Preservation projects
"...So dawn goes down to day. Nothing gold can stay."
- Robert Frost (1874-1963)
Over the years, technology has been rapidly evolving. Things that were once considered "new" or "innovating" can quickly become "old" or "outdated" over time. These changes can happen in a lot of ways, but overall as time goes on all things are at risk of disappearing someday. While it may seem like an impossible (and sometimes pointless) task, that hasn't stopped many people from taking it upon themselves to preserve what others would consider to be not as important. While there are many aspects with respect to preservation in general, emulation plays a key role in preserving software by documenting and allowing old programs to run on modern devices (because what's the point of archiving a bunch of old games if you have no way of playing them!). Because emulation is often associated with preservation, this page is meant to highlight some other projects that have similar goals relating to video games and technology, some of which can even be used in conjunction with emulation.
Contents
Preservation projects
Name | Platform(s) | Latest version | Active | Recommended | Preserves the following software |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
eXoDOS | Windows | 6.0 | ✓ | ✓ | DOS games |
eXoWin3x | Windows | 2.0 | ✓ | ✓ | Windows 3x games |
Retro Learning Pack | Windows | ✓ | ✓ | MS-DOS & Windows 3.1 educational software | |
eXoScummVM | Windows | ✓ | ✓ | ScummVM games | |
eXoAppleIIGS | Windows | 1.0 | ✓ | ✓ | Apple IIGS games & apps |
Flashpoint | Windows | 13 "Dart Frog" | ✓ | ✓ | Flash and other web games |
instance_archive(); | Windows | 15/10/2021 | ✓ | ✓ | GameMaker games. |
Kahvibreak | Windows Linux |
1.6 | ✓ | ✓ | J2ME games |
Pleasuredome | Windows | 0.267 | ✓ | ✓ | MAME & Non-MAME romsets |
Emerson Arcadia 2001 Central | Online | N/A | ✓ | ✓ | Signetics 2650-based machines
(Interton VC 4000, Elektor TV Games Computer, et al.) |
INTV Funhouse | Online | N/A | ✓ | ✓ | Intellivision fun, facts, tips & pics! |
Myrient | Online | N/A | ✓ | ✓ | A reenvisioning of video game preservation |
GameTDB | Online | N/A | ✓ | ✓ | Box art for GCN, NDS, 3DS, Wii, Wii U, and PS3 |
hShop | 3DS | N/A | ✓ | ✓ | The ultimate 3DS content website, shouldn't be confused with revivial projects. |
Ghost eShop | 3DS | N/A | ✓ | ✓ | The ultimate content for 3DS Website, shouldn't be confused with revivial projects. |
Flipnote Archive | Online | N/A | ✗ | ✓ | Nintendo's Flipnote Hatena Only for archiving of Flipnote animations posted to Flipnote Hatena before it closed, shouldn't be confused with revivial projects. |
Archiverse | Online | N/A | ✗ | ✓ | Nintendo's Miiverse Only for archiving of Miiverse data before it closed, shouldn't be confused with revivial projects. |
Open Shop Channel | Online | N/A | ✓ | ✓ | Homebrew apps library for the Wii |
MarioCube | Online | N/A | ✓ | ✓ | Rare files for Wii/GCN. WiiWare/Virtual Console WADs from Wii Shop Channel |
Redump | Online | N/A | ✓ | ✓ | Database of checksums for disc-based games |
TOSEC | Online | N/A | ✓ | ✓ | Database of checksums for disc- and cartridge-based games |
No-Intro | Online | N/A | ✓ | ✓ | Database of checksums for cartridge-based games |
Hidden Palace | Online | N/A | ✓ | ✓ | Video game development media (such as prototypes, hardware, source code, artwork, and more) |
The Cutting Room Floor | Online | N/A | ✓ | ✓ | Dedicated to unearthing and researching unused and cut content from video games. From debug menus, to unused music, graphics, enemies, or levels, many games have content never meant to be seen by anybody but the developers — or even meant for everybody, but cut due to time/budget constraints. |
LostMediaWiki | Online | N/A | ✓ | ✓ | Pieces of lost or hard to find media (whether it be video, audio or otherwise) |
Rchive | Online | N/A | ✓ | ✓ | Downloadable Roblox games from 2006-2017. |
The Roblox Lost Media Project | Online | N/A | ✓ | ✓ | Pieces of lost or hard to find media relating to Roblox (whether it be video, audio or otherwise) |
Valve Archive | Online | N/A | ✓ | ✓ | Pieces of lost or hard to find media relating to Valve (whether it be video, audio or otherwise) |
Revivial Projects
As the internet has become more readily available over time, a lot of people have experimented with adding online services to their products (see Early Online Services). However, because of how dependent these features can be on a single company or server they are at high risk of disappearing once the service gets shut down. MMOs are especially at risk as the entirety of the game is based on playing online. If the game has no way of allowing the user to host their own private server then once the service ends, so does the game. This will especially be a problem in the future as more and more games are becoming more dependent on online services. Depending on interest and importance, there has been a surprising amount of fans who have come together to keep a service alive, or even "revive" it, by creating their own functioning service.
