Rockstar Outlines Post-GameSpy Server Shutdown Changes

As of May 31, online gaming manager GameSpy will cease hosting services for all titles, leaving the popular Rockstar Games in the lurch.

The manufacturer's No. 1 moneymaker, Grand Theft Auto V, will remain intact, though a number of older titles could end up on the chopping block.

Rockstar's teams, however, are working to patch specific games to "keep the transition as smooth as possible," and to "minimize the impact to online-enabled play and your in-game experience."

While the majority of the changes will affect the Rockstar Games Social Club, "it will be necessary to bid farewell to certain online features in older games," the company said.

Titles like Red Dead Redemption and Grand Theft Auto 4 will see no change to its online multiplayer gameplay, but players will no longer be able to count on stat tracking and leaderboards, or other in-game Social Club services.

Max Payne 3, meanwhile, will be spared those features; instead, the Mac version will lose support for online multiplayer gameplay.

PlayStation 3 owners had better get the most out of Midnight Club Los Angeles before the month ends, at which point online multiplayer gameplay and in-game multiplayer leaderboards will be removed from the PS3.

Additionally, the Midnight Club 3: Dub Edition's online multiplayer gameplay leaderboards are getting the boot.

The same features will no longer function in the Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable versions of Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars. "We appreciate the support and continued enthusiasm for the legacy Rockstar Games catalogue and sincerely apologize in advance for any inconvenience caused," the game maker said.

For more details, as well as updates as they become available, check out the Rockstar Support page.

:story: PC Magazine