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What is GameSpot Complete?
As the name implies, GameSpot Complete has it all. It is our no-compromise, no-holds-barred gaming service, and it offers complete and easy access to all GameSpot content.
GameSpot Complete members get unlimited high-speed downloads, streaming video, admission to high-quality message boards, top priority for customer support, the ability to post full Reader Reviews, GameSpot Ice, and a version of the site with no invasive ads. In short, everything.
Wow. What does this kind of access cost?
Not much. For just $6.95, you can sign up for a monthly account to see if GameSpot Complete is right for you. Or you can take the plunge and get a full year of GameSpot Complete for a mere $29.95. These prices are about the same as printed gaming magazine prices.
Sounds great. How do I sign up for GameSpot Complete?
That's easy! Just Click Here to create your very own account.
How will I know what is free and what is not free?
To keep things clear, all locked GameSpot Complete content is tagged with a red padlock. Easy. And once you log in to GameSpot Complete, the red padlocks disappear.
What about new features?
We add new features all the time. As a GameSpot Complete member, you get access the moment a new feature becomes available.
What is GameSpot Ice?
GameSpot Ice is a cool, light-background version of GameSpot. Practically the entire GameSpot site has been rebuilt on an icy-cool background to ease those bloodshot eyes. Best of all, you can instantly turn it on or off with one easy click.
Who gets GameSpot Ice?
Only GameSpot Complete subscribers get access to GameSpot Ice.
How do I sign up for GameSpot Complete?
That's easy! Just visit the GameSpot Complete sign up page to create your very own account.
Is my personal information secure?
Yes. Your security is our top priority. Our secure server will encrypt your information when you sign up, including your credit card number, name, and address, so that it cannot be read as it travels over the Internet.
After I sign up, I get this e-mail saying I must confirm my registration. Do I really have to do this?
Yes. You must confirm your account registration in order to activate your account. To confirm your registration, simply click on the link in the registration confirmation e-mail.
What happens if I don't confirm my registration?
If you do not confirm your registration, your account's status will remain pending and your registration with GameSpot will not be activated.
I never got my registration confirmation e-mail (or I threw it out as junk mail). Now what?
Easy. Simply visit our Login page. Enter your login info, then, on the subsequent page, confirm your personal information and click on the Update button. The system will then automatically send you another confirmation e-mail.
How do I log in to GameSpot Complete?
Easy. Simply log in via the login box on the top right of most any GameSpot page.
Will I see ads on GameSpot until I log in?
Yes.
How can I avoid seeing intrusive ad units before logging in?
If you are a GameSpot Complete member, you can bypass GameSpot ads by typing the following address into your Web browser: http://complete.gamespot.com/
Once you enter your login information, you will be taken to the GameSpot home page without seeing any ads. To avoid seeing intrusive ad units, we recommend that you bookmark this address as your new GameSpot home page.
Note: Your Web browser must be set to accept cookies if you wish to access GameSpot Complete content (all browsers are set this way when first installed).
What if my browser blocks cookies?
If you've set your browser to block third-party cookies, you should know that GameSpot Complete requires that a single cookie be installed.
These cookies record your login information and provide you with trouble-free access to the GameSpot Complete service. If your browser is currently set to block incoming cookies, please add "www.gamespot.com" to the exception list.
Internet Explorer 6.0 users: To add GameSpot Complete to your exception list, go to Tools and then select Internet Options. Under the Privacy tab, click on Edit. Add "www.gamespot.com" and then select Allow.
My browser accepts cookies, but I'm having trouble logging in. What's going on?
Most likely your Web browser is incompatible with the GameSpot login cookie. We go to great lengths to ensure that each and every major browser type and version works with GameSpot Complete, but certain browsers are not compatible. These are intractable bugs on the browser side. The known problem browsers and version are:
- Netscape 4.7
- WebTV
- Explorer 5.x and 6.x
- Explorer version 6.026.0000.xpclient
- Explorer version 6.0
To see which version of the browser you are using, click on the Help button in the top-level browser menu. In the pull-down menu that appears, locate and click on the About link (usually found at the bottom of the menu).
Users who can't login to GameSpot using IE 5.x or IE 6.x:
We recommend you:
1. Upgrade to IE6.
2. Open IE. Go to "help", and then "about internet explorer". You will need to determine the "cipher strength" of the browser (the second line, just below the version number). The browser's cipher strength needs to be 128-bit. If the cipher strength is not 128-bit, you should update your browsers accordingly. You can get the appropriate upgrades from Microsoft.com. Once the upgrade is installed, you should have no trouble accessing the https page.
Users of Explorer version 6.026.0000.xpclient should go to "tools", "options", "internet privacy", and set to medium for cookies security privacy.
Users of Explorer version 6.0 using Windows 2000 with Service Pak 2 should go to "tools", "options", "advanced", and check "disable script debugging".
If you have any further questions or concerns about your ability (or inability) to log in to GameSpot, please Contact Us.
My browser is compatible with the GameSpot Complete login cookie, but I still can't log in. What else?
Check to make certain your computer's date and time are correct. The GameSpot Complete login cookie is very date-sensitive, and if your computer's date and time are inaccurate, then you could experience login problems. Once you are certain your computer's date and time are correct, close your browsers, open them back up, and try to log in again. You may have to restart your computer for the date-and-time changes to take effect. If you're not sure how to alter your computer's date and time, please consult your computer's (or operation system's) user manual.
Are there any other known login problems and fixes?
Security Level Settings - Internet Explorer
Setting too high of a security level on your browser can block login access to GameSpot Complete. Therefore, we recommend you set your browser's security level to Medium. The Medium setting is the default setting on the most popular Web browsers.