Private Platform Servers
Name | Platform(s) | Official Servers/Active | Revived? | Revive Group(s)/Communities | Revived Platform(s) | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Steam's online features multiplayer over LAN |
✓ | ✓ | Goldberg Emulator | |||
Games for Windows – Live | ✗ As of 2023, users are unable to login to Games for Windows Live through the GFWL Marketplace. The in-game overlay, however, still works fully on all games already owned either digitally or retail, with long login times ranging from 1-5 minutes.[1] |
WIP | XLiveLessNess | N/A | ||
Game Center Achievements, Challenges, Leaderboards etc. |
✓ | ✗ | N/A | N/A | ||
Google Play Games Google Play Services Achievements, Challenges, Leaderboards etc. |
✓ | ✗ | N/A | N/A | ||
WiiConnect24 and channels | ✗ On June 27, 2013, WiiConnect24 service features were globally terminated. On January 30, 2019, Nintendo shut down the Wii Shop Channel and removed all WiiWare, Virtual Console games, and other Wii Channels from sale or initial download. |
✓ | RiiConnect24 (Which is part of WiiLink project) |
|||
Nintendo eShop | ~ The ability to purchase, download, and play new content on the Nintendo eShop for the Wii U and the Nintendo 3DS was discontinued for the rest of the world on March 27, 2023. Servers only active for Switch platform at the moment. |
✗ | N/A | N/A | ||
Nintendo Zone | ~ This application has been discontinued worldwide, but all other Nintendo Zone functionality remains. |
✓ | SatellaZone | |||
Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection | ✗ On May 20, 2014, at 7:30 PM PT, Nintendo ended the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service. |
✓ | Wiimmfi WiiLink WFC (WIP) Kaeru WFC |
|||
Flipnote Hatena | ✗ An online service, titled Flipnote Hatena, allowed users to download flipnotes created by other users and to post stills from flipnotes to the sharing site Miiverse. It was shut down on April 2, 2018. |
✓ | Sudomemo | |||
Flipnote Gallery: World for Flipnote Studio 3D |
✗ |
✓ | kaeru gallery kaeru |
|||
GameSpy | Various | ✗ It was shut down on May 31, 2014. |
✓ | OpenSpy | Various | |
Nintendo Network | ✗ On October 4, 2023, Nintendo announced the discontinuation of the service by early April 2024. It was shut down on April 9, 2024. |
WIP | Pretendo | |||
Miitomo | ✗ It was ultimately discontinued on May 9, 2018. |
✓ | Kaerutomo | |||
Miiverse Network | ✗ Discontinued on November 8, 2017. |
✓ | rverse | |||
Nintendo Switch Online | ✓ | ✗ | Raptor Network (Offline) | N/A | ||
PlayOnline | ~ The termination date for Final Fantasy XI and PlayOnline on PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 was March 2016, with only the PC version of Final Fantasy XI still supported. |
✗ | N/A | N/A | ||
PlayStation Broadband Navigator | ✗ Service for PlayStation 2‘s Broadband Navigator end in Japan on March 31 2016, Sony Computer Entertainment Japan Asia announced. |
✗ | N/A | N/A | ||
PlayStation Network | |
✓ | WIP | RPCN (P2P match-making) PSORG Revival clank |
||
Playstation Home | ✗ | WIP | Destination Home | |||
PlayStation Mobile | ✗ The service completely shutting down on September 10, 2015. Games were available to devices via the PlayStation Store. |
✗ | N/A | N/A | ||
SpotPass/StreetPass | ✗ On October 4, 2023, Nintendo announced the SpotPass service would be discontinued by April 2024. It was later revealed that it would shut down on April 8, 2024, at 4 pm PDT. |
WIP[1] | Pretendo | N/A | ||
VTech Learning Lodge | ? | ? | N/A | N/A | N/A | |
Wireplay | ✗ The service endured for a time but was finally shut down in 2014. |
✗ | N/A | N/A | ||
Xbox Live/Xbox network | ~ Xbox Live for the original Xbox was discontinued by Microsoft on April 15, 2010. On July 29, 2024, Xbox will stop supporting the ability to purchase new games, DLC, and other entertainment content from the Xbox 360 Store on the console and the Xbox 360 Marketplace. |
WIP | Insignia Xenia WebServices (P2P match-making) |
|||
Clients | YouTube | ✓ Latest clients online, but older clients offline |
✓ | TubeFixer (iOS) yt2009 (Web, Android) yt2013 (Web) more |
||
✓ Newer clients online, but older clients offline |
~ | LegacyIGN |
Private Game Servers
These shouldn't be confused with LAN tunneling or offline multiplayer gaming over a LAN (local area network) multiplayer games (e.g. System Link for XBOX home console systems or third party tools and services such as XLink Kai etc). P2P infrastructure based games are included for informational purposes regarding their availability, even if the primary focus might be on the private servers. While some games listed below use peer-to-peer (P2P) infrastructure, they might have private servers for authentication phase.
