Anthem’s Shutdown Sparks Debate: How Long Should Multiplayer Games Live?
▼ Summary
– GOG, a digital game store, has specialized for 17 years in restoring and selling classic single-player games that are otherwise unplayable on modern systems.
– A new and complex preservation challenge is the disappearance of online multiplayer games when their servers shut down, as recently happened with EA’s *Anthem*.
– GOG’s managing director explains that resurrecting multiplayer games is a complicated riddle involving legal rights, technical hurdles, and the need for commercial viability.
– Consumer movements like Stop Killing Games are pushing for industry and regulatory discussions on fair end-of-life cycles for games, balancing preservation with not overburdening creators.
– While solutions like adding offline modes or enabling private servers exist, the commercial risk and lack of classic status for many failed live-service games make their restoration unlikely.
The recent shutdown of Anthem’s servers has reignited a critical conversation about the lifespan of multiplayer games and the growing challenge of preserving digital experiences that rely on online infrastructure. When a game like Anthem vanishes, years of development and player investment effectively disappear, raising complex questions about ownership, technical feasibility, and commercial viability for any potential restoration. This issue is moving beyond forum debates, gaining traction with consumer advocacy groups and even regulators who are beginning to question what constitutes a fair end-of-life for a live service title.
For companies like GOG, which has built its reputation on reviving classic single-player games, the puzzle of multiplayer preservation is particularly thorny. Resurrecting a defunct online game involves navigating a maze of intellectual property rights, overcoming significant technical hurdles to replicate server architecture, and finding a business model that makes sense. As GOG’s managing director, Maciej Gołębiewski, points out, no company can undertake such a project purely out of goodwill; salaries must be paid. The commercial reality is stark: if a major publisher like EA shut down a game because it wasn’t profitable, what incentive would a restoration service have to resurrect it, especially if it wasn’t considered a beloved classic?
This dilemma sits at the heart of movements like Stop Killing Games, which argue that players should retain access to titles they’ve purchased. The shutdown of Ubisoft’s The Crew acted as a catalyst, pushing the discussion into the public and political arena. There is a growing demand for clearer regulations or industry standards that define what happens when a live-service game reaches its end-of-life, potentially moving beyond a simple server shutdown. However, Gołębiewski also cautions that imposing overly burdensome preservation mandates on developers could have unintended consequences. If creators fear being legally or financially responsible for maintaining a game for decades, they might become more risk-averse, potentially leading to fewer innovative—or simply fewer—games being made in the first place.
Potential solutions do exist, offering glimpses of a middle ground. Some games, like Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, have transitioned to an offline mode, allowing continued solo play even after official support ends. For purely multiplayer titles like Anthem, one theoretical path is the release of server software, enabling dedicated fan communities to host their own private servers. Reports suggest such functionality was nearly ready at Anthem’s launch. Yet, this would require the publisher to salvage and publicly release proprietary code—a step companies are often reluctant to take for both commercial and security reasons.
The recent separation of GOG from its parent company, CD Projekt, underscores its focused mission. While the store will continue its core work of restoring and selling DRM-free classics, the newfound independence may allow it to explore new avenues. This could include ventures into indie game publishing, but the fundamental question of multiplayer preservation remains a formidable, unsolved riddle for the entire industry. As Gołębiewski admits, there is no perfect answer yet, but the fact that the discussion is happening among gamers, developers, and regulators is a positive and necessary step toward finding one.
(Source: EuroGamer)
