Summary
A new update for the action gameLost Planet 2has removed the service responsible for online multiplayer on PC, potentially rendering the game unplayable if it isn’t replaced.Lost Planet 2was first launched on PS3, PC, and Xbox 360 in 2010, and served as a multiplayer-focused sequel to 2006’sLost Planet: Extreme Condition.
Perhaps the most unusual member of theLost Planettrilogy,Lost Planet 2was ahead of its time as a multiplayer-focused action game that largely eschewed a focused single-player component. Unlike the story-driven campaigns ofLost PlanetandLost Planet 3,Lost Planet 2’s campaign was perfunctory, serving mainly to set up the premise of a neverending conflict between various factions for control of the planet EDN 3 and its precious stores of Thermal Energy (T-ENG). The real meat of the game was online cooperative missions that pitted teams of players against a variety of threats ranging from base sieges to fights against giant Akrid monsters.
That multiplayer legacy might suddenly become inaccessible. The latest update toLost Planet 2on Steam has removed the legacy Games for Windows Live service from the game. Unfortunately, Games for Windows Live was required for players to connect to each other to match into sessions together. Without it, multiplayerLost Planet 2would be virtually impossible on PC.
Lost Planet 2 PC Update Removes Games for Windows Live, Potentially Disabling Multiplayer
Players on Reddit like user SuperscooterXD worried that the loss of the aging, largely unsupported Games For Windows Live service might make online multiplayer unplayable if it isn’t replaced.As a largely forgotten co-op game from the Xbox 360generation,Lost Planet 2holds some affection from many players. From a customer perspective, Capcom effectively disabling a game players have already purchased risks inviting the wrath of angry fans.
There is some hope, though, as some commenters cited the case ofclassic co-op experienceResident Evil 5, another game that had its Games for Windows Live components recently excised. Capcom eventually implemented multiplayer support via Steamworks, the Valve-developed online infrastructure running through the Steam platform.
With luck,Lost Planet 2PC players will be able to resume matching with one another without having to depend on a service Microsoft no longer supports. Some hopeful players suggested that the update might be laying the groundwork for a rumored return to theLost Planetseries by Capcom. If Capcom feels likeLost Planetcould be athird-person shooter series worth reviving, it would make sense to the company to keep the older versions and entries up to date.
