Frequently Asked Questions

Most Common Questions:

What is LIVE?

LIVE is a free communication and content delivery client for PC gamers. It enables gamers to quickly and easily communicate with friends and view a wide variety of gaming videos, while playing the most popular PC games. Over the next few months, we will be rolling out a slew of additional features that will further enhance the player’s gaming experience. Some of LIVE’s current features include:

• Desktop or in-game overlay – Windows XP & Vista (32 or 64 bit)
• Works with many single player AND multi-player games
• Transparency of the app on desktop or in game
• Supports in-game, fully moveable & sizable windows
• GotGame LIVE’s overlay also supports dozens of third-party AIR applications, with more on the way!

Recommended minimum system specs:
o System: 1.5 Ghz Intel or AMD
o RAM: 1 GB
o Internet Connection: 798 Kbps DL Speed
o Video: NVIDIA GeForce 6600 series / ATI Radeon X1950 series

How do I install LIVE?

You can find detailed instructions on how to install GotGame LIVE on the Download Page.

What are the recommended system requirements for LIVE?

• Windows XP, or Vista (32 or 64 bit)
• Intel or AMD CPU running 1.5 Ghz or higher with 512 MB of RAM
• 10 MB of available hard drive memory
• NVIDIA GeForce 6600 Series or ATI Radeon X1950 Series graphics card or better
• Broadband internet connection (798 Kbps or faster download speed)

How do I report a software bug? How do I submit my great idea to improve LIVE?

LIVE is still in its beta testing phase. This means that you may encounter some form of technical glitch.

If you do, please describe the problem to us in the Technical Support Forum.

Additionally, if you have any suggestions as to how we can improve LIVE, please let us know through the Feature Suggestions Forum. We welcome any feedback and will do our best to incorporate your suggestions into future releases.

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General

What is LIVE?

LIVE is a free communication and content delivery client for PC gamers. It enables gamers to quickly and easily communicate with friends and view a wide variety of gaming videos, while playing the most popular PC games. Over the next few months, we will be rolling out a slew of additional features that will further enhance the player’s gaming experience.

Who makes LIVE?

LIVE was created by the GotGame Network, a subsidiary of Genesis Interactive, Inc.. See the Credits below for a complete list of all of the people and companies who contributed to LIVE.

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Installation

How do I install LIVE?

You can find detailed instructions on how to install GotGame on the Download Page.
What are the minimum recommended system requirements for LIVE?
• Windows XP, or Vista (32 or 64 bit)
• Intel or AMD CPU running 1.5 Ghz or higher512 MB of RAM
• 10 MB of available hard drive memory
• NVIDIA GeForce 6600 Series or ATI Radeon X1950 Series graphics card or better recommended
• Broadband internet connection (798 Kbps or faster download speed)

Has GotGame released a Mac or Linux version of LIVE?

Not yet!

We plan to launch LIVE for the Mac and Linux operating systems in the future, so that we can better unite players across all gaming platforms. If you would like to be notified when we launch a Mac or Linux compatible version, then please sign up for the LIVE Mailing List.

How do I uninstall LIVE?

If your PC is running Windows XP or Vista, then you should navigate to the “Add or Remove Programs” section of the Control Panel. Scroll down to LIVE and click “Remove.”

Can I install LIVE on multiple PCs?

You can install LIVE on as many PCs as you like and log in to any of them. However, some custom statuses are stored locally on each computer.

After installing LIVE, how do I start using it?

First, launch the LIVE application by selecting its desktop icon, or through the “Start” menu.

After the application opens, if you already have a LIVE account and have been invited to the Closed Beta, you can simply log in to the application by entering your username and password.

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Registration

How do I register as a LIVE user?

You can register for an account through the Registration Page.

From this page, registration is just a few clicks away:

1. Come up with a super cool username and password (must be at least six characters long and alphanumeric!) that you will remember. Your password is case sensitive, so be careful entering it.

2. Input your first name and last name. We will not share this information with any third-parties (see the Privacy Policy for more details). We ask that you provide your first and last name simply to make it easier for friends to find you within the community.

3. Type in your email address. The email address needs to be valid to receive LIVE’s welcome email for activation of your new account. We will also contact you through this email address to provide you with customer support, password retrieval, and other important LIVE services.

4. Input the city (and state, if you live in the US), as well as the country in which you live. We need this information to ensure that we are providing quality service to all of our international users and to let you discover other users who live nearby you.

