Editing GameSpy (section)

=== Shutdown ===
GameSpy Industries (the entity responsible for GameSpy multiplayer services) was bought from IGN Entertainment by Glu Mobile in August 2012,<ref name=glu>{{Cite web |title=Glu Acquires GameSpy Technology to Expand Connected, Cross-platform Mobile Leadership |url=http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=207033&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1721900&highlight= |work=[[Glu Mobile]] |access-date=November 19, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160411143602/http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=207033&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1721900&highlight= |archive-date=April 11, 2016 |date=August 2, 2012 |first=Seth |last=Potter |url-status=live }}</ref> and proceeded in December to raise integration costs and shut down servers for many older games, including ''[[Fairytale Fights]]'', ''[[Star Wars: Battlefront]]'', ''[[Sniper Elite (video game)|Sniper Elite]]'', ''[[Microsoft Flight Simulator X]]'', ''[[Saints Row 2]]'', and ''[[Neverwinter Nights (2002 video game)|Neverwinter Nights]]'', with no warning to developers or players, much to the outrage of communities of those games.<ref name=shutdown>{{Cite web |title=Glu Shutting Down Multiplayer for GameSpy-based PC Titles |url=https://www.tomshardware.com/news/Glu-Mobile-GameSpy-Multiplayer-PC-Gaming-Rebellion,19684.html |work=[[Tom's Hardware]] |access-date=November 19, 2012 |first=Kevin |last=Parrish |date=December 11, 2012 |publisher=[[Purch]]}}</ref>  GameSpy Technologies remained operational as a separate entity since.<ref name=gamespytech>{{Cite web |title=A Tale of Two GameSpys |url=http://pc.gamespy.com/articles/122/1226912p1.html |work=GameSpy |access-date=February 25, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121213052002/http://pc.gamespy.com/articles/122/1226912p1.html |archive-date=December 13, 2012 |first=Dan |last=Stapleton |date=December 11, 2012 |publisher=[[IGN Entertainment, Inc.]]}}</ref> In February 2013, following the acquisition of IGN Entertainment by [[Ziff Davis]], IGN's "secondary" sites were shut down, ending GameSpy's editorial operations.<ref name=joystiq-layoffs>{{cite web |title=IGN hit with layoffs; 1UP, Gamespy and UGO shutting down |url=http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/21/ign-layoffs/ |work=[[Joystiq]] |access-date=February 21, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140326162102/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/02/21/ign-layoffs/ |archive-date=March 26, 2014 |date=February 21, 2013 |first=Alexander |last=Sliwinski |publisher=[[AOL Inc.]] |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=gsshutdown/>

In April 2014, Glu announced that it would shut down the GameSpy servers on May 31, 2014, so its developers could focus on work for Glu's own services. Games that still used GameSpy are no longer able to offer online functionality or multiplayer services through GameSpy. While some publishers announced plans to migrate GameSpy-equipped games to other platforms (such as [[Steam (service)|Steam]] or in-house servers), some publishers, such as [[Nintendo]] (who used the GameSpy servers as the basis of its [[Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection]] platform for DS and Wii games) did not, particularly due to the age of the affected games.<ref name="gi-shutdown">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2014/04/03/glu-shutting-down-gamespy-service-affecting-a-reported-800-developers-and-publishers.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407072627/http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2014/04/03/glu-shutting-down-gamespy-service-affecting-a-reported-800-developers-and-publishers.aspx |url-status=live |archive-date=April 7, 2014 |title=Glu Shutting Down Gamespy Service, Affecting A Reported 800 Developers And Publishers |first=Mike |last=Futter |date=April 3, 2014 |access-date=April 3, 2014 |magazine=[[Game Informer]] }}</ref><ref name=ign-nintendoterminate>{{cite web |title=Nintendo Terminating Wi-fi Service For DS and Wii |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2014/02/27/nintendo-terminating-wi-fi-service-for-ds-and-wii |work=[[IGN]] |access-date=April 4, 2014 |date=February 26, 2014 |first=Katie |last=Williams |publisher=[[Ziff Davis, LLC]]}}</ref><ref name=ign-gamespyshutdown>{{cite web |title=GameSpy Multiplayer Shutting Down, Hundreds of Games at Risk |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2014/04/03/gamespy-multiplayer-shutting-down-hundreds-of-games-at-risk |work=[[IGN]] |access-date=April 4, 2014 |date=April 3, 2014 |first=Mitch |last=Dyer |publisher=[[Ziff Davis, LLC]]}}</ref> [[Electronic Arts]], in particular, announced 24 PC games, including titles such as ''[[Battlefield 2]]'', the ''[[Crysis]]'' series, ''[[Saints Row 2]]'' and the ''[[Star Wars: Battlefront]]'' series, would be affected by the end of GameSpy service.<ref name=pcgamer-eashutdown>{{cite web |title=EA list 24 PC games affected by Gamespy shutdown, including Battlefield 2, Crysis |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/ea-gamespy-shutdown-update/ |work=[[PC Gamer]] |access-date=October 2, 2014 |first=Phil |last=Savage |date=May 12, 2014 |publisher=[[Future US, Inc.]]}}</ref>

Fan-created [[Game mod|mods]] restored online functionality with alternative servers. One such mod for the PC version of ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved|Halo]]'' was officially incorporated into a patch for the game released by [[Bungie]] in May 2014, and [[Disney]] helped developers create a similar mod for ''[[Star Wars: Battlefront II (2005 video game)|Battlefront II]]'' (2005) in 2017.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Andy Chalk published |date=October 2, 2017 |title=Star Wars: Battlefront 2 multiplayer restored, now with Steam/GOG crossplay |language=en |work=PC Gamer |url=https://www.pcgamer.com/star-wars-battlefront-2-multiplayer-restored-now-with-steamgog-crossplay/ |access-date=June 1, 2022}}</ref> 10 days prior to the [[Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection]] shutdown, a fan continuation of the project was created named Wiimmfi. By contrast, in 2017, Electronic Arts demanded the takedown of modified versions of ''Battlefield 2'' and ''[[Battlefield 2142]]'' on alternate servers, distributed by a group known as "Revive Network", as infringement of their copyrights.<ref name=wired-stranded>{{cite news |title=Gamers Unite to Bring Back Titles Stranded by GameSpy Shutdown |url=https://www.wired.com/2014/06/gamespy-server-shutdown/ |access-date=October 2, 2014 |work=[[Wired.com]] |first=Bo |last=Moore |date=June 23, 2014 |publisher=[[Condé Nast]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2017/10/ea-shuts-down-fan-run-servers-for-older-battlefield-games/ |title=EA shuts down fan-run servers for older Battlefield games |work=[[Ars Technica]] |access-date=October 29, 2017 |first=Kyle |last=Orland |date=October 27, 2017 |publisher=[[Condé Nast]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.pcgamer.com/star-wars-battlefront-2-multiplayer-restored-now-with-steamgog-crossplay/ |title=Star Wars: Battlefront 2 multiplayer restored, now with Steam/GOG crossplay |magazine=[[pcgamer.com]] |access-date=October 29, 2017 |first=Andy |last=Chalk |date=October 2, 2017 |publisher=[[Future US, Inc.]]}}</ref>