Twitter pulls the plug on embedded DOS games

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Just a couple of days after we learned that it was possible to embed and play MS-DOS games in tweets, the fun has come to a screeching halt. The loss of embedded functionality was noticed by VentureBeat and confirmed by me, thanks to Ian's tweet that included a link to Wolfenstein 3D on Archive.org. Now, instead of being playable, the link now simply leads to the site.

The problem appears to be due to Twitters rules for "Player Cards," through which developers can "deliver rich media to users across the globe." With some limitations, naturally; things like Vine and SoundCloud embeds are fine, but "Player Cards are reserved for linear audio and video consumption only."

"Do not build end-to-end interactive experiences inside the video or audio player unrelated to Player Card content, such as the following: purchasing, gaming, polling, messaging, and data entry," the rules state. "Instead, build these interactive experiences with our other Card types or enhance your Player Card content with links to your website or mobile application."

Embedded videogames are clearly in violation of that guideline, and so it's not terribly surprising that they're gone. Nor is it the end of the world; the games are still playable on Archive.org, so practically speaking it's really just one extra click to get to the goods. But it's not nearly as neat, is it?

Andy Chalk

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.