Name | Platform(s) (Only online multiplayer supported ones) |
Official Servers/Active | Revived? | Revive Group/Community | Revived Platform(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa | ✗ Servers down.[2] |
✗ | N/A | N/A | |
Aion Aion: The Tower of Eternity |
✓ | ✓ | GoldAion | ||
APB: All Points Bulletin APB: Reloaded |
✓ | ✗ | N/A | N/A | |
Aura Kingdom | ✓ | ✓ | Aura Kingdom Eternal | ||
Avatar: Legends of the Arena | ✗ Servers closed in 2013. |
WIP | LegendsOfTheArena Discord channel | ||
Batman: Arkham Origins | ✗ On December 4, 2016, the online services for Arkham Origins were officially retired. Despite this, the servers remained available for PC and Playstation. As of January 2021, it appears that you can no longer find matches on PC or Playstation matchmaking.[3][4] |
✓ | Arkham: Revived | ||
Battlefield 1942 | ✗ Battlefield 1942's master server shutdown in 2014. |
✓ | OpenSpy | ||
Battlefield 2 | ✗ On June 30, 2014, the multiplayer master server was shut down alongside other GameSpy-powered titles. |
✓ | BF2Hub OpenSpy |
||
Battlefield 2142 | ✗ In July 2014, all online components (including Singleplayer) of the game were deactivated following the shutdown of GameSpy. |
✓ | BF2142 Reclamation OpenSpy |
||
Battlefield 2: Modern Combat | ✗ Multiplayer on Xbox was shut down on April 15, 2010. All Xbox, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 2 servers are offline. |
✓ | Cristian | [2] | |
Battlefield 1943 | ✗ Servers for Battlefield 1943 will be shut down on December 8, 2023. |
WIP | Various[2] | ? | |
Battlefield Vietnam | ✗ On June 30, 2014, the multiplayer master server was shut down alongside other GameSpy-powered titles. |
✓ | GameRanger OpenSpy |
||
Battlefield Bad Company | ✗ Servers for Battlefield Bad Company will be shut down on December 8, 2023. |
WIP | Various[2] | ? | |
Battlefield Bad Company 2 | ✗ Servers for Battlefield Bad Company 2 will be shut down on December 8, 2023. |
✓ | Project Rome | ||
Battlefield Heroes | ✗ Went offline on 14 July 2015, alongside fellow EA free-to-play titles Battlefield Play4Free, Need for Speed: World, and FIFA World. |
✓ | Rising Hub Phoenix Heroes |
||
Battlefield Play4Free | ✗ Went offline on 14 July 2015, alongside fellow EA free-to-play titles Battlefield Heroes, Need for Speed: World, and FIFA World. |
✓ | Phoenix Play4Free | ||
Blade & Soul | ✓ | ✓ | BNSPVP | ||
Blur | ✗ Reports of PC server closure appeared since 2013. |
✓ | Amax Emu Amax Emu (RPCS3) |
||
Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway | ✗ Both PC and home console versions servers depends on GameSpy so it went offline. |
✓ | OpenSpy (PC)[3] OpenSpy (RPCS3) |
||
Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood | ✗ GameSpy. |
✓ | OpenSpy (PC)[3] Insignia (Xbox) |
||
Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30 | ✗ The online multiplayer aspect was shut down forever so your only choice now its using revive servers or LAN tunneling options. |
✓ | Insignia[3] | ||
Burnout Revenge | ✗ The online servers for Burnout Revenge were shut down for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox on September 1, 2007. The Xbox 360 servers were shut down on October 24, 2012. |
✗ | N/A | N/A | |
Calling All Cars! | ✗ The servers for Calling All Cars! were taken offline in January 2010. |
✓ | PSONE | ||
Call of Duty Call of Duty: Classic |
✓ Game online infastructure is P2P-based so it's playable. |
✓ | COD.PM RPCN (RPCS3) |
||
Call of Duty 2 | ✓ Game online infastructure is P2P-based on Xbox 360[5] and PC so it's playable. |
✓ | Xenia WebServices | ||
Call of Duty 3 | ~ Game online infastructure is P2P-based on seventh-gen home consoles[6] so it's playable, but it needs custom server for authentication process[7]. For sixth-gen home console versions you need to use revive projects. |
✓ | Xenia WebServices(Xenia) Cristian or Bobz Insignia |
||
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Reflex Edition |
~ Home console versions multiplayer servers still active today. Steam/1.8 version needs CoD4X to join most of the dedicated servers. If you have physical copy and updated to 1.7 version you can still join some of the compatible vanilla dedicated servers. You need gecko code to play on Wii[8] but servers down[9] and because the game uses different servers, WFC revival projects are incompatible. |
✓ | GameRanger CoD4X CoD Nintendo[4] |
||
Call of Duty: World at War | ~ Home console versions still have multiplayer enabled. For physical Windows or Steam version if you have already a profile registered with keys you can still join dedicated servers using master server list but if you try to register a new profile there is no way to play multiplayer anymore due to physical Windows copies and steam versions ran out of keys so you need to use revive projects. You need gecko code to play on Wii[10] but servers down[11] and because the game uses different servers, WFC revival projects are incompatible. |