5. Final step: Carefully read through GotGame’s Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions. You have to denote your acceptance of these agreements in order to join the LIVE community.

That’s it. Log in. Start adding friends. And…enjoy!

Can I change my LIVE username?

You cannot change your username. Your username is connected to your profile information, videos that you have uploaded, and your privacy settings (e.g., whom you have blocked and who may have blocked you).

I forgot my username. How can I get a reminder of what it is?

That’s easy. Just submit your email address here or click on the “Forgot Username” link on the login interfaces on either the website or the LIVE application and your username will be sent to your registered email address.

I forgot my password. How do I get a new one?

No problem. First, navigate to here. You can also access this page by clicking on the “Forgot Password” link on the login interfaces of the website or the LIVE application.

If you click on this link, you will be asked to input your username. Click “Confirm.” You will be sent an email with a link. Clicking this link will allow you to enter a new password. That’s it. You can now log in with your new password.

If you do not receive the email with your temporary password within 24 hours, please send an email to support@gotgame.com, listing both your username and the email address on file with GotGame. Please make “Lost Password” the subject line of the email.

I forgot my username, password and email I registered with. What do I do?

Please send an email to support@gotgame.com with your first name, last name, your hometown, birthday, and the last time you think you used GotGame LIVE. We will use this to verify your identity Please make the subject line of the email “Lost Username and Password.”

We will respond to you at the email address that is on file with your username, along with a temporary password. We try to respond to all login information requests within 24 hours.

Can I have more than one LIVE username?

Absolutely. We support multiple personalities and the need to express each. To get a new one, simply register for another account with a new username.

However, we cannot transfer your friend list or profile information to the new account, so you will have to add all your old friends and enter your profile information all over again.

We also require one unique email per account, for validation purposes.

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Privacy

Does GotGame share my email address or other personal information?

Under no circumstances will we ever share your email address or any other personal information. Your information is all maintained in GotGame’s secure database.

If you would like to learn more about how GotGame handles personal information, you should review our Privacy Policy.

When I type in my friends’ email addresses to invite them to use GotGame, will you spam them with future emails?

No. After sending out an invite using an email address that you provide, we do not store that email for later use.

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Adding Friends

How do I add friends to my Friends List?

You can add friends to your Friends List by sending “Friend Requests.”
Click on the “Find Friend” button in the “Action Bar” on the Friends List. You can use this to search for other LIVE members to add as friends by name, email address, or LIVE username. Then you can click on any of the users listed in the search results and add them as friends.

Your friend will be sent a request. If they confirm you as a friend, both of you will be added to each other’s Friends List.

If they reject, you will be Blocked from that user (you cannot see if they are online) and either allowed to IM them in the future, or never IM them (your message is never delivered).

If you have added another LIVE user as a friend and they have not yet appeared in your Friend List, then it is likely that the user has not yet approved your “Friend Request.” Maybe they never will, but GotGame is not responsible for making people like you.

How do I remove friends from my Friends List?

If you ever want to remove a friend from the Friends List, then highlight that friend’s username and click the “Remove Friend” button in the Action Bar. Ending friendships, one click at a time.

Is there an easy way to invite friends to join LIVE?

Inviting friends to join LIVE is a breeze. All you need to do is click on the “Find Friends” button on the Friend List tab on the application, put their email in the field, then click on the “Invite” button.

Your LIVE username is automatically included in the invitation so that your friend can easily add you to his or her Friends List after joining.

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Voice Chat

How do I use LIVE’s voice chat feature?

First and foremost, you must have a working microphone and speakers or headset. Headsets are best (as speakers will give voice feedback to the mic). USB headsets are even better than 2 wire speaker/microphone plug-ins.

Be sure to plug in your voice system before you start the GotGame application.

Both Instant Message and Group Chat support voice. With IM, you have to initiate the voice chat by pressing the Connect Voice button at the bottom of the window. This requires the other party to accept the voice connection before it happens.

Group Chat automatically initiates voice chat.

You can stop using the chat feature by pressing Disconnect Voice, next to Connect Voice. And you can re-connect voice simply by clicking Connect Voice.

How do I test my microphone?

Since microphone and speaker volume levels can vary widely, it a good idea to test both levels before starting a voice chat. Go to the Options tab, select the “General Action” button, and click the “Test Microphone” button.

