A European initiative is now underway for videogame preservation and consumer protections against publishers “killing games.”

  • 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒆𝒍@sopuli.xyz
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    3 months ago

    well, while i understand sunsetting old online multiplayer games because hosting game servers is a non zero cost, i can’t understand the need for singleplayer games to be always connected and rendering them unplayable

    • BrikoX@lemmy.zipOP
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      3 months ago

      The company wouldn’t be required to keep their servers online, just to allow other people to host their own. So it has 0 ongoing cost and maybe few hours of coding during game development.

      • FPSkra@lemmy.world
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        3 months ago

        Unless you are a game developer I would hold off on assuming how much work would be required to do what this proposal asks.

        • misery mansion@lemmy.world
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          3 months ago

          Used to be the norm back in the day though. I’m saying 15 years or so before the old internet disappeared with AWS etc.

          Self hosted should be an option and I think this is a reasonable requirement tbqh. Yeah it’s not 0 work but it’s not a hardship either, really, given the many hours that are going to be needed on netcode anyway. Especially if you know this going in to development.

          • FPSkra@lemmy.world
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            3 months ago

            That isn’t an unreasonable take. But the language this proposal uses is far too vague and leaves too much in the hands of the government, and could be used by the EU, an organization not really known for their tech savvy, to place some burdensome requirements on developers…especially indie developers who do not have the resources that big studios have.

            • yamanii@lemmy.world
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              3 months ago

              Indie developers are the only ones doing that, Knockout City devs released their hosting software for the community, it’s the AAA developers that wanted to maintain control.

        • umbrella
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          3 months ago

          if they can code their own server software already, it wouldnt be a problem to release it.

    • JokeDeity@lemm.ee
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      3 months ago

      There’s actually nothing wrong with no longer supporting a game you developed. The problem is these scummy bastards make sure no one can support the game or run it privately after they abandon it.

    • Mango@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      I can’t understand the “need” for the server to be hosted by the company. Our computers are just as good.

      • VirtualOdour@sh.itjust.works
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        3 months ago

        Well look at gta online, moders and hackers have so much more power when the session isn’t run by the company. it alao allows them to find exploits much easier if the server tools are available to run locally. Also If you don’t want people being able to give themselves all the weapons and money and mess up your game that means game states can’t transfer between servers which means you could invest weeks in a campaign only to have the server close.

        I prefer locally hosted stuff but there are obvious benefits which draw game companies to choosing to control the hosting process

        • Mango@lemmy.world
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          3 months ago

          Terrible example. Why should the company decide how anyone plays? Just join a server that’s decent if that’s what you want. You shouldn’t decide for others if they can spawn in tanks.