shutdown
Latest
Unable to find a suitor, Twitpic is shutting down on October 25th
It looked like Twitpic would live on after a trademark spat with Twitter. Last month, the photo-sharing service announced that it was shutting down, and then that it had been acquired. It seems that whatever deal was on the table went south as the service is really truly shutting down on October 25th. Founder Noah Everett took to the company's blog to announce its ultimate fate, stating that "agreeable terms could not be met" after sifting through "a handful of potential acquirers." Everett also said that while the announcement that Twitpic would stay active was premature, the company felt that is was important to let its users know it would keep on trucking as soon as it could. If you need to grab your images, you can get info on exporting data and snapshots here.
HP calls time, will shut down webOS support on January 15th, 2015
Still hauling that Palm Pre around without a care in the world? Sorry to say but there's a nasty surprise coming your way just after the holidays. HP has quietly announced that it'll pull the plug on the catalog and cloud services that support webOS devices from January 15th of next year. That doesn't mean that your hardware will shut down, but living with the gear is going to get considerably harder. Firstly, you won't be able to purchase, download and restore apps, and you won't be able to restore your phone from a backup either. Setting up a new device has also gone the way of all things, and if you lose your password, you won't be getting it back. This is probably the excuse you need to buy a new phone, but don't worry, because as long as we remember webOS in our hearts, it'll never truly die, okay?
Redbox Instant's streaming video service shuts down on October 7th
If you thought that Redbox Instant would have trouble competing against a streaming video behemoth like Netflix, you were right. The Verizon-backed service is telling customers that Instant will shut down just before midnight on October 7th, roughly a year and a half after it got off the ground. Should you be a customer, you'll get a notice about any relevant refunds on October 10th. The closure isn't entirely surprising -- Outerwall (Redbox's parent company) wasn't happy with Instant's subscriber numbers, and a credit card fraud incident prevented it from taking new customers for three months. Still, this isn't good news if you liked Redbox's unique hybrid of online and kiosk-based rentals. [Thanks, Mike]
Judge finds Grooveshark employees guilty of mass copyright-infringement
Grooveshark's disappearing and reappearing act looks like it could finally come to an end; permanently. A Manhattan judge has ruled that because Grooveshark employees themselves had uploaded 5,977 songs to the service and infringing on copyrights in the process, the outfit couldn't be granted safe harbor for hosting music from the likes of Jay-Z and Madonna. Meaning, the firm's previous method of compliance under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act was null and void because it wasn't users who uploaded the copyrighted material (which would be subsequently removed upon request), it was in-house staffers including CEO Samuel Tarantino and CTO Joshua Greenberg, according to The New York Times. Reuters notes that there was also evidence of internal communications from Greenberg that told employes to share music as much as possible from outside the office in an effort to foster growth -- all as a condition of employment.
Sony is shutting down PlayStation Home in North America, too
It was only a matter of time. When word came down that Sony was shuttering the PlayStation 3 virtual space, PlayStation Home, in Japan earlier this year, the service's domestic days were likely numbered as well. Citing a "shifting landscape" as the cause (and likely no public outcry that the oft-laggy environment was missing from the PlayStation 4), senior community manager Paul Sullivan writes on the PS Blog that the last day to run around the hub will be March 31st of next year. Don't start fretting just yet, however, as the electronics giant plans to release new downloadable content for the quasi-Second-Life experience ahead of that. Perhaps it's time to do a mournful diva dance in your virtual domicile to commemorate this event. A bit rusty with the proper moves? Check the video after the jump for some inspiration, then.
Legend of Edda is returning September 24th
You could be completely forgiven for thinking that Legend of Edda had breathed its last when the game shut down at the beginning of this year. It was cute, but it just couldn't sustain itself. But the game is getting another lease on life starting on September 24th, when the game opens up under new publisher JC Planet. The opening will not feature any wipes or resets, apparently skipping public testing in favor of moving straight to launch. Numerous launch events are planned, including bonuses for registering your account before the start of service and for reaching level 20 quickly after the 24th rolls around. If you'd always meant to take a look at the game but never quite managed to, you'll be getting another shot at it in just a little while, hopefully without the issues that made it shut its doors back in January. [Thanks to Evan for the tip!]
