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GameSpy: Difference between revisions

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{{StubNotice}}
{{StubNotice}}
{{InfoboxCompany
{{CompanyCargo
| Name = {{PAGENAME}}
|Description=Now defunct American company that hosted multiplayer servers and matchmaking systems for video games.
| Type =Subsidiary
|Founded=1999
| Founded =1999
|Industry=Video Games, Information Technology
| Industry =Multiplayer software services
|Logo=GameSpy.svg
| Official Website =gamespy.com
|ParentCompany=IGN Entertainment
| Logo =GameSpy.svg
|Type=Subsidiary
}}'''GameSpy''' was a company founded by Mark Sufas in 1995. It provided multiplayer middleware 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/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 '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=http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=207033&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1721900&highlight= |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=Apr 11, 2016 |access-date=Jul 8, 2025 |work=[[Glu Mobile]]}}</ref>
|Website=http://www.gamespy.com
}}
'''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 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]]}}</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}}</ref>
*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>
*Market control: Initially the primary game hosting service for many games.
*User privacy: Unknown; defunct in 2014.<nowiki/>
*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; zero market control after shutdown in 2014.<ref name=":0" />


==Incidents==
==Incidents==
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===Shutdown===
===Shutdown===
{{Main|GameSpy server shutdown}}
{{Main|GameSpy server shutdown}}
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/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" /> 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}}</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=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>
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" />
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