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EA has announced its intentions through its support page to shut down over 50 aging games to make more resources available for newer ones. The list of games includes some pretty big titles as well, meaning that these aren’t some random gathering of games you’ve never heard of. Chances are you’ve enjoyed one of these games in the past, and as long as you’re a PC gamer, you’re never going to be able to again beyond June 30.
Franchises affected by the axe being dropped include Battlefield, Crysis, Need For Speed, FIFA, Madden, Star Wars: Battlefront and the most heartbreaking of the bunch, Neverwinter Nights! How could you, EA?! See the full list of games below.
“The decisions to retire older EA games are never easy.†EA states on its support page. “The development teams and operational staff pour their hearts into these games almost as much as the customers playing them and it is hard to see one retired.â€
But as games get replaced with newer titles, the number of players still enjoying the older games dwindles to a level — typically fewer than 1% of all peak online players across all EA titles — where it’s no longer feasible to continue the behind-the-scenes work involved with keeping these games up and running. We would rather our hard-working engineering and IT staff focus on keeping a positive experience for the other 99% of customers playing our more popular games. We hope you have gotten many hours of enjoyment out of the games and we appreciate your ongoing patronage.
Other browser based games, like Lords of Ultima, had support pulled today and are now lost forever.
I’ve said my piece on this before, but I am more than happy to do it again. Online support for games must be allowed to continue if we are to preserve our games for future generations to fully enjoy. How would you feel if a company denied you the ability to go back and play your favorite Final Fantasy or Super Mario Bros. games just because it hurt its bottom line?
Just look at this list. Battlefield 1942 and its sequel are revolutionary games that helped shape the modern day multiplayer scene, but no longer will they be playable. Neverwinter Nights and Neverwinter Nights 2 are great tools for creating your own RPG story and playing through it with others, but again, no longer. Crysis and how it pushed forward the graphical capabilities of multiplayer can never been enjoyed again.
Call me a sentimentalist, but to me, gaming is a bit more than just a business. It’s a pastime I’d like to see survive the clenches of the shrill corporate tendencies it has succumb to as of late.
At least I was raised in a world of physical and analog, meaning I’ll always have an option out there hunting for my favored classics. Children of this digital age might not be so lucky 20 or 30 years down the road.
Here is the list of games EA will be shutting down. The list includes not only PC games, but Nintendo DS and Wii games as well.
Battlefield 1942 for PC and Mac (including The Road to Rome and Secret Weapons of WW2 expansions)
Battlefield 2 for PC (including Special Forces expansion)
Battlefield 2: Modern Combat for PlayStation 2
Battlefield 2142 for PC and Mac (including Northern Strike expansion)
Battlefield Vietnam for PC
Bejeweled (r) 2 for the Wii
Bulletstorm for PlayStation 3
Command & Conquer 3: Tiberium Wars for PC and Mac (including Kane’s Wrath expansion)
Command & Conquer: Generals for PC and Mac (including Zero Hour expansion)
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 for PC and Mac
Crysis 2 for PC
Crysis for PC
Crysis Wars for PC
Dracula – Undead Awakening for the Wii
Dragon Sakura for Nintendo DS
EA Sports 06 for PC
F1 2002 for PC
FIFA Soccer 08 (KOR) for the Wii
FIFA Soccer 08 for Nintendo DS
FIFA Soccer 09 for Nintendo DS
FIFA Soccer 10 for Nintendo DS
FIFA Street 3 for Nintendo DS
Full Spectrum Warrior: Ten Hammers for PlayStation 2
Global Operations for PC
GREEN DAY: ROCK BAND for the Wii
James Bond: Nightfire for PC
Madden NFL 08 for Nintendo DS
Madden NFL 09 for Nintendo DS
Master of Orion III for PC
Medal of Honor: Allied Assault for PC and Mac (including Breakthrough and Spearhead expansions)
MySims Party for Wii
MySims Racing for Nintendo DS
MySims SkyHeroes for the Wii and DS
NASCAR Sim Racing for PC
NASCAR Thunder 2003 for PC
NASCAR Thunder 2004 for PC
Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2 for PC
Need for Speed: ProStreet for Nintendo DS
Need for Speed: Undercover for Nintendo DS
Neverwinter Nights 2 for PC and Mac
Neverwinter Nights for PC, Mac and Linux (including Hordes of the Underdark and Shadows of Undrentide expansions)
SimCity Creator for Wii
Skate It for Nintendo DS
Sneezies for the Wii
Spore Creatures for Nintendo DS
Spore Hero Arena for Nintendo DS
Star Wars: Battlefront for PC and PlayStation 2
Star Wars: Battlefront II for PC and PlayStation 2
THE BEATLES: ROCK BAND for the Wii
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 for Nintendo DS
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