Report: PSP users in Europe, Asia lose PSN access on September 15
Sony is closing off PlayStation Network access for its PlayStation Portable console in multiple regions starting this week, IGN reports. A Sony representative told IGN that the shutdown affects PSP owners in Europe, Asia, Oceania, and select regions in Africa. North American PSPs will still be able to access the PlayStation Network while Sony "evaluates market trends" to determine if it should expand its service shutdown plans. While affected regions will be unable to directly access the PlayStation Network from PSP hardware starting on September 15, Sony notes that users will still be able to buy PSN marketplace content and redownload previous purchases via the Sony Entertainment Network Online Store. Sony halted PSP production in Japan in June, and discontinued North American hardware shipments in January. [Image: Sony]
Little Printer will stop working next March as its creator shuts down
Bad news if you own Berg's super-cute, internet-savvy Little Printer: it might not be not long for this world. The company is going into "hibernation" after it couldn't sustain a business based on connected devices, and its current plan has Little Printer services shutting down on March 31st, 2015. There is a glimmer of hope if you can't bear to be without paper copies of your internet news feeds. Berg plans to at least open source its code so that fans can keep the services alive if they like, and it's willing to sell the hardware business to any firm that will pledge ongoing support. There isn't any talk of a savior just yet, though, so you may want to cherish those printouts while you still can.
EVE Online lottery site SOMER Blink shutting down [Updated]
Fans of popular EVE Online lottery site SOMER Blink received some bad news yesterday. After four years of operation, the site is going inactive, with a shutdown that its front page calls a temporary and perhaps permanent hiatus. All players with prizes waiting will be able to claim those prizes, and all ISK in the system will be returned to players over the next several months, starting with those players who had over 5 million ISK in their accounts. What led to this shutdown? The site administrators claim that CCP created a toxic environment and reversed previous statements without warning, resulting in a situation which made the site no longer enjoyable to work with. CCP has issued its own statement, expressing regret at the loss of a community site while stating that the promotion that caused the controversy "was not representative of the original proposal that was brought to CCP." The community team will provide further information soon, although there will be no interference in the refund process. [Thank to Dab for the tip!] [Update: CCP has today commented in detail on the situation. We've included CCP Falcon's full statement below.]
Justin.tv shuts down as Twitch goes all-in on video game broadcasting
Twitch shut down Justin.tv this week, putting an end to the streaming platform's seven-year run, as the company is now focusing its resources on Twitch. Videos on Justin.tv are no longer available to view, and those with active premium pro accounts should receive an email about getting refunded. The shift in focus has been in the works for months, as the company formerly known as Justin.tv changed its corporate name to Twitch in February, the same time Twitch achieved one million active monthly broadcasters. Those with Justin.tv accounts that would like to move over to Twitch need to fill out a form on Twitch's site, though all requests must be received by September 5. However, Justin.tv broadcasters' videos are lost forever; VOD and video archiving support were removed on June 15.
Rusty Hearts shutting down on September 15th
It's been going only for three years, but the action MMO Rusty Hearts is being brought to an early end. Perfect World Entertainment announced today that it will be ending the game's run on September 15th. If you're not playing and were hoping to check Rusty Hearts out before it ends, you're already out of luck. PWE said that the game is no longer downloadable and won't will be accepting new ZEN deposits. It will remain playable until the 15th for current players, however, and PWE is refunding the past six months' worth of ZEN to use in the company's other titles. "We would like to thank all the fans who helped bring life to all the characters in Rusty Hearts. Your loyalty, dedication, and countless hours crawling through dungeons is what made it all possible. Rusty Hearts was a unique experience and will be cherished forever," the studio wrote.
EA and Mythic's Ultima Forever comes to an end
Ultima fans were given a dose of unfortunate irony late last week, when an administrator for the Ultima Forever forums revealed that the game would be shutting down. As of August 29, the only place EA and Mythic's game will last forever will be in the hearts and minds of those who played it. Players of the free-to-play RPG for iOS devices can enjoy some going-out-of-business style benefits before the end of days, including an increased drop rate of Gold keys, boosts to Virtue and Reputation rewards, and disabled equipment degradation - meaning your weapons and armor won't take damage. "This was a very difficult decision for us to make," wrote forum administrator "The Gypsy." "We've seen the game through ups and downs, and hope that you've enjoyed playing it every bit as much as we had making it! Through it all, it's been players like you who've made it all worthwhile." Ultima Forever was announced in July 2012 and was released worldwide just a year ago. Rest easy, Ultima Forever. We hardly knew ye. [Image: EA]
The curated video service from TiVo's founders, Qplay, is shutting down
TiVo's co-founders launched their Qplay service in hopes of becoming the central hub for all your online video viewing. Unfortunately, it looks like that media utopia wasn't meant to be. Just three months after its official debut, Qplay has revealed that it's shutting down; it's "not possible" to run the service any longer, the team says. You'll have until July 25th to get your fill of content, and you can get a refund for the TV adapter if you make a request before that cut-off date. The company isn't commenting on the exact reasons behind the closure, but this is certainly going to catch some internet video aficionados off-guard. If you're one of them, you'll have to turn to discovery services like Showyou to get a similar fix.