✓ | Plutonium CoD Nintendo[4] |
||
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 | |
✓ Vanilla servers are still up. |
✓ | IW4x | |
Call of Duty: Black Ops | ~ DS and Wii servers down and because the game uses different servers, WFC revival projects are incompatible. Servers on PC, PS3 and Xbox 360 are still up. |
✓ | plutonium CoD Nintendo[4] |
||
Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood | ~ The servers were shutdown in September 2016. However according to recent Reddit user report "ranked matches" still works. |
✓ | GameRanger | ||
CityVille | ✗ CityVille was shut down on April 30, 2015. |
✗ | N/A | N/A | |
Champions Online | ✓ | ✗ | N/A | N/A | |
Club Penguin | ✗ On January 30, 2017, it was announced that the game would be discontinued on March 29, 2017, later shut down its servers on March 30, 2017, at 12:01 AM PDT. |
✓ | New Club Penguin | HTML5 version is currently WIP. | |
Command & Conquer: Red Alert 2 | ✓ In 2005, control of online play for Red Alert 2 and a number of older C&C games was passed over from EA to XWIS, a community-run server. |
✓ | CnCNet | ||
The Crew | ✗ On December 14, 2023, Ubisoft announced that the servers will shut down after March 31, 2024, so the game is unplayable from now on. |
WIP | The Crew Unlimited | N/A | |
Dead Space 2 | ✗ Electronic Arts is shutting down the online servers for a number of older titles including Dead Space 2 multiplayer by the end of the 2023. |
✗ | N/A | N/A | |
Destiny | |
✓ See this page for PS3 and Xbox 360, this page for PS4 and Xbox One. |
WIP | V4NGUARD | |
Demon's Souls | ✗ Discontinued worldwide in February 2018. |
✓ | The Archstones | ||
Diablo III: Reaper of Souls | |
✓ | WIP | DiIiS Project | |
Drift City | ~ On February 22, 2016, GamesCampus announced that the Drift City USA servers would close.On March 21, 2016, the USA server was shut down, although the Korean server is still playable. On April 2, 2021, Arario announced that the Drift City Evolution server would be closing. On May 1, 2021, the Japanese server closed and the only remaining official server is the Korean server, hosted by Masangsoft. |
✓ | Drift City Remastered | ||
Fantasy Tennis Fantasy Tennis 2 |
✗ Alaplaya shut down Fantasy Tennis/Fantasy Tennis 2 on February 8th 2013. |
✓ | JFTSE | ||
Dragalia Lost | ✗ Service for Dragalia Lost ended on November 29, 2022, at 10 PM PT.[12] |
✓ | Dawnshard Orchis |
||
EverQuest Online Adventures | ✗ Shut down on March 29, 2012, after nine years of operation. |
✓ | Sandstorm[5] | ||
Far Cry | ✗ Multiplayer online functionality dropped by Ubisoft in August 2015. |
✓ | LRv3 | ||
Far Cry 2 | |
~ The online functions for PC version ended in June 2021 when Ubisoft closed down servers for its older titles. Xbox servers down in late-2023 according to recent user reports on reddit. |
✓ | fc2mp PS3 Reborn[6] |
|
Final Fantasy XI Online | ~ The game was the first MMORPG to offer cross-platform play between PlayStation 2 and PC. It was later released for the Xbox 360 in April 2006. All versions of the game require a monthly subscription to play. Final Fantasy XI became the final active server on the PlayStation 2 online service. Support for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 versions was ultimately ended on March 31, 2016, leaving only the PC platform playable. In May 2022 rumors had circulated that FFXI may soon be shutting down. Yoji Fujito released a statement noting that this was not the case and users should not worry about the services being shut down any time soon. |
~ | N/A (PS2/Xbox 360) Various (PC) |
||
Final Fantasy XIV | |
✓ Square Enix President Yoichi Wada announced that a new team, led by Yoshida, would assume control and address the game's flaws. The new team both continued to develop and improve the original version, and secretly worked on a completely new replacement. This new game, codenamed "Version 2.0", used a new engine, improved server infrastructure, and revamped gameplay, interface, and story. The original version shut down in November 2012, followed by an alpha test for Version 2.0. The relaunched game released to largely positive reception. By October 2021, it had gained over 24 million registered players, and become the most profitable Final Fantasy game to date. A fifth expansion pack, Dawntrail, is to be released in July 2024. |
WIP | Sapphire | N/A |
FishVille | ✗ The game was discontinued on December 5, 2012. |
✗ | N/A | N/A | |
Fish with Attitude | ✗ The game was discontinued on the 31st of December 2017. |
✗ | N/A | N/A | |
