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GameSpy: Difference between revisions

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{{InfoboxCompany
{{StubNotice}}
| Name = {{PAGENAME}}
{{CompanyCargo
| Type =Subsidiary
|Description=Now defunct American company that hosted multiplayer servers and matchmaking systems for video games.
| Founded =1999
|Founded=1999
| Industry =Multiplayer software services
|Industry=Video Games, Information Technology
| Official Website =gamespy.com
|Logo=GameSpy.svg
| Logo =GameSpy.svg
|ParentCompany=IGN Entertainment
}}'''''[[wikipedia:GameSpy|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,<ref>{{Cite news |date=Mar 4, 2004 |title=IGN/GameSpy Merger Creates One of the Internet's Largest Game and Entertainment-Focused Companies |url=https://corp.ign.com/press/press/2004/igngamespy-merger-creates-one-of-the-internets-largest-game-and-entertainment-focused-companies |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180102223614/http://corp.ign.com/press/2004/igngamespy-merger-creates-one-of-the-internets-largest-game-and-entertainment-focused-companies |archive-date=Jan 2, 2018 |access-date=Jul 8, 2025 |work=IGN}}</ref> while its '<nowiki/>'''''GameSpy''' Industries''<nowiki/>' division, which handled all of its multiplayer services, was purchased by [[Glu Mobile|''Glu Mobile'']] in 2012.
|Type=Subsidiary
 
|Website=http://www.gamespy.com
On '''May 31st, 2014''', '''''GameSpy'''''<nowiki/>'s services that were documented to be used by over 800 games were shut down by ''[[Glu Mobile]]'',<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Futter |first=Mike |date=Apr 3, 2014 |title=Glu Shutting Down Gamespy Service, Affecting A Reported 800 Developers And Publishers |url=https://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-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 |archive-date=Apr 7, 2014 |access-date=Jul 8, 2025 |work=Game Informer}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=u/Stevoisiak |date=Apr 7, 2014 |title=List of games affected by GameSpy shutdown |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/22fz75/list_of_games_affected_by_gamespy_shutdown/ |access-date=Jul 8, 2025 |website=[[Reddit]]}}</ref> affecting popular titles such as ''[[Battlefield (game)|Battlefield]] 2142'',<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Battlefield 2142 Reclamation instructions |url=https://battlefield2142.co/help/ |access-date=Jul 8, 2025 |website=Battlefield 2142 Reclamation}}</ref> ''[[Halo (game series)|Halo]] Combat Evolved'', and ''[[Saints Row]] 2'', which lost all multiplayer functionality,<ref>{{Cite web |title=GameSpy |url=https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/GameSpy |access-date=Jul 8, 2025 |website=PC Gaming Wiki}}</ref> and for some games, left entirely unplayable due to DRM reliant on '''''GameSpy''''' servers.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Williams |first=Byrn |date=Mar 9, 2010 |title=Ubisoft's DRM Servers Attacked Again |url=http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/assassins-creed-2/1075803p1.html |access-date=Jul 8, 2025 |work=[[GameSpy]]}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Burns |first=Chris |date=Apr 4, 2014 |title=GAMESPY SHUTS DOWN MAY 31: WILL YOUR GAME BE AFFECTED? |url=https://www.slashgear.com/gamespy-shuts-down-may-31-will-your-game-be-affected-04323788/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140717091309/http://www.slashgear.com/gamespy-shuts-down-may-31-will-your-game-be-affected-04323788/ |archive-date=Jul 17, 2014 |access-date=Jul 8, 2025 |website=Slashgear}}</ref>
}}
'''GameSpy''' was a company founded by Mark Sufas in 1995. It provided multiplayer middleware<!-- We should have something that explains what middleware is... -JamesTDG --> for video game publishers, documented to be used by over 800 games. GameSpy was merged with the gaming magazine IGN in 2004,<ref>{{Cite news |date=Mar 4, 2004 |title=IGN/GameSpy Merger Creates One of the Internet's Largest Game and Entertainment-Focused Companies |url=https://corp.ign.com/press/press/2004/igngamespy-merger-creates-one-of-the-internets-largest-game-and-entertainment-focused-companies |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180102223614/https://corp.ign.com/press/2004/igngamespy-merger-creates-one-of-the-internets-largest-game-and-entertainment-focused-companies |archive-date=Jan 2, 2018 |access-date=Jul 8, 2025 |work=IGN}}</ref> while its 'GameSpy Industries' division, which handled all of its multiplayer services, was purchased from IGN by Glu Mobile in 2012.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Potter |first=Seth |date=Aug 2, 2012 |title=Glu Acquires GameSpy Technology to Expand Connected, Cross-platform Mobile Leadership |url=https://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=207033&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1721900&highlight= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160411143602/https://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=207033&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1721900&highlight= |archive-date=Apr 11, 2016 |access-date=Jul 8, 2025 |work=[[Glu Mobile]]}}</ref>


