Dead Space 2, Battlefield Bad Company 2, Battlefield 1943 and Crysis 3 will have their multiplayer shut down on December 8th

We really need some kind of laws that allow companies to do this but compel them to release the server code if they do.

Removal of dedicated server functionality in favour of matchmaking was always going to be a horrible, horrible idea. And this is honestly the least of its negative consequences. Even before that there was the requirement of multiplayer servers to be set up through 'official channels' of various sorts, which has this same problem because those are still platforms with maintenance costs that companies will eventually cut.

It's the same platforms vs protocols issue that the fediverse is addressing, just in a different sphere of the internet.

EA's scythe swings once more.