Age of Empires Online now extinct following server shutdown
The servers for freemium real-time strategy game Age of Empires Online shut down this week. Published by Microsoft, the online RTS entered beta in May 2011 before its full launch that August for Games for Windows Live. Gas Powered Games took over the game's development from Robot Entertainment prior to that in February 2011. It arrived on Steam in March 2012, at which point its daily active users spiked by by more than three times. A since-deleted support article for the game in January tipped off a July 1 closure date of Games for Windows Live. Age of Empires Online was let down easy, as its closure was forecasted nearly one month ago. The developer reset the player-vs-player ranking ladder at the beginning of June and hosted a few events for the game, including a Capital City decoration contest and invitational tournament near the end of the month. The developer capped off its Age of Empires Online send-off with an "End of the World" event yesterday, in which it livestreamed the game's final hours of life. [Image: Gas Powered Games]
Age of Empires Online shuts down tomorrow
After tomorrow, Age of Empires Online will be no more. The online adaptation of the popular Microsoft RTS franchise will be shut down along with the PC Marketplace as of 7:00 p.m. EDT on July 1st. "On July 01, 2014, Age of Empires Online will shut down permanently. We thank the loyal fans for their support and commitment and look forward to many more battles before Age of Empires Online is retired," the studio posted on Facebook last year. This will come as a shock to no one, as Age of Empires' population decline was well-known and acknowledged by the dev team itself. The studio hasn't been developing new content for the game since January 2013.
PSA: Wii and DS online play shutdown imminent
As it was foretold, the end is upon us - or at least, it's upon those of us using a Wii or DS to play online games. Nintendo announced back in March that May 20, 2014 would signal the end of online service for games on the Wii and DS systems, and that day has come. Or, depending on when you read this, is rapidly approaching. If you want to get in one last match or download any DLC for the games affected by the blackout, this is your last chance. Not sure if your favorite game is affected? Check Nintendo's full list. Note that this is not your last chance to watch Netflix or Hulu using your Wii. Those services will continue, at least for the prophesied foreseeable future. [Image: Nintendo]
GameStop to close 120 stores, increase focus on mobile
GameStop intends to close 120 video game retail stores in the current fiscal year as part of its "GameStop 3.0" initiative, the company announced at its 2014 Investor Day event this week. Its plan to scale back gaming operations involves a bigger push into the mobile space, as it will open between 200 and 250 Spring Mobile stores, 20 to 25 Simply Mac locations and 100 to 150 Cricket stores, more than doubling all three retail efforts. The plan to shut down 120 gaming retail locations was first revealed last month in GameStop's guidance for the 2014 year during its fiscal 2013 financial results announcement. The number of stores it expected to close wasn't clear at the time; GameStop noted plans to shutter approximately two percent of its 6,600 stores, amounting to a reduction of roughly 132 stores. We've reached out to GameStop to find out which locations will close in the coming year and will update as we learn more. [Image: GameStop]
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]
Marvel: Avengers Alliance to shut down on Playdom
Playdom has announced that Marvel: Avengers Alliance will be shutting down for good on April 20th, 2014. "Although it is a difficult decision to shut down a game," a note to the players states, "this decision will allow us to focus on building new, more engaging games." This shutdown will affect only the Playdom version of the game, not the Facebook version. Playdom says that it will offer no refunds or credits for "virtual goods, game currency or other items purchased" once the game stops being offered on Playdom's platform.
Diablo III shows off expansion gameplay as the auction house closes
Are you ready to continue the adventures of John Diablo as he fights the nefarious forces of Reaper McSoul? Probably not, as that's not even close to the plot of the Diablo III expansion Reaper of Souls. A new gameplay trailer for the expansion has just been released and is available past the break, showing off the new regions, new abilities, and the new class. The expansion launches next week, so you don't have to wait long to try all of this out for yourself. The game's real-money auction house has also finally breathed its last today, with the service currently shut down in the Americas. This goes hand-in-hand with the features of Reaper of Souls that are designed to keep loot drops more relevant and interesting for players. If the trailer is any indication, there are still plenty of demons to be slain -- you just won't be dropping real money to do any of that.
