Jump to content
Sign in to follow this  
Plok

GameSpy multiplayer servers to shut down in two months!

Recommended Posts

Hundreds of video games -- including those made by EA, Ubisoft, Gearbox, Nintendo, Konami, Capcom, 5th Cell, Koei, Firaxis, and more -- may be taken offline as Glu's GameSpy multiplayer servers shut down on May 31.

 

GameSpy was a third-party technology used by publishers and developers to host online services. It was acquired by Glu from IGN in 2012. At the time, Glu CEO Niccolo de Masi said, "We expect that the acquisition of GameSpy will be earnings neutral in the near term. However, GameSpy team and technology is expected to help us drive higher monetization and lifetime value in Glu's titles from 2013 on."

 

Notable titles included under GameSpy's multiplayer servers included, at one point, Red Dead Redemption, Civilization IV, Grand Theft Auto IV, SEGA & Sonic All-Stars Racing, and Borderlands.

 

Different publishers are handling the shutdown in different ways. Recently, Nintendo explained that it would abandon hundreds of Nintendo Wi-Fi games, as the titles relied on the same servers. Some publishers will follow suit, as it may not be financially viable to support long-forgotten or unplayed games. Others have already migrated their online services to new servers, including Steamworks.

 

Sources confirmed to IGN that Rockstar Games' titles will remain unaffected, as Glu has been working with developers for approximately two years to transition their games from GameSpy to other online servers.

 

We've contacted multiple developers and publishers asking about contingency plans to keep their games from going offline permanently.

 

EA, Ubisoft, and Capcom did not respond to our requests for comments. Gearbox pointed us to 2K Games, which declined to say anything. We will update this article with any additional information we receive.

 

You can view the complete list of affected games on GameSpy's tech website.

 

Comments:

Activision: "Activision won't be affected."

 

Bohemia: "Yes, we are aware of GameSpy issue and we are very near to [finding] some suitable solution, but I cant tell you more details at the moment."

 

Capcom: "There are a few titles for which Capcom utilizes GameSpy’s matchmaking services for online gameplay. We are evaluating migration solutions and will have more information in the near future. Please check back on www.capcom-unity.com for updates."

 

http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/04/03/gamespy-multiplayer-shutting-down-hundreds-of-games-at-risk

 

For C&C, this means the closure of servers for Generals, Zero Hour, Tiberium Wars, Kane's Wrath and Red Alert 3 (not sure who holds Tiberian Twilight) unless an urgent server move is made. Seeing how so many games are hosted on the same server platforms, that'll be quite a job.

Edited by Plokite_Wolf

Share this post


Link to post

There goes Battlefield 1942, Battlefield Vietnam, Battlefield 2 and Battlefield 2142 :(

Edited by Tore

Share this post


Link to post

I say that all past and recent EA games should go to EA's Origin for MP rather than using a third-party server.

Share this post


Link to post

That's even worse. For one thing, you'd HAVE to have an Origin account for them all, even though many of them were released before Origin came to be. Seeing how many people tend to avoid Origin, I wouldn't go for that.

 

For another, the servers would be specially vulnerable to EA's shifty nature.

Edited by Plokite_Wolf

Share this post


Link to post

If the demand is high enough, the LameSpy servers will get replaced and people will just be migrated over.

Share this post


Link to post

Old games are old. This kind of thing is to be expected I suppose.

Share this post


Link to post

GameReplays.org is directing players on the official servers to GameRanger, while tournament hosting methods are still being considered.

 

http://www.gamereplays.org/kaneswrath/portals.php?show=page&name=gamespy-shutdown-announce

http://www.gamereplays.org/kaneswrath/portals.php?show=page&name=hosting-alternatives-tw-kw

Share this post


Link to post

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
Sign in to follow this  

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    No registered users viewing this page.

×