Flatout 2/Ultimate Carnage | ~ Flatout 2 servers were down. However FlatOut Ultimate Carnage multiplayer still works in 2022 and will likely work forever since it uses P2P for connecting/hosting servers. Also GFWL has merged with Xbox Live and still works with FlatOut Ultimate Carnage.[7] |
✓ for Flatout 2 |
OpenSpy | ||
Free Realms | ✗ The game's servers were shut down on March 31, 2014 in a closure of three other SOE MMOs that year. |
WIP | Free Realms Sunrise OSFR |
||
Grand Theft Auto IV GTA IV: Episodes from Liberty City GTA IV: Complete Edition |
~ Multiplayer was removed from the "Complete Edition" version when Microsoft ended its Games for Windows Live support. Unpatched/previous versions and home console versions still have multiplayer enabled. Although on Windows you need a valid GFWL key. Otherwise you need revival projects to play multiplayer. |
✓ | Xenia WebServices(Xenia) RPCN (RPCS3) GTA Connected HappinessMP |
||
Grand Theft Auto V | |
~ Seventh-gen home console versions of GTA Online were shut down on December 16th, 2021. As well as GTA Online, services for LA Noire and Max Payne 3 are shutting down on seventh-gen consoles. The eighth and ninth-generation home consoles and Windows are now the only platforms the game can be played on. |
✓ | 3TA Online GTA:OG (Offline) |
|
Guild Wars | ✓ | ✗ | entice ‡ | N/A | |
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock | ~ Neversoft Guitar Hero Titles uses Xbox Live Servers, till this day it still does work on Xbox 360.[13] PS3 and Wii placeholder text |
✗ | N/A | N/A | |
Guitar Hero Live | ✗ GHTV game mode's servers were shut down on December 1, 2018, making over 500 streamable songs no longer playable in Guitar Hero Live. Wii U's Nintendo Network online service shut down on April 8, 2024, making GHTV Reloaded inaccessible on Wii U until Pretendo supports third-party game servers.[8] |
✓ | GHTV Reloaded | ||
Gun Bros | ✗ Before servers shut down, players could fight with two players online via GameSpy (shut down) and Game Center (shut down). |
✗ | N/A | N/A | |
Guns of Icarus Online | ✓ | ✗[9] | N/A | N/A | |
Halo 2 | ✗ Xbox version servers down due to Xbox Live for the original Xbox was discontinued by Microsoft on April 15, 2010. PC/Vista version servers down in July 2015. |
✓ | Project Cartographer Insignia |
||
Halo 3 | ✗ January 13, 2022 marks the server shutdown date for Halo 3 and other classic Halo games. |
WIP | Sunrise | ||
Happy Aquarium | ✗ 101XP shut down this game June the 15th in 2021. Unfortunately, you can no longer play Happy Aquarium. |
✗ | N/A | N/A | |
Happy Wars | ~ Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows servers shut down on December 17, 2018. The Xbox One and Xbox Series home console versions is now the only platform the game can be played on. |
WIP | Happy Wars Hell#Revival Discord channel | N/A | |
Haze | ✗ Servers have been shutdown.[14] |
✓ | PS3 Reborn[6] | ||
Joint Operations: Typhoon Rising | ✓ | ✓ | GameRanger | ||
Juiced | ✗ GameSpy. |
✓ | Cristian OpenSpy |
||
LittleBigPlanet | ✗ Online functionality was discontinued on 13 September 2021, alongside services for LittleBigPlanet 2, LittleBigPlanet PS Vita, and the PlayStation 3 version of LittleBigPlanet 3 (the PS4 version in 2024) |
WIP | Project Lighthouse | ||
Mario Kart 7 | ✗ On October 4, 2023, Nintendo announced the discontinuation of the service by early April 2024. It was shut down on April 9, 2024. |
✓ | CTGP-7 Network Pretendo Network (WIP) |
||
Mario Kart Wii | ✗ Online multiplayer was supported until the discontinuation of Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection in May 2014. |
✓ | Wiimmfi WiiLink WFC |
||
Matrix Online, The | ✗ SOE shut down operation of the game on July 31, 2009. |
✓ | MxoEmu | ||
Max Payne 3 | ~ The online multiplayer mode and Social Club support for the game were discontinued in September 2021. As well as Max Payne 3, services for LA Noire and GTA Online are shutting down on seventh-gen consoles. But servers for PC is still active. |
✗ | N/A | N/A | |
Medal of Honor: Pacific Assault | ✗ Gamespy. |
✓ | OpenSpy | ||
Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence (incl. Metal Gear Online) |
✗ The official servers for the original Metal Gear Online were shutdown in 2007.[15] |
✓ | Cristian MGO |
||
Metal Gear Online Metal Gear Online 2 |
✗ Metal Gear Online's North American and European servers were shut down on June 12, 2012. |
✓ | SaveMGO | ||
MUD: FIM Motocross World Championship | ✗ The game requires Gamespy servers on PC for online play and servers were permantly turned off 31st May 2014. Console versions servers might be unstable and unreliable?[16] |
N/A | N/A | N/A | |
Motor City Online | ✗ Servers for MCO have been shut down on August 29, 2003[17] However there is a way to play offline mode. |
