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Steam's revamped privacy features put an end to Steam Spy
Given how much the tech industry is being pressured to protect user privacy, it makes sense that gaming companies would get roped in, too. The pre-eminent platform Steam just overhauled its privacy settings with more detailed descriptions of what information is being shared. Players can now control how the public views their information, like achievements and playtime. But it also made their libraries hidden by default. Unfortunately, this means industry-tracking services like Steam Spy have essentially been locked out of crucial data they need to exist.
Unreal Tournament 3, STALKER games update following GameSpy shutdown
Developers continue to scramble to update their legacy products in the wake of GameSpy's recent server shutdown, with Unreal Tournament 3 and the STALKER trilogy emerging as the latest games to update in order to maintain online play. Epic Games has released a replacement executable for Unreal Tournament 3 that redirects online play requests to the game's new in-house master server. The fix works for both the retail and Steam versions of the game, and requires players to re-register their previous user names. The remaining developers at shuttered studio GSC Game World have also launched their own dedicated server for the STALKER series, releasing a series of patches with updated multiplayer clients for Shadow of Chernobyl, Clear Sky, and Call of Pripyat. Steam players will receive all needed updates automatically. [Image: Epic Games]
The Game Archaeologist: The persistent worlds of Neverwinter Nights 1 & 2
At the end of next month, dozens of online worlds will flicker and vanish with the flip of a switch. It's a online apocalypse the likes of which we have not seen in quite some time, although you might be forgiven for not having heard of it before now. When GameSpy Technology goes offline on May 31st, dozens of EA games that relied on the platform for multiplayer functionality will lose their online components by June 30th. Because of this, Neverwinter Nights and Neverwinter Nights 2 will find that their persistent player-made and -run worlds are in danger. For over a decade now, players have poured creative energies and roleplaying enthusiasm into these micro-MMOs. Could an era be about to end? Fortunately, players are already swinging into action to work around the shutdown, keeping their worlds alive and detached from GameSpy's umbilical cord. I see this event as a wake-up call for people like yours truly who are acquainted primarily with BioWare and Obsidian's single-player offerings and are ignorant of the larger Neverwinter Nights community out there. Let's take a look at this engrossing online realm and how it came to be.
GameSpy updates: Halo CE to get official patch, Lost Planet 3 evacuating
GameSpy's imminent shutdown means some games are going to lose online functionality in the coming weeks, but Halo: Combat Evolved on PC isn't one of them. Last week we reported third party GameRanger was stepping in with support, but now it turns out an official patch is on the way, preserving the shooter's Internet Lobby and online multiplayer. The patch will relocate the Lobby to a server created by a small group of Halo fans. The group's efforts were backed by Bungie, and it's the developer who will host the new server and release the patch "soon," no doubt much to the appreciation of the Halo community. There's good news from Capcom too, with Lost Planet 3 migrating to a new service to retain its online multiplayer across all platforms. Similarly, Street Fighter 3: Third Strike Online Edition and Marvel vs. Capcom Origins have already migrated without issues. However, two of the studio's games will lose their online features when GameSpy's service shuts down on May 31, namely Age of Booty and Flock. The two games join a growing list of games affected by the closure, including 50 from EA alone. Going by a removed Microsoft support article, Games for Windows Live's service may follow GameSpy out the door soon after, taking another whole chunk of games with it. [Image: Bungie]
50 EA games going offline due to GameSpy shutdown
