I don't know if you have noticed yet, but it is 2013. Rather than getting the science fiction future I was promised of hoverboards and silver clothing, I instead get a world where games I bought are no longer playable online as servers are switched off. The latest victims to fall foul of this are White Knight Chronicles and White Knight Chronicles 2. These games will no longer be co-op as of June 18th 2013.
The announcements for both games were made yesterday over on the Sony forums and on the White Knight's Facebook page. Rather than going online and giving the news a thumbs up, think about what it means for the co-op gamer. The first game allowed for up to 4 players to play co-op online, whilst the sequel upped the ante to a fulsome 6 players. Now the games will be solo only.
EA are notorious for shutting down servers, but this latest dark day for White Knight suggests that a lot of online co-op games from this generation may soon be unplayable. D3P did announce the closure with some humility:
We regret to share that the online server for White Knight Chronicles II for PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system on June 18, 2013 in North America will shut down. After this date, you will still be able to play the game offline.
We would like to thank everyone in the White Knight Chronicles II community for their support and hope you enjoyed the game.
Community question:
Are you bothered if aging servers for online co-op games are closed?
Which games do you think will be next?
Source: Facebook.com