What exactly is "Hamatchi"?

[Zippoh]

are they some sort of private servers? are they legal? right now I'm kind of broke so I can't afford any games, been playing the Crysis SP demo over and over agian. Just wondering if I were to download a game and use hamatchi servers, would it still be illegal?

[Infiniti]

Hamachi is sort of a program which connects computers together through the internet, and it basically makes it function as a LAN.

This might help explain it: Hamachi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[enaberif]

Hamachi is a VPN software.

[Alwaysrun]

It's a IPX/SPX to TCP/IP converter program or Virtual private network. It basically simulates network communications to access remote systems over the internet as if they were hard wired in a local network. These types of programs have been around for a very long time in hacked gaming communities. Previous blizzard games used to use a similar IPX/SPX converter program called BNETd (BattleNet Daemon) and later many other types of sneaky pirate assisting programs like Himatchi were used to bypass distinctive key logging cetralized multiplayer servers to connect ip to ip. I've been know to on occasion to use one called Kahn but I believe it's now no longer supported. Neat idea and many people use Himatchi now but truthfully they are a real pain in the arse and you still need to know private servers you want to connect to. Best to just play on legit servers properly as theres less problems and way way more servers to choose from.

And to answer your question yes it is illegal to use any third party program to alter netcode for any game. Check out any retail game you have and there will most likely be a section on Network spoofing and it is 100% against EULA (end user license aggreement).

Hope that answers your question

[Chilly]

Basically what Alwaysrun has said is correct, but thats not to say the program isn't useful among friends.

Makes it easy to share files, and set up random gaming sessions easily since the networking portion acts like a LAN.

[belgolas]

Just buy the game and support the developers.

[enaberif]

Originally Posted by belgolas

Just buy the game and support the developers.

Ok seriously.. wtf.

Its not a game.

[Jonwall]

Originally Posted by enaberif

Ok seriously.. wtf.

Its not a game.

He was referring to crysis

been playing the Crysis SP demo over and over agian. Just wondering if I were to download a game and use hamatchi servers, would it still be illegal?

And downloading and playing the game IS still illegal, the use of hamachi however is not.

[Chilly]

Originally Posted by enaberif

Ok seriously.. wtf.

Its not a game.

I think his comment is targeted at the OP.

That being said, while I'm sure Hamatchi is used to play many pirated games, like I said, its not the purpose I, and many others use it for. Most people use it for easy filesharing, and games that are simpler to play/set up over lan than the internet(AoE2 anyone? That game's multiplayer seems to ONLY work in a LAN enviroment ).

[belgolas]

Yeah I was referring to the OP. I also think AOE2 was pretty hard to set up a good multi but thankfully AOE3 is easy.