EA's efforts to transition its GameSpy-based games have been in vain, after the publisher revealed 50 of its titles are going offline once the matchmaking service shuts down. Not only is it a big list of games, but it includes casualties like Battlefield 2142 for PC and Mac, and Star Wars: Battlefront on PC and PS2. Other games on the list include Battlefield 2 (PC), Command and Conquer 3 (PC and Mac), C&C Generals (PC and Mac), Red Alert 3 (PC and Mac), Crysis (PC), Crysis: Wars (PC), Crysis 2 (PC), Medal of Honor: Allied Assault (PC and Mac), Neverwinter Nights (PC, Mac and Linux) Neverwinter Nights 2 (PC and Mac), and Star Wars Battlefront 2 (PC and PS2). EA's service site has the full list of affected games, all of which lose their online services on June 30. "Unfortunately, due to technical challenges and concerns about the player experience, we do not have a solution at this time," EA said on its service page. The company noted some of the games retain sizable audiences, and it's "investigating community-supported options" in a bid to retain online functionality. However: "Significant technical hurdles remain, and at this time we don't have anything to announce." If EA doesn't come through, users may turn to services like GameRanger, which provides server support for some of the games in question. However, for many games it'll likely be so long and thanks for all the online fun soon after GameSpy's services go dark on May 31. [Image: EA]
Halo: Combat Evolved multiplayer lives on with GameRanger
The PC versions of Halo: Combat Evolved, its demo and Halo: Custom Edition are now playable through the third-party matchmaking and online gaming program GameRanger. Halo was slated to suffer loss of online functionality when GameSpy's matchmaking services go dark on May 31. GameRanger began in 1999 and supports nearly 700 PC games and just under 200 for Mac. Prior to the news of GameSpy's impending shutdown, which also affects games like Crysis and Crysis 2, the Australia-based company announced that it achieved five million registered PC users in March. GameRanger picked up other games whose servers got the ax, such as 2005's Need for Speed: Most Wanted in August 2011. Grand Theft Auto 4 and Red Dead Redemption will remain mostly unaffected by the closure of GameSpy's online services, though other Rockstar games will suffer. EA announced last month that it was working to transition its older Battlefield games to its own Origin service. [Image: Microsoft]
GTA 4, Red Dead multiplayer gameplay unaffected by GameSpy closure
Rockstar's collection of games are some of the many to be affected by GameSpy's closure next month, although for the most part the studio's latest releases won't suffer. Rockstar plans to transition out of GameSpy's matchmaking service when it closes on May 31, and for some of the studio's older games, that will signal the end for their online features. The closure means Rockstar is removing all the online features from Midnight Club 3: Dub Edition and Dub Edition Remix, Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars on DS and PSP, and Beaterator. The racers are losing all online multiplayer as a result, while Chinatown Wars and Beaterator are dropping their Social Club features. The music mixing game is also ditching track uploading and downloading. No surprises: Grand Theft Auto 5 is totally unaffected, and online multiplayer gameplay remains intact in GTA 4, too. However, GTA 4 is dropping multiplayer leaderboards on PS3, while all platforms are parting with Social Club stat tracking and leaderboards. By the by, all of that also goes for the Complete version of GTA 4 and the Episodes from Liberty City.
GTA V will survive GameSpy's server shutdown, but Rockstar's older games aren't as lucky
Since GameSpy announced that it was shuttering its online mulitplayer services come May 31st, a few companies have adressed how their respective legacy games would keep functioning in the future. Rockstar Games has recently come out with its two-years-in-the-making solution, and, well, there's a direct relationship between how old a game is and the number of features it'll lose. With last year's Grand Theft Auto V, there's nothing to worry about -- it's business as usual for players as the outfit converts to its own system for hosting online services like multiplayer and progression tracking. Internet play will remain intact for Red Dead Redemption (posse up!) and Grand Theft Auto IV, but online stat-tracking and leaderboards -- and "in-game Social Club services," for the former -- hosted via the Rockstar Social Club won't.
2K Games tries to save Civilization, Borderlands from GameSpy server shutdown
Gamespy's impending server shut-down might be cutting off Wii and DS multiplayer at the head, but not all games have to suffer this fate: PC publishers are starting to migrate their multiplayer servers to new platforms. Three of EA's Battlefield games are already slated for transition, and now, so are two of 2K Games' biggest franchises: Civilization and Borderlands. On May 31st, Civilization III, IV (and their expansions) and the PC version of Borderlands will all begin transitioning to Steamworks, temporarily disrupting online services for a few days.
