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GameSpy

From Consumer Rights Wiki
GameSpy
Basic information
Founded 1999
Type Subsidiary
Industry Multiplayer software services
Official website gamespy.com

GameSpy was a company founded by Mark Sufas in 1995 initally as and provided multiplayer middleware for video game publishers. GameSpy was merged with the gaming magazine IGN in 2004,[1] while its 'GameSpy Industries' division, which handled all of its multiplayer services, was purchased from IGN by Glu Mobile in 2012.[2]

On May 31st, 2014, GameSpy's services that were documented to be used by over 800 games were shut down by Glu Mobile,[3][4] affecting popular titles such as Battlefield 2142,[5] Halo Combat Evolved, and Saints Row 2, which lost all multiplayer functionality,[6] and for some games, left entirely unplayable due to DRM reliant on GameSpy servers.[7][8]

Consumer-impact summary[edit | edit source]

  • User freedom: Games affected by GameSpy's shutdown requires some modification of the software to regain functionality.[4][5]
  • User privacy: All services shut down as of May 31, 2014; not applicable.
  • Business model: Multiplayer services, including servers and game matchmaking software.
  • Market control: Initially the primary game hosting service for many games. All market control is gone due to shutdown.

Incidents[edit | edit source]

This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the GameSpy category.

Shutdown (May 31, 2014)[edit | edit source]

Main article: GameSpy server shutdown

In April of 2014, Glu Mobile, the owner of GameSpy's software divsion (GameSpy Industries), announced the shutdown of all GameSpy multiplayer services.[3] Of the 800+ games affected by the shutdown,[4] some were able to be retrofit to run on different servers, many lost multiplayer features, and a subset became impossible to play due to DRM.[8]

In the aftermath of the incident, projects such as OpenSpy were created to restore functionality to these damaged games, such as Battlefield 2142.[5]

Products[edit | edit source]

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See also[edit | edit source]

Link to relevant theme articles or companies with similar incidents.


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References[edit | edit source]

  1. "IGN/GameSpy Merger Creates One of the Internet's Largest Game and Entertainment-Focused Companies". IGN. Mar 4, 2004. Archived from the original on Jan 2, 2018. Retrieved Jul 8, 2025.
  2. Potter, Seth (Aug 2, 2012). "Glu Acquires GameSpy Technology to Expand Connected, Cross-platform Mobile Leadership". Glu Mobile. Archived from the original on Apr 11, 2016. Retrieved Jul 8, 2025.
  3. 3.0 3.1 Futter, Mike (Apr 3, 2014). "Glu Shutting Down Gamespy Service, Affecting A Reported 800 Developers And Publishers". Game Informer. Archived from the original on Apr 7, 2014. Retrieved Jul 8, 2025.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 u/Stevoisiak (Apr 7, 2014). "List of games affected by GameSpy shutdown". Reddit. Retrieved Jul 8, 2025.
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Battlefield 2142 Reclamation instructions". Battlefield 2142 Reclamation. Retrieved Jul 8, 2025.
  6. "GameSpy". PC Gaming Wiki. Retrieved Jul 8, 2025.
  7. Williams, Byrn (Mar 9, 2010). "Ubisoft's DRM Servers Attacked Again". GameSpy. Retrieved Jul 8, 2025.
  8. 8.0 8.1 Burns, Chris (Apr 4, 2014). "GAMESPY SHUTS DOWN MAY 31: WILL YOUR GAME BE AFFECTED?". Slashgear. Archived from the original on Jul 17, 2014. Retrieved Jul 8, 2025.