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Epic Games are killing off a bunch of classics like Unreal Tournament

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Epic Games announced today they're killing off a bunch of classic games removing them from stores and turning off their online services for retro delights like Unreal Tournament.

Why are they doing this? They're consolidating their services directly into their modern all-in-one Epic Online Services, so they don't want anything not using that to stick around that they have to maintain.

Here's the full list of titles being removed from stores (some are already gone like Unreal Tournament), and having their online play turned off on January 24 - 2023:

  • 1000 Tiny Claws
  • Dance Central 1-3 
    • Note: Dance Central VR online multiplayer will remain available
  • Green Day: Rock Band
  • Monsters (Probably) Stole My Princess
  • Rock Band 1-3 
    • Note: Rock Band 4 online multiplayer will remain available
  • The Beatles: Rock Band
  • Supersonic Acrobatic Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars
  • Unreal Gold
  • Unreal II: The Awakening
  • Unreal Tournament 2003
  • Unreal Tournament 2004
  • Unreal Tournament 3
    • Note: We have plans to bring back online features via Epic Online Services in the future.
  • Unreal Tournament: Game of the Year Edition

Hopefully the community (like perhaps OldUnreal), will find a way to get online going again for some of the classic Unreal Tournament games. Otherwise, that's a whole lot of FPS history being lost.

For Unreal Tournament 3, it looks like they're re-branding it as Unreal Tournament 3 X and making it free to play, as you can see they already did it on the Steam page and you can see all the changes on SteamDB history but it's not actually live they're just re-purposing the Steam page.

On top of that they also said they're removing Linux and macOS versions of Hatoful Boyfriend and Hatoful Boyfriend: Holiday Star today. No reason given for either.

If you do want to stock up, the old Unreal games are still on GOG but probably won't be for long.

Article taken from GamingOnLinux.com.
Tags: Epic Games, Misc
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Matombo Dec 16, 2022
Quoting: omer666At least there is now an official line drawn between Epic MegaGames and Epic Games.
As for the master server, as with many late 90s multiplayer FPS, players have been using their own server lists for a long time now.

I just hope that some day, a (yet to be known) dev is going to release titles as groundbreaking as Quake 3 or UT, so that we can live another golden age of the arena shooters...

i would argue that battle royals are somewhat the modern successor of arena shooters. just with more players bigger maps and only last man standing gamemode

think about 100 player ctf in pubg or apex. it could work ...
omer666 Dec 16, 2022
Quoting: Matombo
Quoting: omer666At least there is now an official line drawn between Epic MegaGames and Epic Games.
As for the master server, as with many late 90s multiplayer FPS, players have been using their own server lists for a long time now.

I just hope that some day, a (yet to be known) dev is going to release titles as groundbreaking as Quake 3 or UT, so that we can live another golden age of the arena shooters...

i would argue that battle royals are somewhat the modern successor of arena shooters. just with more players bigger maps and only last man standing gamemode

think about 100 player ctf in pubg or apex. it could work ...
We already had 64-player CTF in Quake 2...
While battle royals may be fun, it is no Team Death match and the intricate level design we had before is not here either. Add to this the silly cell shaded graphics and the gatcha inspired character rooster, what you get is a no-go for arena FPS players.

As surprising as it may be, the only "recent" FPS that remotely matches my tastes is CS:GO
MisterPaytwick Dec 16, 2022
Quoting: BlackBloodRum"What's the problem with always online DRM?" "It doesn't really affect me, I can still play my games just fine!"

I'd offer this interesting, and maybe more accessible take on the issue. Do note I don't dismiss the point of the FSF or DBD (I still need to add the DBD sticker to my minifree laptop, to give you an idea of my view on it), but it's more accessible to people. "You are being scammed" is more telling than "you may, at some point once the game isn't profitable enough anymore, be screwed". It doesn't address all DRM issues, but at least the always online part.

Back a few years, I remember saying to a friend how great the bundles were and how I wasn't pirating anymore.