Crysis and Crysis 2 to lose PC multiplayer with GameSpy shutdown
The PC versions of Crysis and Crysis 2 will lose multiplayer functionality when GameSpy's matchmaking services go dark on May 31. The single-player campaigns as well as the multiplayer modes for the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of both games will remain playable. "As of May 31 this year, the multiplayer modes in Crysis and Crysis 2 for PC will no longer be playable," Crytek wrote on its forums. "The conclusion of online multiplayer support comes as a result of GameSpy Technology shutting down all their hosting services. GameSpy have been providing multiplayer functionality for Crysis and Crysis 2 since they launched." GameSpy announced plans to shut down its middleware servers earlier this month, over a year after it ceased editorial production. The service began as a Quake server search program in 1996 before hosting online multiplayer for hundreds of games. EA said it will shift multiplayer for its older Battlefield games from GameSpy to Origin last week. [Image: Crytek]
EA working to shift older Battlefield games from GameSpy to Origin
Following word that the GameSpy online matchmaking service will cease to be after May 31, EA has revealed plans to move its GameSpy games to the publisher's own online service, Origin. When asked specifically about the fate of online shooters Battlefield 2, Battlefield 2142 and Battlefield: Bad Company 2, the Origin Twitter account replied with, "We're working on transitioning those games after the shut down so you'll still be able to play them." Later, IGN asked EA for clarification on its plans and were told that work is not yet complete, but more information would appear shortly. "We're working on finding a transition, but still have technical hurdles to overcome," EA said. "We will make an announcement when there is news to share." In the meantime, those hard up for a military shooter can set their sights on the more recent Battlefield 4. After six months of issues, it now works more or less as it should. [Image: EA]
EA won't let a server shutdown turn out the lights on old Battlefield games
Video games and movies crib ideas from each other quite a bit these days, but seeing Electronic Arts go back and save some of its fallen comrades is a bit unexpected. The outfit's announced that in the wake of GameSpy's back-end multiplayer tech going dark, it's transitioning three Battlefield games to different servers so they can (virtually) live to fight another day. Which ones specifically? Battlefield 2142, Battlefield 2 and the superb Battlefield Bad Company 2. As IGN notes, though, plenty of EA's games that are listed are annual sequels and may not see the same treatment. However, this shows signs that GameSpy's closure won't kill everything under its umbrella. We've reached out to EA for confirmation and a statement about why these three games were picked over others, and will update this post should we hear back. In the meantime, if you feel like celebrating, we recommend a few rounds of squad rush on "Port Valdez" -- it's good for the soul.
GameSpy online matchmaking service goes dark on May 31
GameSpy Technologies is shuttering its online matchmaking service on May 31, ending online play for more than 1,000 games that use the company's middleware. Launched as a Quake server search program in 1996, GameSpy soon branched out to host online play for hundreds of console and PC games. Many recent games with active online communities still employ GameSpy technology, including multiple titles published by Activision, Electronic Arts, Capcom, Sega, and Nintendo. Affected games will need to migrate online play to SteamWorks or other services prior to the shutdown in order to maintain multiplayer functionality. The service shutdown comes in the wake of GameSpy ceasing editorial content in 2013. Mobile games publisher Glu Mobile purchased GameSpy Technologies in 2012, later shutting down online play for several popular games without notice when developers failed to pay hosting bills. [Image: GameSpy]
Judge denies Apple and other news for April 4, 2014
Happy Friday, folks. I've just emerged from my RSS reader with these nuggets to share with you. Judge Lucy Koh denies Apple motion regarding Samsung's opening statements. Apple was not happy with opening statements made by Samsung counsel, which claimed that Apple does not use some of the patents named in the suit. Apple felt Samsung was being misleading and asked the judge for curative actions, which she denied. Members of the press got to tour Turkey's first Apple Store (Apple's 424th store overall) prior to its opening, and boy is it beautiful. I'd love to visit this location. Opening day is tomorrow. Here's a nifty fact: more glass was used in this location than any other Apple Store. The GameSpy game hosting service is shutting down. This change will affect a huge number of games, including titles for iOS, OS X and others. Those concerned for their favorite games are being prompted to contact the game's developer.
Gamespy's multiplayer servers are going dark, be prepared
Even if you've only played a handful games with online multiplayer in the past dozen years, chances are that at least a few of your sessions have been powered by Gamespy's back-end tech. On May 31st, the company is shutting down its servers for good, and as a result, a bunch of games are losing their online capabilities. For console games, that largely amounts to multiplayer. For certain PC titles though, that also includes authentication servers for CD keys -- losing those means losing access to the game itself. You probably weren't playing most of what Gamespy's listed anymore (WWE SmackDown vs Raw 2009 on PS3, anyone?), though, and a good deal of what's there are somewhat obscure Wii, DS and PC titles. There are, however, high-profile stand-outs: most anything from Rockstar Games and Activision, or the PS3 version of Borderlands and the hardcore military-sim (and basis for DayZ) ARMA series, for instance.
IGN hit with layoffs; 1UP, Gamespy and UGO shutting down
IGN was hit with editorial layoffs today, with sites 1UP, UGO and Gamespy expected to be shut down."We are focusing on our two flagship brands, IGN and AskMen. Unfortunately, as a result, we have made the decision to close sites and restructure our teams accordingly," a company spokesperson confirmed to Joystiq.The news comes less that a month after IGN was purchased by j2 Global through its Ziff Davis subsidiary.