You will enter an IM chat window, with instructions to speak into the mic to hear your own voice. You should change the levels on the lower corner – red is the Mic level (move so your voice is strong but not garbled), Green is your speaker volume. Close the IM when you are done setting your levels. These will be saved to your computer.

If you need to, you can make changes when you are in the IM and Group Chat rooms in the same way; but make small changes, the sliders are very sensitive.

Want to voice chat with more than one person? See How do I create a Group Chat room?

Why do I hear my voice echoing on my headphones when I voice chat with someone?

It is likely you’re hearing the reverberation of your own voice being picked up by their microphone. The friend you are voice chatting with probably has loud headphones and a sensitive microphone, usually off their head (so the mic can hear the speakers much easier).

The best way to fix this is to have your friend reduce both their headphone volume and reduce the microphone’s sensitivity. If this still doesn’t help, you may want to mute one of you, and resort to typing.

Can I engage in multiple voice chats at once?

Since only one chat channel can be active at once, you will be given a choice to keep the voice where you are at, or disconnect and move to a new voice channel.

If you decide to go from one Group Chat to another, the first Group Chat channel will close automatically (this is planned to change in the future.)

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Chat Rooms

How do I create a Group Chat room?

IM is for one-to-one text and voice chats. If you want to have more than one person join the conversation, you need to enter a Group Chat room.

Every member of GotGame has their own personal chat room that their friends can access. Go to your Friends tab, and either select the ‘Enter Your Chat Room’ Action button, or click on a friend and the ‘Join a Friend’s Room’ Action button. You will then enter that person’s Group Chat room.

You may want to IM other friends to tell them where you are at, so they can join you.

What is considered ‘inappropriate behavior’ in a Group Chat room?

Members should consult GotGame’s Terms and Conditions as a guide for basic rules of conduct regarding the entire LIVE online experience. General chat room rules follow the basic tenets of human decency—don’t flame anyone maliciously; don’t spout off racist, bigoted or obviously offensive phrases; and don’t spam other players with WoW gold farming sites or GotGame’s CEO will personally kick your ass.

What can I do if another user in a Group Chat room is using ‘inappropriate behavior’?

If someone makes you feel uncomfortable in a Group Chat room, then you should contact an Administrator and describe the problem.

There are three types of Group Chat room management roles in GotGame LIVE:
• Administrators – These are members of GotGame’s staff, each of whom has a username that begins with “GG.” If you click on the “Find Friends” button and search for members with a username that includes “GG,” then you can quickly find and contact an Administrator who is currently online.
• Owners – These are the users who created the Group Chat room.
• Moderators – These are other members who are appointed by Administrators or Owners.

All three Group Chat management roles may do the following to other chat room users, as well as to other management roles of a lesser rank (e.g., Owners may do the following to Moderators):

• Kick User – This removes the user from the room for 30 seconds; they may re-enter after that. This is used as a warning.
• Ban User – This removes the user from the room permanently, and adds that user to the Banned List.
• Grant/Revoke Moderator status – Administrators and Owners can do this to other Moderators and users. (Currently, this status takes effect after the user leaves the room.)

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Blocking Other Users

How do I block another LIVE user from messaging me?

If someone is spamming you, using offensive language, or otherwise abusing their ability to message you, then you can block that user from communicating with you.

Since only Friends can IM each other on GotGame, go to the Friends List, select the user, and select the “Ban User” button on the Action bar.

This user can no longer see your online status (you are shown as offline). If they try to email you again, you can chose to ignore this message, or automatically ignore all messages in the future.

How do I unblock another user whom I have blocked?

Go to the Options tab, select Unblock User, select the user, select the X in the circle, and the user will be unblocked.

That user can now see your online status and send you IMs, as well as Friend Requests.

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Playing Videos

My game slows down while playing videos in game. Is there anything that I can do to raise my game’s frame rate?

Newer computers with PCI-E video cards will have an easier time running games and playing videos in-game at the same time

Older machines with lower video card throughput or slower CPUs will see a more noticeable change in framerate. Also, if you have a low download bandwidth rate (for whatever reason), this will affect your video viewing.

If you are unhappy with your framerate while watching a video in game, then you should try the following:
• Ensure you are getting a good internet bandwidth speed for download (over 500bps)
• Lower the resolution of your game (this will have the extra effect of making the GotGame windows larger in game)
• Lower the special effects of your game (e.g., Anti-Aliasing, Isotropic Sampling, Texture Memory)
• Reduce the bit rate of the video player (which can also reduce the size)
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Uploading Videos

How do I upload videos to my LIVE mini-profile?

