A file repository website run by the clearly evil GameSpy Industries. Their stock in trade (provision of all the latest game demos and other tech toys) naturally requires huge amounts of bandwidth and storage space, which naturally costs a great deal of money. As an upshot of this, they have tried everything in their power to make their site a horrible, money-grubbing ordeal. (Kind of like Penny Arcade in fact. Hmm.)

If you are unlucky enough to need a file that they host (that for some reason isn't on WinMX / Morpheus / Gnutella yet), you get the option to use one of their "public servers" (which can entail queueing - but these days usually doesn't, as most people have gotten wise to FilePlanet's awfulness) or if you fill in a length registration form all but selling your soul to their advertisers, you get to use a supposedly faster "personal server".

Mix in a healthy dose of Flash animation, javascript, popups, click-throughs and sound effects (yes, really), not to mention GameSpy's obligitory ugly Penny Arcade artwork, and you have an experience that makes you seriously question whether it's worth downloading the latest patch for the prerelease demo of Kick Their F-ing Heads In II Turbo Revival Edition.

It was all so simple in the old days. Come back FTP.CDROM.COM, all is forgiven.

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