - maybe EA can't afford to lose them all

13-11-2007, 06:34 AM	#4 (permalink)
Malachai Join Date: May 2007 Shard: Sonoma Posts: 52 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Why wasn't Punkbuster released with UO? Well, how many decent, regular folks can they afford to lose? Especially those of us with multiple accounts.

13-11-2007, 07:26 AM	#5 (permalink)
Tabbitha Administrator Join Date: Mar 2006 Shard: Europa Posts: 5,450 Thanks: 9 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Re: Why wasn't Punkbuster released with UO? Good points and shame about the update __________________ Ultima Online: Tabbitha LOTR :Tabbitha Greywolfe Snowbourn The Shire

13-11-2007, 10:49 AM	#6 (permalink)
Gyvalor collecter of death robes Join Date: Nov 2006 Shard: Pacific & Lake Austin Posts: 283 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Why wasn't Punkbuster released with UO? Seems odd to me, I thought EA had other titles that used PB. __________________

13-11-2007, 02:25 PM	#7 (permalink)
JCtheBuilder Join Date: May 2005 Shard: Atlantic Posts: 404 Thanks: 0 Thanked 15 Times in 7 Posts	Re: Why wasn't Punkbuster released with UO? This may be a little far fetched, but I think the Punkbuster cancellation has something to do with Kingdom Reborn. One of the features of Kingdom Reborn was to be a more secure client to prevent cheating. This would also encourage people to make the switch "for the good of UO". But if Punkbuster is introduced, it makes the 2D client as secure as whatever Kingdom Reborn can do. It also has the lesser effect of showing that the old 2D client can still learn new tricks. Updating 2D in any way would be "counter productive" in trying to push KR. So players suffer while Darkscribe pushed his new client on everyone. __________________ UOGuide -- The fastest growing encyclopedia for Ultima Online

13-11-2007, 06:13 PM	#9 (permalink)
Malachai Join Date: May 2007 Shard: Sonoma Posts: 52 Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Why wasn't Punkbuster released with UO? Looks like we have our answer. Anyone notice how Darkscribe kinda popped in out of nowhere, dropped KR on us then left? Was he, to UO, supposed to be the equivalent of "Pimp my ride" to a beat-up old hatchback? If so, it didn't work... Last edited by Malachai; 13-11-2007 at 06:15 PM.

13-11-2007, 06:45 PM	#10 (permalink)
Adam Owner Join Date: Oct 1990 Posts: 5,641 Thanks: 12 Thanked 107 Times in 37 Posts My Mood:	Re: Why wasn't Punkbuster released with UO? I'm guessing they thought, that with UOKR approaching, they wouldn't need Punkbuster, because everyone would switch to the mega awesome UOKR client.............................. Seriously though, that's probably one of the reasons. I wonder what the negotiations/legal issues were though. __________________ Question: If you can't say anything nice should you really say nothing at all? Answer: If you weren't asked for your opinion then keep a lid on it. But if asked, be tactful as possible but be honest.

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