Right now, you can only upload videos through GotGame’s website. After you log in, click on the “Upload Videos” link in the upper left hand corner of the page.

Later on, you will also be able to upload them via the LIVE application.

What is the maximum video size that I can upload?

The current limit is 1 GB.

How many videos can I display on my LIVE mini-profile?

You can upload a maximum of ten videos to your mini-profile. The maximum data storage for videos is 5 GB.

How do I delete videos that I previously uploaded?

You can delete videos through GotGame’s website.

After you log in, click on the “My Videos” link to the left of the logout button. Then, find the video that you want to delete and click “Edit.” On the edit details page, click “Delete” and your video will be removed from the database.

Later on, you will also be able to delete them via the LIVE application.

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Video Recording

How do I record gameplay videos?

The GotGame LIVE application currently does not have its own in-game video recording functionality (this will be released later, during Closed Beta).

However, for now, you can use Fraps to record your in-game play. Fraps is a Windows application that has many uses, including:
- Benchmarking Software - Show how many Frames Per Second (FPS) you are getting in a corner of your screen. Perform custom benchmarks and measure the frame rate between any two points. Save the statistics out to disk and use them for your own reviews and applications.
- Screen Capture Software - Take a screenshot with the press of a key! There’s no need to paste into a paint program every time you want a new shot. Your screen captures are automatically named and timestamped.
- Realtime Video Capture Software - Have you ever wanted to record video while playing your favorite game? Throw away the VCR, forget about using a DV cam, game recording has never been this easy! Fraps can capture audio and video up to 2560×1600 with custom frame rates from 10 to 100 frames per second!

Download Fraps here.

See a video of how Fraps works here.

Please note that Fraps records all on-screen content. If you have the LIVE application visible, it will be recorded.
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Supported Games

What games does LIVE support?

During our Closed Beta, we are gathering information on what games work flawlessly, and what games we need to tweak. We need your help.

Please tell us in the New Games Forum if you have tested games that work, which are not listed below or if you have a game that does not work with LIVE that you would like us to support.

Please tell us in the Technical Support Forum if you have tested games that work for us, but not for you.

The following games have been tested by our staff to work with the LIVE overlay technology:
Most Popular Games
• World of Warcraft
• Call of Duty 2 (not on menu screens)
• Counter-Strike: Source
• Guild Wars
• Diablo 2
• Age of Conan
• Team Fortress 2

Other Games
• Call of Duty
• Galactic Assault
• Half-Life 2
• Halo: Combat Evolved
• Neverwinter Nights
• Neverwinter Nights 2
• Portal
• Warhammer 40K

Does LIVE support mods and expansion packs?

We support any mods and expansion packs for supported games.

If you experience any technical problems with a game that we support, please let us know through the Technical Support Forum, and be sure to mention all modifications you have made to the game.

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Transparency Slider

How can I see more through the application?

We built LIVE so that it impacts your game play as much or as little as you want. Depending on what game you are playing and your gaming style, you may want to make the application interfaces almost totally see-through, or view them in all of their colorful glory.

In the bottom right hand corner of every application interface is a blue transparency slider that can change LIVE’s translucency. This is equally translucent on the desktop and in game.

You can change the global transparency with hot keys in game (default mapped to F4 and F5).

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Screen Freezes

What can I do if LIVE crashes on my machine?

This is our Closed Beta testing period. Crashes should be expected, as we are trying to make a brand new service as compatible as possible with the myriad of PC hardware, software and configurations available.

Please make sure to record any problems you are having on our Technical Support Forum. See this forum for the best way to report bugs. The more detailed your report, the faster we can fix them for everyone.

However, some bugs are system independent. If you seem to be having more issues than others, you may want to consider the following:
• Make sure you have at least 5 GB available on your hard drive for the OS to do its work
• Make sure you have the latest drivers and updates for your hardware and OS
• Defrag your system and scan for disk errors
• Pull out programs that are loading up without any real benefit
• Run a virus checker

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Account Deletion

How do I cancel my LIVE account?

Currently, there is no manner by which users can cancel or delete their accounts themselves. Remember — this is a free program!

However, if you would like to delete your LIVE account, then please email support@gotgame.com with “Account Deletion” as the subject line.

We will handle “Account Deletion” requests within three business days.

