Online matchmaking client GameSpy is shutting down on May 31st, owners Glu Mobile have announced. On the upside, it means no more games trying to download the hideous GameSpy Comrade launcher. The downside is rather more significant: a lot of games' multiplayer segments are about to become non-functional. As with the upcoming Games for Windows Live shutdown, it's down to individual publishers as to whether they want to update their games with new server technology.
"Effective May 31, 2014, GameSpy will cease providing all hosted services for all games still using GameSpy," the company announced on the GameSpy Technologies site . "If you have any questions about how this impacts your favorite title please contact the game's publisher for more information. Thanks for a great ride!"
So far, Bohemia Interactive seem to be the only publisher happy to publicly announce how they're handling the shutdown. In a statement on their forum, they say:
"This is going to affect multiplayer in our games that use Gamespy for matchmaking, cd keys authentification and NAT traversal from Arma: Resistance to Arma 3. We are planning to introduce an alternative solution using Steam to Arma 2: Operation Arrowhead and Arma 3 users.
"Other games (Take On Helicopters, Arma 2, Arma 2: Free, Arma, Arma: Cold War Assault) will have more limited multiplayer experience with loss of server browser, cd key authentification and NAT traversal systems. That said, direct IP connection to servers should work even after Gamespy services are no longer available."
GameSpy Technologies were formerly part of the IGN Network, until 2012 when they were eaten by a Glu.
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