In addition to setting your security level to Medium, we also recommend you turn off JavaScript debugging (doing so is harmless to you). Here's how: In the browser's menu bar, go to Tools, select Internet Options, and then click on Advanced. In the Advanced pane, check "Disable script debugging." Hit the Apply button, then OK.
Cypher Strength - Internet Explorer
GameSpot requires 128-bit encryption to access its secure pages. We use this high encryption level for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is to protect the integrity of each user's personal information. If your browser's cipher strength is not 128-bit, you will probably not be able to log in to GameSpot Complete, nor will you be able to access secure GameSpot pages. To determine your browser's encryption level, open your IE browser, go to Help, and then select About Internet Explorer. In the About Internet Explorer pane, you'll find the cipher strength rating of the browser (it's on the second line, just below the version number). ] If your browser is not using 128-bit encryption, we recommend you get the appropriate upgrade, available from Microsoft.com.
If you continue to have login problems, please Contact Us.
Does GameSpot support less popular or in-development browsers (Opera, Grail, Mozilla, and so on)?
No. These "off-brand" or "in-development" browsers might work just fine with GameSpot Complete, but because GameSpot does not directly support them, certain pages may appear to contain broken elements or designs. Moreover, while using these browsers, you may not be able to log in to GameSpot or use other GameSpot Complete services.
I've tried everything, but I still can't log in to GameSpot. What else?
It's quite possible that the GameSpot Complete cookie is not setting correctly on your computer. Firewall software, file-sharing software, and upgraded "nonstandard" browsers, among other things, can cause the GameSpot Complete cookie to not set correctly, or not set at all. That said, point your browser to http://perl.gamespot.com/perl/showcookie.cgi and then simply copy what it displays on your browser (your browser should return a screen with a bunch of code on it--it's this code we need to see) and send it to us Here.
Doing this won't solve the problem directly, but it will give us a good idea of what's going on. And, if we determine that the GameSpot Complete cookie is setting correctly, then we will work closely with you to solve the problem as best we can.
When I log in, sometimes images don't load properly. What's going on?
The good news is that this is not a login problem, but an image-serving problem. This problem seems to be isolated to Internet Explorer 5.5. Due to the manner in which GameSpot serves images and the way IE5.5 works, on occasion the images will fail to load properly. There are two known ways to address this problem: After logging in, "refresh" your browser. Refreshing the browser oftentimes will cause the images to load properly. Or you can simply upgrade to the latest version of Internet Explorer.
To see which version of Internet Explorer you are using, click on the Help button in the top-level browser menu. In the pull-down menu that appears, locate and click on the About link (usually found at the bottom of this menu).
If you have any further image-loading problems when you log in to GameSpot, please Contact Us.
I can't view screenshots on GameSpot. Screens on every other Internet site I visit are OK. What's going on?
Chances are that ad blocking or firewall software on your computer is blocking them. A common culprit is Kazaa Lite, which has a large list of blocked sites, including Image.com.com. GameSpot screenshots are served from Image.com.com. For assistance in unblocking Image.com.com from your ad blocking or firewall software, please consult your software's manual or publisher.
Here is one suggestion that may help:
You can remove the entry line that contains image.com.com from the hosts file. It will look something like this:
# 127.0.0.1 image.com.com
In Win 2000 the hosts file is in:
%SYSTEMDRIVE%\winnt\system32\drivers\etc\, XP is similar. Just be sure not to edit hosts.sam because it is only a sample file.
Caution: Editing your registry can cause serious problems that may require reinstalling the operating system on your PC. GameSpot (and CNET Networks) is not responsible for any problems resulting from using the Windows Registry Editor--please use it at your own risk. As well, GameSpot recommends that you back up your host file before you edit it.
What are the limitations with GameSpot Complete user names?
GameSpot Complete user names are unique. For a variety of reasons, your user name can be no longer than 15 characters, and it cannot contain punctuation marks of any kind. This means your GameSpot Compete user name can contain up to 15 letters or numbers.
If I change my GameSpot Complete user name, will my forums user name change automatically?
Yes. Also, when you change your GameSpot Complete user name, you will be logged in as a new user when you go to the forums. This means you will lose all the existing stats and preferences you set up under your old user name.
How do I change my GameSpot Complete e-mail address and other personal info?
You can change your GameSpot Complete e-mail address, or any other profile information, via the GameSpot Complete Account Management Hub Page. You have to be logged in to GameSpot Complete to access this area. Once there, click on the Modify Your Personal Profile link (you'll be asked to log in to GameSpot Complete if you aren't currently logged in). Once on the Edit Profile page, you can make any changes you need. If you have additional questions regarding the e-mail address you have on file with GameSpot Complete, please Contact Us.
How do I change my GameSpot Complete password?
You can change your GameSpot Complete password, or any other profile information, via the GameSpot Complete Account Management Hub Page . You have to be logged in to GameSpot Complete to access this area. Once there, locate the Change Password. link (you'll be asked to log in to GameSpot Complete if you aren't currently logged in). Once on the Change Password page, simply follow the directions to change your password. If you have additional questions regarding your GameSpot Complete password, please Contact Us.
How do I change my account from a monthly to yearly membership and vice versa?
Easy. Simply call our 800 number, and our customer service representatives will take care of it for you. This 800 number appears on your credit card billing statement, in the itemized billing area for "GameSpot.com." If you are unable to locate your credit card billing statement, please Contact Us. and our customer service staff will assist you.
How do I cancel my GameSpot Complete account?
To discontinue your GameSpot Complete membership, please visit our Membership Cancellation Form here.
Who can I contact if I still have questions about my GameSpot Complete membership?
For all other questions regarding your GameSpot Complete membership, please Contact Us.