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Team GotGame & e-Sports Sponsorships

What is Team GotGame?

In order to support and share the experience of competitive gaming with as many players possible, GotGame sponsors a number of professional e-sports teams within our most popular games. We send our sponsored teams to the largest competitions in the U.S., provide them with the gear needed to pwn, and publicize their victories on GotGame News.

What e-sports teams does GotGame currently sponsor?

GotGame is currently sponsoring two World of Warcraft teams, GotGame East and GotGame West. Both teams attended MLG Orlando in July, with GotGame West placing a very impressive fourth, and GotGame East tunneling through to a seventh place finish.

Can my e-sports team apply for a sponsorship?

If your team would like to apply for a sponsorship, then please email our Sponsorship Manager. In order to be considered for a sponsorship, we ask that you include the following information: player bios, recent tournament history, how long the team has been competing professionally, and contact information for your team’s captain.

We will contact your team’s captain if we feel that your team is a strong fit for our sponsorship program.

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Credits

Created and Developed by Genesis Interactive, Inc.

Chief Executive Officer – Win Betteridge
VP of Marketing – David Hua
Chief Operating Officer – Tony Van
VP of Business Development – Andrew Textor
VP of Public Relations – Jillian Werner

GotGame LIVE Application

Original Concept – Win Betteridge
Lead Design - Tony Van
Additional Design – Zain Ali, Zack Packard
Engineering Manager: Tony Van
Lead Technical Engineer – Randal Crookes
Lead Server Engineer – Igor Kaplounenko
Lead Client Engineer – Sara Kwong
Client Engineer – Kyle Shipley
Art – Zain Ali
Lead Testers – Claudia Ng, Allen Wang
Additional Testing – Linda Liu, Fred Hwang, Stephanie Tran, Chris Carlsson

Additional Development & Partnerships

D3 Asia
President – Mathew Heller
Project Manager - Hoang Bui
Client Engineer –Binh Nguyen

X-Minds Pvt, Ltd
Director of Business Development – Ram Govind Narayan
Chief Technical Officer - Jagadeesh

Vivox, Inc.
VP of Sales - Rick Frye
Sr Dir of Professional Services – Dave Veratti
Product Support – Jason Leggett, Jarrod McLean, Ryan Skadberg

Layer Dynamics
President – Eric Darst
Engineers – Chris Black, Lee Lemon
Sales – Eric Wytiaz

GotGame Web Site

Design – Win Betteridge
Web Developers - Sam Choi, Jonathan Joines
Art - Zain Ali, Dom Salbatera
News Editor in Chief – Jillian Werner
Associate News Editor – Carlos Cajilig

GotGameU: Interns and Graduates

Aaron Polczynski
Allen Wang
Andrea Krantz
Adam Greenberg
Britney Zilz
Bryan Harrington
Carlos Ascencio-Schmidt
Carlos Cajilig
Chris Carlsson
Christopher Rajki
Claudia Ng
Curtis Johnson
Dana Peterson
Dave Lee
Dom Salbatera
Douglas Clark
Edan Bowers
Eric Chu
Errol Lee
Floyd Spain
Fred Hwang
Gediminas Rapalis
George Gill
Glen Castillo
Graham Bennett
Hans Hess
James LaPoint
Jason Kim
Jeff Chan
Jessica Muhlbier
Jillian Werner
Jonathan Joines
Justin Massoud
Kit Blanke
Linda Liu
Matt Benoit
Matt Miller
Nick Harris
Ryan Ouradnik
Ryan Riggen
Ryan Skinner
Sam Choi
Sarah Bronson
Shawn Frunk
Stephanie Tran
Thomas Rowland
Tim Bavlnka
Tyler Deimling
Wilson Chiu
Zack Packard
Zain Ali

If you are interested in joining the GotGameU revolution, apply for our internship program here.

Special Thanks

Adobe & the AIR platform team, Randi Harper, Tribal DDB, Alan Rodriguez, Jason Katz, Jeff Beier, Michael Reilly, Ed Burgueno, Jeff Gentry, Mark McKinney, GotGame Radio, Steve Masters, Nick Huggett, LeetTube.com, Chris Portscheller, Eric Sullivan, Ubequity Capital Partners, Renah Persofsky, Paul Heney, Karen Basian, Rick Weil, Roger Ehrenberg, Dave Horowitz, Steve Seiler, Josh Pincus, Dave Morin, and all 48 of our incredibly supportive angel investors.

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