Please support Game Informer. Print magazine subscriptions are less than $2 per issue
[Update] Glu Shutting Down Gamespy Service, Affecting A Reported 800 Developers And Publishers
Update #2 (7:42 p.m. Eastern): Trendy Entertainment has also responded to our inquiry regarding the closure of Gamespy Technologies. The comment comes from marketing director Philip Asher
Unfortunately, the Playstation 3 and non-Steam PC versions of Dungeon Defenders will no longer have multiplayer as a result of Gamespy closing. We are contacting Sony to make sure any information about the game clearly reflects this change. The rest of the versions will be continue to operate as usual.
In anticipation of this move, Trendy has made a significant investment over the last year into our own multiplayer matchmaking (and more!) technology called playverse. We plan to deploy this technology later this year and while it won’t fix the current problems, we expect to have a significant impact on our future games including Dungeon Defenders II. Playverse will offer cross platform multiplayer matchmaking, dedicated server support, streaming content distribution, account services, and more. We are very excited to bring it to our community and fellow independent developers.
Update #1 (5:06 p.m. Eastern): Capcom has responded to our request for comment. "There are a few titles for which Capcom utilizes GameSpy’s matchmaking services for online gameplay," a representative told us via email. "We are evaluating migration solutions and will have more information in the near future. Please check back on www.capcom-unity.com for updates."
Original Story:
Glu has announced that it will be shutting down all Gamespy services on May 31, 2014. This will affect every game that uses the service for matchmaking and hosting.
Gamespy suggests that players should contact the developers and publishers of games using the services to find out what this means for affected titles. Nintendo used Gamespy for the DS and Wii, which explains why those services are scheduled to go offline on May 20.
Other games affected according to Gamespy’s website include Street Fighter III: Third Strike Online Edition for PS3, Dungeon Defenders on all platforms, Gotham City Impostors, and Red Dead Redemption. WWE developer Yukes is also listed as a client. Glu also says that over 800 game developers and publishers use the service. A full list of titles released through 2010 can be found here.
Gamespy Technologies was once part of the Gamespy website, which ceased operation in 2013. The entire entity was acquired by IGN in 2004, with Gamespy Technologies sold off to Glu Mobile in 2012.
We’ve contacted Gamespy for a comment. We’ve also reached out to EA, 2K, Ubisoft, Trendy Entertainment, and Capcom.
[Source: Gamespy]
Our Take
This will have a wide-ranging affect on developers and publishers. It will also likely mean that hard decisions will lead to the termination of online services for some games. We’ll keep you updated as we hear back from publishers and developers.
I’d like to ask you to support Game Informer’s continued coverage of games with a subscription. For less than two dollars per issue, we mail you a full year of 10 print magazines, each with cover stories and preview features filled with exclusive details about the most exciting upcoming games. We profile and interview game creators. We look back on the rich history of gaming, and we celebrate what’s next.
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