==Consumer-impact summary==
==Consumer-impact summary==


* User freedom: Games affected by '''''GameSpy'''''<nowiki/>'s shutdown requires some modification of the software to regain functionality.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" />
*User freedom: Games affected by GameSpy<nowiki/>'s shutdown require some modification of the software to regain functionality.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=u/Stevoisiak |date=Apr 7, 2014 |title=List of games affected by GameSpy shutdown |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/22fz75/list_of_games_affected_by_gamespy_shutdown/ |access-date=Jul 8, 2025 |website=[[Reddit]] |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20230601012724/https://old.reddit.com/r/Games/comments/22fz75/list_of_games_affected_by_gamespy_shutdown/ |archive-date=1 Jun 2023}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=Battlefield 2142 Reclamation instructions |url=https://battlefield2142.co/help/ |access-date=Jul 8, 2025 |website=Battlefield 2142 Reclamation |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251206123227/https://www.battlefield2142.co/help/ |archive-date=6 Dec 2025}}</ref>
* User privacy: All services shut down as of '''May 31, 2014'''; not applicable.
*User privacy: Unknown; defunct in 2014.<nowiki/>
* Business model: Multiplayer services, including servers and game matchmaking software.
*Business model: Founded as a middleware<nowiki/> distributor, eventually hosted game servers and was a gaming news publication.
* Market control: Initially the primary game hosting service for many games. All market control is gone due to shutdown.
*Market control: Initially the primary game hosting service for many games; zero market control after shutdown in 2014.<ref name=":0" />


==Incidents==
==Incidents==
This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].
This is a list of all consumer-protection incidents this company is involved in. Any incidents not mentioned here can be found in the [[:Category:{{FULLPAGENAME}}|{{PAGENAME}} category]].
===Shutdown (May 31, 2014)===
===Shutdown===
{{Main|Gamespy server shutdown}}
{{Main|GameSpy server shutdown}}
In April of 2014, [[Glu Mobile]], the owner of '''''GameSpy'''''<nowiki/>'s software divsion ('''''GameSpy''' Industries''), announced the shutdown of all GameSpy multiplayer services.<ref name=":0" /> Of the 800+ games affected by the shutdown,<ref name=":1" /> 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.<ref name=":3" />
On May 31st, 2014, Glu Mobile, the owner of GameSpy's software division (GameSpy Industries), shut down GameSpy's services,<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Futter |first=Mike |date=Apr 3, 2014 |title=Glu Shutting Down Gamespy Service, Affecting A Reported 800 Developers And Publishers |url=https://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-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407072627/https://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2014/04/03/glu-shutting-down-gamespy-service-affecting-a-reported-800-developers-and-publishers.aspx |archive-date=Apr 7, 2014 |access-date=Jul 8, 2025 |work=Game Informer}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> affecting popular titles such as ''Battlefield 2142'',<ref name=":2" /> ''Halo Combat Evolved'', and ''Saints Row 2'', which lost all multiplayer functionality.<ref>{{Cite web |title=GameSpy |url=https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/GameSpy |access-date=Jul 8, 2025 |website=PC Gaming Wiki |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251021003948/https://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/GameSpy |archive-date=21 Oct 2025}}</ref> Some games were left unplayable due to digital rights management reliance on GameSpy servers.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Williams |first=Byrn |date=Mar 9, 2010 |title=Ubisoft's DRM Servers Attacked Again |url=https://pc.gamespy.com/pc/assassins-creed-2/1075803p1.html |access-date=Jul 8, 2025 |work=[[GameSpy]] |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260219115008/http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/assassins-creed-2/1075803p1.html |archive-date=19 Feb 2026}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Burns |first=Chris |date=Apr 4, 2014 |title=GAMESPY SHUTS DOWN MAY 31: WILL YOUR GAME BE AFFECTED? |url=https://www.slashgear.com/gamespy-shuts-down-may-31-will-your-game-be-affected-04323788/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140717091309/https://www.slashgear.com/gamespy-shuts-down-may-31-will-your-game-be-affected-04323788/ |archive-date=Jul 17, 2014 |access-date=Jul 8, 2025 |website=Slashgear}}</ref>


In the aftermath of the incident, projects such as OpenSpy were created to restore functionality to these damaged games, such as Battlefield 2142.<ref name=":2" />
In the aftermath of the incident, projects such as OpenSpy were created to restore functionality to these damaged games, such as ''Battlefield 2142''.<ref name=":2" />


==Products<!-- Need the actual name of their server software, among other products GS used to distribute. -->==
==Products<!-- Need the actual name of their server software, among other products GS used to distribute. -->==
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