N/A | N/A[18] | N/A | |
Need for Speed: Carbon | ✗ Online services for NFS Carbon have been shut down on September 1, 2021. Although there is a work-in-progress unofficial mod called "NFSCO", which will bring online play back. |
WIP | NFSCO | ||
Need for Speed: Most Wanted (2005) | |
✗ The online multiplayer lobby was shut down on August 1, 2011. Although it is still possible to play the game in multiplayer, but through an unofficial mod called "Most Wanted Online". |
✓ | Most Wanted Online | |
Need for Speed: World | ✗ Went offline on 14 July 2015, alongside fellow EA free-to-play titles Battlefield Heroes, Battlefield Play4Free, and FIFA World. |
✓ | SoapBox Raceworld nightriderz |
||
OGame (v0.84 version with old design) |
~ Servers up but there is no official way to play the older version. |
WIP | ogame-opensource | ||
Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis ARMA: Cold War Assault Operation Flashpoint: Elite |
✗ On June 30, 2014, the multiplayer master server for PC was shut down alongside other GameSpy-powered titles. Also for Xbox version servers down due to Xbox Live for the original Xbox was discontinued by Microsoft on April 15, 2010. |
✓ | OFPMonitor Insignia |
||
Order & Chaos Online | |
✗ The game was permanently closed by Gameloft on 16 February 2023 on all platforms. |
✗ | N/A | N/A |
Pain | ✗ On November 26, 2013, the game's online features were disabled. |
✓ | PSONE (RPCS3) | ||
PangYa PangYa M (Android and iOS)[10] |
~ On December 12, 2016, PangYa's servers in North America shut down, along with its website and forums. The Korean servers were closed on August 29, 2016, and the Japanese servers, operated by Gamepot, were closed on November 10, 2017. The Thai servers, operated by Ini3 Digital, remained open until 30th April, 2024. It was the last official server of Pangya, operating for 19 years. On December 30, 2019, it was announced on the official Facebook page that PangYa M would close on February 7, 2020. However, NCSOFT has launched Pangya M, a redevelopment version of PangYa Mobile on July 3, 2020. Planned to release as a cross-platform game between the mobile version and PC version in NCSoft Purple platform. |
✓ | Various | ||
Pac-Man 99 | ✗ The game was discontinued on October 8, 2023, though the game will remain playable offline for those who have purchased the "Unlock Mode" or "Unlock All" DLCs before they were delisted the month prior. |
✗ | N/A | N/A | |
Phantasy Star Online Blue Burst | ✗ Game is no longer supported by Sega and the Sega servers. |
✓ | Ultima Ephinea |
||
Phantasy Star Online | ✗ Sega decommissioned the last official servers in 2010. |
✓ | Schthack PSO Sylverant Insignia[11] |
||
PlanetSide | ✗ On July 1, 2016, at 4:00pm PT, Planetside servers went offline permanently. |
✓ | PSForever | ||
Pop'n Music Puzzle-dama Online | ✗ Online service ended on March 31st, 2005. |
✗ | N/A | N/A | |
Red Dead Redemption | [12] | ✓ Xbox 360 and PS3 multiplayer still works and will likely work forever since it uses P2P for connecting/hosting servers. |
✓ | RPCN (RPCS3) Xenia WebServices(WIP)(Xenia) |
|
Resistance: Fall of Man | ✗ The game, along with its sequels Resistance 2 and Resistance 3, shut down its online servers on April 8, 2014. Digital versions of the first two games were released after the servers' closure in Europe. |
✓ | PS Rewired (RPCS3) | ||
Resistance 2 | ✗ The game, along with its predecessor and sequel, had its online servers shut down on April 8, 2014. Digital versions of the first two games were released after the servers' closure, exclusively in Europe. |
WIP | PSORG | N/A | |
Resistance 3 | ✗ The game, along with its predecessor and sequel, had its online servers shut down on April 8, 2014. Digital versions of the first two games were released after the servers' closure, exclusively in Europe. |
✗ | N/A | N/A | |
Respawnables, The | ✗ On January 13th, 2022, Multiplayer is shutdown, the game will no longer recognize Wi-Fi. |
✗ | N/A | N/A | |
Rock Band 2 | ? Game has online multiplayer and co-op support, but current server status is unknown though it is known that uses their own servers.[19] |
✓ | GoCentral | ||
Rock Band 3 | ? Game has online multiplayer and co-op support, but current server status is unknown though it is known that uses their own servers.[20] |
✓ | GoCentral | ||
RockFree | ✗ Acclaim shut down its client-based online games in August 2010 including titles like 9Dragons and Chronicles of Spellborn. However, the company's Flash-based games including Kogamu and RockFree was ported to Facebook Games platform before being discontinued.[13] |
✗ | N/A | N/A | |
