Battle for Middle-Earth Fansite.

[Adeli]

While following a link from SiberianTiger in http://www.planeshift3d.com/wbboard/thread.php?threadid=11008&boardid=19&styleid=3&sid=8ede5cbc4d5c4bf32da3e2952f2e4a97, I found this.
I thought this was highly egotistical and presumptuous of EA, and thus logically, highly amusing to yours truly.

The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth
Fan Site Kit

Now you can build your own The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth fan site! We have included all the necessary files in one downloadable package for you to create your own unique fan site for The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth! Simply download our The Lord of the Rings, The Battle for Middle-earth Fan Site Kit to get yourself started. If you don\'t have your own web site already, don\'t worry! We have included links to a couple of popular sites that allow you to build your own web site for free.

Fan Site Kit (126MB)

They just assume everyone would want to make a fan site for their game, which isn\'t even available yet, because it looks pretty...

I was wondering if any other companies have done things like this?

Edit: I\'ll be downloading this, to find out what EA has given its fans.

[Boldstorm]

Blizzard commonly does this as do most of the major companies.

The World of Warcraft fansite has been available since before The main Closed Beta testing started.

[ArcaneFalcon]

We have included all the necessary files in one downloadable package for you to create your own unique fan site for The Lord of the Rings

I don\'t get it, how can your website be unique if everyone is getting the same necessary files?

:emerald:

[Boldstorm]

They give you stuff like logos and banners and basic graphics to get you started they are assuming your content will make your site unique, even though every site will be based on the same thing  ?(

[Adeli]

I\'m of the same mind as Arcane on this.
I never knew Blizzard had fan site kits, that\'s really odd.

[Boldstorm]

Blizzard has even gone so far as to they are now starting a FanSite program.

Blizzard Fan Site Program

[Moogie]

The only reason they do it is to let anyone who can click a mouse to put up a fansite about their game. You get infinitely more well-known around the world if every kid and his unborn children have fansites about it plastered all over the Intar-w3b.

[ArcaneFalcon]

It\'s a conspiracy!

*looks behind him

No, but actually, as can be proven by the greatest video game of all time (Total Annihilation) a game\'s life span can be greatly extended (in TA\'s case, coming up on 8 years) with a solid fan base and a plethora of fan sites.  The best part about TA, however, is that they didn\'t have to bribe their fans with \"fan site kits.\"  Their fans were smart enough to figure it out on their own.

You can already tell that PS is going to have a strong fan base at the amount of sites already up (I say \"going to have a strong fan base\" because I think it will grow enough that the current fan base won\'t be considered very large at all in a year or so).  TA is still the greatest game of all time though.

[Adeli]

If I was a massive company, I\'d rather not have imbeciles with fansites I assisted in the creation of.
Some people are so stupid they could mess up a kit with the entire source, and all images etc hosted for them...
That\'s an interesting opinion. I think Final Fantasy 7, is my favourite game of all time. Age of Empires 2 my favourite RTS.
Hmm, a game\'s life span, is increased by being good in my opinion, though only diehards ever stick around, when they shinier, prettier game comes out, bye-bye hordes of morons.

[JellyWerker]

I also agree with ArcaneFalcon, even if your content is unique, if people just click the site and see the same thing as everyone elses site, without bothering to READ the content, it is a waste of bandwidth.

[Adeli]

At least Blizzard want good sites that people have made, not crap that is put together by clicking the mouse, I am about to download EA\'s kit... should be amusing.