Now that I have the real data hoarding capacities I wished for, I guess the seas are calling back.
BlackBloodRum Dec 16, 2022
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Quoting: Klaas
Quoting: BlackBloodRumI often hear people say.
You forgot “please add Denuvo” (weird, but the Steam forums of some games are full of it).
That's nuts! Why would anyone; who's not profiting from the game sales, ask for DRM to be added? The phrase should be "please remove Denuvo!"

Quoting: MisterPaytwick
Quoting: BlackBloodRum"What's the problem with always online DRM?" "It doesn't really affect me, I can still play my games just fine!"

I'd offer this interesting, and maybe more accessible take on the issue. Do note I don't dismiss the point of the FSF or DBD (I still need to add the DBD sticker to my minifree laptop, to give you an idea of my view on it), but it's more accessible to people. "You are being scammed" is more telling than "you may, at some point once the game isn't profitable enough anymore, be screwed". It doesn't address all DRM issues, but at least the always online part.

Back a few years, I remember saying to a friend how great the bundles were and how I wasn't pirating anymore.

Now that I have the real data hoarding capacities I wished for, I guess the seas are calling back.

I'm not so different myself.. prior to games working properly on Linux? You wouldn't catch me buying PC games.

On this front, Gabe Newell had it right: "One thing that we have learned is that piracy is not a pricing issue. It’s a service issue".

Stick a bunch of heavily restrictive DRM on it, force it to not work with my computer or treat me poorly as a customer? Meh. No thanks mate, my monies going elsewhere!

Ironically, it's the same reason I outright refuse to use Epic Store, they heavily peddle their EAC DRM, while on the other hand I will happily buy regularly from Steam, because they support my platform or GOG because they don't peddle restrictive DRM.

We do have to compromise sometimes in order to get said services for a benefit, but those benefits should favour the customer, not the company. I give you my money, you give me good service. Simple as that.

As for stickers, my laptop doesn't have any yet (Boo me!) but my desktop does have a nice fat GNU sticker on it, mostly because I keep getting stickers sent to me from the FSF
Klaas Dec 16, 2022
Quoting: BlackBloodRumWhy would anyone
Because without it, the poor developers will be robbed, ROBBED, you know, ROBBED!
Matombo Jan 4, 2023
Quoting: omer666
Quoting: Matombo
Quoting: omer666At least there is now an official line drawn between Epic MegaGames and Epic Games.
As for the master server, as with many late 90s multiplayer FPS, players have been using their own server lists for a long time now.

I just hope that some day, a (yet to be known) dev is going to release titles as groundbreaking as Quake 3 or UT, so that we can live another golden age of the arena shooters...

i would argue that battle royals are somewhat the modern successor of arena shooters. just with more players bigger maps and only last man standing gamemode

think about 100 player ctf in pubg or apex. it could work ...
We already had 64-player CTF in Quake 2...
While battle royals may be fun, it is no Team Death match and the intricate level design we had before is not here either. Add to this the silly cell shaded graphics and the gatcha inspired character rooster, what you get is a no-go for arena FPS players.

As surprising as it may be, the only "recent" FPS that remotely matches my tastes is CS:GO

q3 arena had a very colorfull rooster too
just no microtransactions

on the level design: BRs have very big maps. but at least apex has some thought put into it: the maps feel a little bit like connected arena maps
Dribbleondo Jan 4, 2023
Quoting: BlackBloodRumIronically, it's the same reason I outright refuse to use Epic Store, they heavily peddle their EAC DRM, while on the other hand I will happily buy regularly from Steam, because they support my platform or GOG because they don't peddle restrictive DRM.

EAC is an Anti-cheat, not DRM. Moreover, they're not "heavily peddling" it, and it's certainly not in every game they sell on EGS as you seem to be implying. Hell, it's not even in every game they make or have a hand in making. Certain Steam games also have EAC too, so this is even more of a strange reason to single out EGS.

I'm sure you have other reasons, but using this one specifically is honestly a bit weird.


Last edited by Dribbleondo on 4 January 2023 at 8:37 pm UTC
whizse Jan 4, 2023
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Yeah, ironically there's actually less DRM on the Epic store then there is on Steam.

I haven't actually bought anything on Epic yet, but most of the giveaway games I have been interested in runs fine in Wine/Proton without the store client running.
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