The debate surrounding the preservation of always-online games has intensified, with consumer advocacy groups like Stop Killing Games (SKG) pushing for legislation that would mandate offline modes or local server support for games that can no longer be officially maintained. This movement is gaining traction amidst a gaming landscape increasingly dominated by live service titles, where the perpetual availability of content is a core tenet.
Warframe, the long-running sci-fi shooter from Digital Extremes, exemplifies the complexity of this issue. With over a decade of updates, quests, and systems, the developers are committed to evolving the game rather than abandoning its legacy. Scott McGregor, original design director for Warframe, noted the team's philosophy: "Instead of mostly turning it off, we either improve it, or we replace it with something better." However, McGregor admitted that there are no concrete plans for ensuring Warframe's survival should Digital Extremes cease support, highlighting a common oversight in the live service model.
SKG advocates for a legal obligation for publishers to provide players with a means to access their games, even after official support ends. This could involve handing over game code for community-run servers or implementing offline functionality. The group has lobbied for legislation in various regions, facing pushback from industry organizations like the Electronic Software Association. Recent moves by Sony to phase out physical game sales have further fueled concerns about publisher control over digital game access.
Some developers have proactively incorporated offline or peer-to-peer capabilities. Shiro Games, developers of the mining and trading sim SpaceCraft, built the game with future offline play in mind. CEO Nicolas Cannasse stated, "When we started developing SpaceCraft, quite early on we thought about players still being able to play offline in the far future in case servers are no longer available." While they had to introduce the mode earlier than planned due to player feedback during early access, the infrastructure proved flexible enough.
Otherside Entertainment is also working on peer-to-peer multiplayer for their burglary sim, Thick as Thieves, to allow continued play after server shutdowns. However, the technical challenges of retroactively adding such features to games not designed for them are substantial. Mark Darrah, former producer for BioWare's Anthem, described reverse-engineering an always-online game for local play as a "massive undertaking," potentially costing millions. Dedicated servers are typically optimized for high player counts, and their code may not scale well for individual players or modders. Security is another major concern, as publishers must audit for data breach risks and ensure that enabling local servers for one game doesn't create vulnerabilities in others, especially when engines and codebases are shared, as is the case with Anthem and EA's FC Ultimate Team.
Darrah cautioned that stringent legal requirements for digital preservation could deter the creation of certain types of games. He suggested that laws would likely be "forward only," prompting developers to move live service operations out of jurisdictions with such regulations, similar to how lootbox bans have affected game releases in Belgium. Beyond technical and financial obstacles, intellectual property law and the complexity of real-time economies in loot-driven games present further preservation hurdles.
Despite these challenges, the push for game preservation is seen by some as part of a broader movement against the centralization of cultural access. While some games, like Warframe, derive their meaning from the ongoing conversation between developers and players, others might be reimagined through the lens of preservation. The development of games like Helldivers 2, which uses its live service model to comment on perpetual conflict, could evolve differently under preservation mandates. Developers like Billy Basso, with their platformer Animal Well designed as a "time capsule" for long-term compatibility, offer alternative models for considering a game's lifespan from its inception.