R.U.S.E. | ✗ You will be unable to play multiplayer, link Ubisoft accounts in-game or use online features. (Ubisoft decommissioning the online services for older games). |
✗ | N/A | N/A | |
Sacred | ✗ Official multiplayer servers were shut down as Ascaron Entertainment went bankrupt and ultimately ceased to exist. Community matchmaking server software was created in the 2020s, but the original instance is currently down. |
~ | Sacred Ancaria Connection | ||
Saints Row (2006) | ~ Clan/gang servers down. But ranked, casual and coop are up. |
WIP | Xenia WebServices | ||
Second Life | ✓ | ? | ? | ? | |
Silkroad Online | ✓ | ✓ | Origin Online | ||
SimCity (2013) | ✓[21] | ✗ | N/A | N/A | |
SimCity 2000 Network Edition | ✓ | ✓[22] | Nightfire Launcher | ||
Skate | ✗ The multiplayer of the game was shut down in July 2011. |
✗ | Hall of Meat ‡ | N/A | |
Skate 2 | ✗ The multiplayer of the game was shut down. |
✗ | Hall of Meat ‡ | N/A | |
Skate 3 | ✓ Servers still active. |
✗ | Hall of Meat ‡ | N/A | |
Super Mario Bros. 35 | ✗ Its servers were shut down on April 1, 2021, following the official end of the anniversary. |
✓ | SMB35 | ||
Super Mario Maker | ✗ On November 25, 2020, Nintendo formally announced that course upload support and the bookmark portal site would be discontinued on March 31, 2021. Sale of the game on the Wii U's Nintendo eShop would be discontinued on January 12, 2021. The remaining online services for the game, such as playing existing levels already uploaded to the server, was discontinued on April 9, 2024. |
WIP | Pretendo | ||
Sims Online, The | ✗ EA announced that the game would shut down all activity on August 1, 2008. |
✓ | FreeSO | ||
Team Fortress 2 The Orange Box |
|
~ Servers for TF2 on the PS3 went offline permanently on March 28, but while the PS3 version is no longer it seems the servers for the Xbox 360 version are still running because it's P2P-based. The game continues to receive official Valve server support as of January 2024 for PC, in addition to new content being released on a seasonal basis in the form of submissions made through the Steam Workshop. In June 2011, the game became free-to-play, with revenue derived from microtransactions for in-game cosmetics. A 'drop system' was also added and refined, allowing free-to-play users to periodically receive in-game equipment and items. Discontent with recent updates has driven some players back to the original/vanilla,[23] pre-free-to-play version of Team Fortress 2. This has led them to explore options like the Team Fortress 2 Classic mod or console versions of the game. |
✓ | Xenia WebServices(Xenia) RPCN(RPCS3)(Partially) |
|
TERA | |
~ On 20 April 2022, Gameforge announced that Bluehole had decided to cease work on TERA and that Gameforge would shut down the game's servers for PC on 30 June 2022. There are no plans to shut down the console servers. |
✓ | TERA Starscape | |
Test Drive Unlimited | ✗ TDU1 server has been shut down in September 2012. PS2 and PSP shut down in 2009. |
✓ | Project Paradise TDU: Platinum project ps2 paradise (WIP) |
||
Test Drive Unlimited 2 | ✗ The game's online servers went offline in November 2018, disabling online multiplayer and the TDU2: Casino Online expansion. |
✓ | Project Paradise 2 TDU World TDUniverse |
||
The Club | ? [24] placeholder text. |
✓ | PS3 Reborn[6] | ||
Tomb Raider (2013) | ✓ Game online infastructure is P2P-based[25].[14] |
✗ | N/A | N/A | |
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 | ~ Game online infastructure is P2P-based on Xbox 360[26] so it's playable. On PC and PS3 it's uses GameSpy so it's offline[27][28]. |
✓ | PS3 Reborn[6] (RPCS3) OpenSpy |
||
Toontown Online | ✗ Various servers hosting Toontown Online were shut down throughout the game’s tenure, with the US servers and the game itself closing in September 2013. |
✓ | Toontown Rewritten | ||
Trials Evolution | ~ Trials Evolution shutting down in January 2024. |
✗ | N/A | N/A | |
UFC Undisputed 2009 | ✓ Both the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions of the game utilize a Peer-to-Peer online infrastructure, which allows continued online play[29]. However, similar to Call of Duty 3 situation on seventh-gen home consoles, it appears to require a custom server for authentication[30][31]. |
✓ | Xenia WebServices | ||
UFC Undisputed 2010 | ✗ Servers down.[32] |
? | OpenSpy (RPCS3)[15] | N/A | |
Ultima Online | ✓ The release of Kingdom Reborn in 2007 brought a new game engine with upgraded visuals. In preparation for the launch of the Stygian Abyss expansion, support for the existing client was discontinued to optimize the patching procedure. As a replacement, a revised rendition of the Kingdom Reborn client emerged, rebranded as the "Enhanced Client." This revamped version was unveiled as an open beta in July 2009, coinciding with the release of Stygian Abyss. The "Enhanced Client" is a blend of some of the 3D models and UI from Kingdom Reborn and the 2D art used in the Classic Client. The Enhanced Client and the Classic Client are the two official clients as of 2024. |
