The end of the world: how players mourn the death of their favourite online games
Players of the video game Halo 3 organized a final communal event to mourn the shutdown of the game's online servers. The event highlights the emotional connection players form with virtual worlds and the inevitable loss of access as technology evolves.
Why it matters
It raises questions about digital preservation and the ephemeral nature of online-only entertainment services.
A sense of mourning spoken and unspoken … Halo 3. Photograph: Xbox Game Studios A sense of mourning spoken and unspoken … Halo 3. Photograph: Xbox Game Studios Games The end of the world: how players mourn the death of their favourite online games Online multiplayer changed the trajectory of games, but the cost of keeping servers running means every virtual world is doomed to die – sooner or later
Prefer the Guardian on Google N evan Hagarty had an idea. If he and other Halo 3 players stayed online the night of 13 January 2022, they could delay the impending server shutdown. Players knew this was coming: it had happened to Halo 2 when its Xbox Live servers were turned off in 2010, and a group managed to stay logged into the multiplayer servers for weeks .
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