Video games have come a long way, resolving many of the old annoyances players used to struggle with – things like clunky controls or limited gameplay. It’s easy to think modern gaming is problem-free, considering how far we’ve come. However, that’s not true. The industry still faces significant issues, including job losses and questionable ways of making money.
Thankfully, we’ve largely solved the problem of finding and affording games. It’s no longer a struggle to locate your favorite title in stores or pay inflated prices for older copies. However, gamers now face a potentially bigger issue: games disappearing entirely and becoming unplayable. While obtaining a game isn’t the challenge anymore, keeping access to it is.
Games Are Easier To Access Now Than Ever Before
I have a vivid memory of being a kid and searching for Final Fantasy X at my local used game store. Instead, I only found Final Fantasy X-2. I mistakenly thought it was an upgraded version of the game (the “2” should have tipped me off that it was a sequel!), so I bought it and struggled through a pretty confusing playthrough. Back then, services like Steam weren’t as common, and digital game preservation wasn’t really a thing. If a game wasn’t available in stores, you simply couldn’t play it.
Gaming is incredibly popular today, with more games being made and available on digital platforms than ever before. Xbox’s recent decision to make games available on multiple platforms highlights how much easier it’s become for people to get into gaming. You’re no longer limited to what’s available at local stores – though supporting them is still a great idea! – because platforms like Steam offer over 100,000 games, and thousands more are available online through other retailers like Amazon.
Most people are aware of this by now, but it’s still crucial to remember how important it is to preserve art and media. Luckily, with how things are made and shared today, it’s become much easier. While having so many options can be overwhelming, games like Final Fantasy X are now instantly accessible. However, this has created a new problem, and it’s actually more serious than the issues we’ve worked hard to prevent.
Live Service Titles Provide A New Problem For Gamers
As a fan of games, I’ve seen a lot of discussion about what’s wrong with ‘live service’ titles, and honestly, the biggest problem for me is how short-lived they often are. These games are built in a way that means they’re not really meant to last. The servers stay up as long as people are playing and spending money, and the moment that slows down, or the company decides it’s not profitable anymore, the whole game just… disappears. It’s frustrating because you get invested, and then it’s just gone.
When live service games are discontinued, they’re not usually left available as single-player experiences. While sometimes, like with Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, players can still enjoy them offline, more often the game becomes completely unplayable when the servers shut down. This means entire games – projects with massive budgets, created by talented teams, and loved by many players – are essentially erased. It’s rare for any other creative work to be completely removed just because it’s no longer being updated or supported, except perhaps for temporary installations or protest pieces.
It’s crazy how many old movies and books have survived, even if they weren’t super popular at the time. You can usually find a physical copy somewhere, or at least a way to access them. We gamers know this feeling – even older, less famous games still pop up on eBay or through collectors. But live service games are different. They’re a real headache because if the company shuts down the servers, everything you’ve spent time and money on just… disappears. It’s like a unique problem for us, because unlike movies or books, those games aren’t really ‘preserved’ in the same way.
Game Preservation Is Incredibly Important in 2026
In 2025, Electronic Arts (EA) shut down Anthem, a game that had been available for six years. Developed by the well-respected studio BioWare, Anthem was a bit controversial, but many players still enjoyed it. It’s disappointing that new gamers, or those discovering BioWare, won’t be able to play it now. This loss, along with the disappearance of other games, is a setback for preserving video game history.
The removal of online games has led to many petitions, like one started after Ubisoft closed The Crew without offering an offline option. Some developers are now adding single-player modes so players can still enjoy their games even after the online servers are gone. However, many others simply remove their games without considering how to preserve them for the future.
Hopefully, the problem of games disappearing when their servers shut down will eventually be fixed, just like the old issue of finding rare video games. Adding offline modes or shifting away from games that rely on constant online connections would be a great help, though that might be a lot to ask. Unlike the scarcity of physical games, which was solved by technology and growing popularity, keeping live service games playable requires publishers and developers to take action. Servers can’t stay running forever, so offline options need to be a priority – and they cost money to develop. I really hope future gamers won’t have to deal with this, and will look back on this time as a frustrating period in gaming history.
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2026-01-27 23:43