GameSpy: Multiplayer server shutdown result of failure to pay by devs
GameSpy has responded to the issue earlier this week of its owners Glu Mobile shutting down various multiplayer servers for older PC games like Neverwinter Nights and Sniper Elite. First up, GameSpy itself has put together a large blog post on its own site, making clear that GameSpy, the editorial outlet owned by IGN, is different from GameSpy Technologies, the multiplayer middleware provider owned by Glu Mobile. It's GameSpy Technologies that closed the servers down, not the GameSpy outlet.GameSpy Technologies has also responded to the issue on its Facebook page, and says that the server shutdowns are a result of the game developers choosing not to pay their service fees, and that "in some cases this lapsing ranges back as much as four years." GameSpy Technologies tells players that it "cannot be expected to provide a service free of charge," and that's why these servers went down. The company also says it was the developers' responsibility to inform players of the impending shutdowns, and "it is regrettable that these publishers chose not to inform their users of the impending discontinuation of support."Now, developer Rebellion said that GameSpy had changed its rates to be "far in excess of how much we were paying previously," but GameSpy Technologies reportedly told GameSpy (the editorial outlet) that server fees haven't changed in eight years and there were no increases made or even plans to do so. Someone, in other words, is mistaken. Joystiq has followed up with both parties, and we'll update this post if we hear more.
New GameSpy owners Glu Mobile shut down multiplayer servers without notice
Players of quite a few old PC games, including Neverwinter Nights, Microsoft Flight Simulator X, SWAT 4, Hidden and Dangerous 2, and Star Wars: Battlefront, are reporting that the GameSpy-powered multiplayer servers behind those titles and more have been shut off without notice. The GameSpy service was sold to publisher Glu Mobile from IGN a little while ago, so it's that company that's apparently responsible for shutting down these servers.Another one of the games affected was Sniper Elite, and developer Rebellion says its hands are tied: Glu wants to charge a lot of money to turn the servers back on, and Rebellion doesn't have the resources to transfer the multiplayer on this old title to another service. Rebellion points out that fans of the game did get seven years of service for free. And while GameSpy's matchmaking is down, players of some of these games can still connect up online manually by IP.Angry players have taken to GameSpy's old Facebook page to register their wrath, but there's no official response just yet.
SWTOR's Daniel Erickson on pulling players' moral strings
BioWare's Daniel Erickson said that for the writing team, the crunch time came way ahead of everyone else since the script for the game had to be done first. As such, the team has had plenty of time to reflect on how the game's developed while it's moved on to future content. In speaking with GameSpy, the Star Wars: The Old Republic head writer opened up about the difficulties and fun of penning a game with so many personalities, choices, and plot twists. Probably the most revealing is how Erickson admits that the writers are trying to pull players in multiple directions through a series of moral influences: the game's own light and dark side system, players' own morality, companions' own likes and dislikes, and multiplayer dialogue. Ideally, he said, one of the goals of the writing team was to make quests that would challenge players' set paths to make them want to change. "It's interesting to watch all those dynamic forces affect the player, see how they interact with the storytelling method," he said. Erickson also says that the project got initial pushback over the notion of centering it on story, because of the past limitations of MMOs and "the expected norm" that had grown over the years: "It was clear, when you played the early MMOs, that they were trying to put as much as they could in for what was there. There were people on each one of these projects that clearly cared passionately about the lore, and were really trying to get it across to the players. So we knew that that was there and we knew from the single-player games what did it." The interview continues to cover a wide range of writing challenges, including coming up with the script for Huttball, quests that the team was sure would get cut by the ESRB, and how the team enjoyed coming up with intricate stories, connections, and romances for companion characters.
PS3/PC/iOS/Android cross-platform multiplayer achieved in Dungeon Defenders
It's news when two different platforms are linked for multiplayer gaming. But four? Trendy Entertainment has managed to bring cross-platform multiplayer to its Unreal Engine-powered, action-RPG Dungeon Defenders on PS3, PC, iOS and Android. The developer has even implemented cross-platform matchmaking and buddy lists across the devices. The experience is made possible through GameSpy's online tools, suggesting that cross-platform multiplayer will not only become a reality, but a common feature down the line. Trendy utilized GameSpy Open, a new program that enables start-up and indie developers to use the company's online tools for free. Trendy and GameSpy plan to showcase a demonstration of the cross-platform experience at GDC later this week. Dungeon Defenders is currently available on iOS and Android; PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 versions are planned for release later this year.
