When someone pictures a video game console, there are a few primary things that come to mind. Perhaps they picture playing their favorite games with their friends, being able to download their most anticipated titles on launch day, or competing against others for the top score in competitive-style leader boards. It’s common knowledge that these services need internet access to function.
Unsurprisingly, not everyone thinks about the servers that these features have to be hosted on — at least not until a company announces that they’re going to be shutting down one of these long-running services. Although it’s always hard to accept, a sad reality of the ever-evolving live service industry is that not all services can be kept up forever.
9 The Wii U & 3DS eShops Are Closing For Good On The Same Day
The eShops for both the Nintendo Wii U and the Nintendo 3DS are both set to close permanently on March 27, 2023. While the shops themselves will remain open for another half a year, the cut-off to add any sort of funds, including with eShop-specific prepaid cards, is August 29, 2022.
Although these shops are currently still around, it’s less than a week before fans lose the ability to add funds to their accounts. Players in the UK haven’t had this ability since late 2019, so it’s only been a matter of time before an official, worldwide closure takes place.
8 The Loss Of Original Xbox Live Meant Loss Of Compatibility For Many Games
Back in the early console days, many players assumed that the services they played on would always be available. As time passes and new consoles come out, older ones have to be shelved in order to make room, with the original Xbox being no exception. Less than a decade after its release, the original Xbox Live was discontinued.
In Microsoft’s official statement, the closure was done in order to help drive sales to the newer and more profitable Xbox 360. While this makes sense, it also means that many original titles lost their compatibility with online services.
7 A Handful Of Classic Wii Apps Ended Up Being Discontinued
The Nintendo Wii was one of the most beloved consoles of its time, with one to be found in virtually every family’s living room. This would slowly change over time, with Nintendo in turn beginning to cancel many of the console’s once-loved channels. Perhaps the most well-known closure was the Wii Shop channel.
However, there are a handful of other classic Wii channels that got caught in the crossfire. The Nintendo, Forecast, News, Everybody Votes, and Check Mii Out channels all faced closure in 2013. While all were fairly simple services, they were also staples of the Wii and their discontinuation was felt by many fans.
6 Many Older Beloved Ubisoft Titles Had Their Online Support Cut
Ubisoft is one of many companies that has decided to pull the plug on many of its online titles as the years go on. Like many others, Ubisoft states that by doing so, they’ll be able to provide players with a smoother experience in their more recent titles.
Nearly a hundred of Ubisoft’s titles have had their online support pulled to date, which is a huge blow to the many titles that are best experienced either with or against other players. Some of the more notable titles to lose online support include the first few Far Cry games and a handful of Assassin’s Creed titles.
5 Nintendo Cites Social Media As The Main Miiverse Killer
Nintendo has tried all sorts of different avenues when it comes to its in-console apps. With the Miiverse for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, Nintendo tried their hand at a social media-type app where users could share their opinions on various games or share cute doodles with each other.
While Miiverse devolved into a place rampant with trolls and off-topic discussions, it was still a charming and entertaining place that many users enjoyed checking. Nintendo ended support for the Miiverse in November 2017, citing the rise of other mainstream social media apps as the main reason for its decline.
4 The Nintendo Wi-Fi Discontinuation Service Crushed Longtime Fans
One of the most crushing discontinuations for any Nintendo fan has to be the cessation of the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service. On May 20, 2014, Nintendo pulled the plug on the connection service, which affects many Wii, Nintendo DS, and Nintendo DSi titles.
Even though these three systems weren’t as popular in the 2010s, these systems all had a few titles that retained a small, dedicated fanbase. Mario Kart Wii and Super Smash Brothers: Brawl are two big examples of this, with one player of the former actually screenshotting the exact moment the servers were closed for good during a Mario Kart race.
3 The Original Overwatch Will Soon Be Completely Inaccessible
Fans oftentimes prefer older titles in a series to their more recent releases, which makes Blizzard’s decision to completely scrap the original Overwatch this coming Fall a puzzling one. Overwatch 2 will finally be out this October, and Blizzard has decided to close the original Overwatch‘s servers for good afterward.
Players will have access to all of their original skins in the game’s sequel, but other than that, nothing will remain of their old accounts. In order to make up for this, the PvP-focused elements of the sequel will be Free-to-Play, but many still aren’t happy with this decision.
2 TERA’s Doors Closed After A Decade This Past Summer
All MMOs are fated to face their final day eventually, with TERA Online‘s being incredibly recent. As of June 30th, 2022, TERA‘s servers have been shut down for good, marking the end of service for a decade-old MMO that still had a small, yet dedicated fanbase.
It turns out that the team behind TERA itself wasn’t keen on having their title discontinued. However, Bluehole — the sole remaining publisher of the game — made the decision to cease development, which meant that the team had no choice but to follow suit.
1 Online Support For The Xbox 360’s Legacy Halo Titles Was Cut Late Last Year
The Xbox One has been out for almost an entire decade, but many fans still prefer to play their favorite 360 titles on their original system. Despite a shrinking fanbase as many moved to the next-generation Xbox, many players still preferred the 360’s classic titles.
While the Xbox 360 is still generally supported, companies can choose whether to keep support up for their titles. 343 Industries, which is responsible for the Halo franchise, decided to pull support for their 360 titles at the end of last year. While players can still go through the single-player sections of these games, all multiplayer features are now unavailable.
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