✓ | Various[33][34] | ||
Vindictus | ✓ Vindictus was originally released in South Korea on January 21, 2010. From 2011 to 2015 the game was also released in Europe, Australia, and other parts of Asia, although some of those regional versions have since been shut down, or merged with the North American server. |
✓ | Windictus | ||
Warhawk | ✗ Sony shut down Warhawk's online servers on January 31, 2019, providing notice by email to PlayStation Network members. |
✓ | PSONE | ||
World of Warcraft World of Warcraft Classic |
✓ | ✓ | Various | ||
WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw | ✗ GameSpy. |
✓ | Cristian OpenSpy |
||
WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2007 | ~ Game online infastructure is P2P-based on Xbox 360 so it's playable[35], but it probably needs custom server for authentication process. PSP and PS2 status is unknown, placeholder text.[16] |
WIP? | Xenia WebServices | N/A | |
Whacked! | ✗ Servers down due to Xbox Live for the original Xbox was discontinued by Microsoft on April 15, 2010. |
✓ | Insignia | ||
WWE WrestleMania 21 | ✗ Servers down due to Xbox Live for the original Xbox was discontinued by Microsoft on April 15, 2010. |
✓ | Insignia |
LAN Tunneling Programs
These kind of programs usually allows for online play using connecting over LAN by creating a virtual LAN connection. This allows you to play games that support LAN multiplayer mode with others over the internet, as if you were all on the same local network, replicating the fun of a LAN party but without needing to be in the same physical location. Some programs even offer additional features like lobbies and chat, further enhancing the online experience. LAN tunneling isn't just for PCs, there are some consoles also have implementations, like the System Link feature on Xbox consoles, LAN tunneling feature on PlayStation consoles, Ad-hoc feature on PlayStation handhelds, LAN Tunneling feature on Wii U, LDN and LAN Play features on Switch and even on GameCube thanks to Broadband Adapter. This means you can use some of these LAN tunneling programs on your consoles as well. LAN Tunneling shouldn't be confused with Netplay, Online Multiplayer Emulation and Online Services.
See PCGamingWiki: List of games with LAN multiplayer on PC, or see Consoles category for individual dedicated system pages to see LAN tunneling support and compatibility.
Name | Active | Recommended |
---|---|---|
XLink Kai | ✓ | ✓ |
Lanemu | ✓ | ✓ |
ZeroTier | ✓ | ~ |
pLAN Revive | ✓ | ~ |
Radmin VPN | ✓ | ~ |
Hamachi | ✓ | ~ |
Proxy Projects for Retro Web Browsing
These kind of projects usually retrieves pages from the Internet Archive Wayback Machine or OoCities and delivers them in their original form, without toolbars, scripts and other extraneous content that may confuse retro web browsers.[17] These are quite useful especially for retro web browsing with DOS-based, Windows 1.0x/2x/3x series, Windows 9x series, Windows NT series and MacOS emulators or Hypervisors. Otherwise you can still use pure HTML websites on the internet such as; DreamPipe, thebaratusii, toastytech, TheBlueOSMuseum, LuxuryAerozona, DreamProject Legacy,DOSBox Deathmatch Club, GuidebookGallery, MDGx, Ralf Brown's Interrupt List, Doom2.net, PowerDVD3000.
Name | Active | Recommended |
---|---|---|
ProtoWeb | ✓ | ✓ |
WaybackProxy | ✓ | ~ |
See also
---
- Emulation General: Netplay
- Early Online Services
- Nintendo Network
- Nintendo Switch Online
- Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection
- PlayStation Mobile
- PlayStation Network
- Xbox Network / Xbox Live
External links
- StopKillingGames.com
- DoesItPlay.org
- "How do communities revive online features in old games without the server files?" (Useful if you want to learn basics about reverse engineering the private servers.)
- Mystic - Reverse Engineer Introduction - PSOne Group, Reverse Engineer Introduction - SaveMGO Group, PlayStation Home PS3 Is Back Online in 2023, PS3 Online in 2024: Who's Still Playing and Why?
- RPCS3 YouTube - Play PS3 Games Online on PC via RPCN
- Rocket Sloth: GameSpy: the company that killed off hundreds of games in a single day
- ClassicPCgames - YouTube channel dedicated to revive servers for old classic PC games.
- MAWK3 - YouTube channel dedicated to revive servers for old home console games.
- Reddit: r/OnlinePreservation/
- PCGamingWiki
- PCGamingWiki - List of online multiplayer games
- PCGamingWiki - GameSpy page
- OpenSpy project - Supported games
- GameRanger - Supported games