Internet service provider (ISP) MWeb will host official public EA ranked servers for one of the most highly anticipated game releases of the year - Battlefield 3.
This will include a number of 64-player server instances, which are likely to be the most popular multiplayer cap for the game.
The new servers will ensure reduced lag, the best performance and optimal playability for local gamers, says MWeb.
“Aside from the quality performance from the servers, MWeb will give Battlefield 3 players the best possible gaming experience by giving the game play traffic the highest priority and assurance levels on the MWeb network,” says Desmond Kurz, online gaming manager at MWeb.
“However, according to early indications, 1Mbps or more would be the recommended line speed to play the game,” he adds.
MWeb says it will provide beta servers for the community during the open-beta program. Gamers who have pre-ordered copies of Battlefield 3 will have early access to these servers, but MWeb will also invite a limited number of community members to assist with the testing of servers. “A beta key will be made available to these members, should they not have one.”
The company is also in discussions with Gameservers.com to allow South Africans to rent their own Battlefield 3 servers.
The rented servers will be deployed on hardware hosted in MWeb's local data centres, the ISP explains. “This will be an extension of the agreement with Gameservers.com that allowed South Africans the opportunity to rent their own Call of Duty: Black Ops servers,” says MWeb in a statement.
Although the ranked servers are only for PC gamers, MWeb says it will continue lobbying for local dedicated instances for console gamers.
The ISP will also sponsor tournaments and hold competitions around Battlefield 3's worldwide release on 25 October, giving community members the chance to win prizes, including copies of the game.
For more details on the online training programme, or to join the forum on MWeb's gaming portal, click here.
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