The developers of one of the most original console games in recent history have confirmed that they are shutting down their servers on the 31st of May ending multiplayer support for Demon’s Souls.
In a world of annual release models such as Activision’s for the Call of Duty series and Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed, many wonder when they are going to get something fresh, new and innovative.
Thanks to Altus, the world got, what was probably, the most punishing game to have ever come out on the PlayStation 3 and in fact, any current generation console. That game was Demon’s Souls.
With the shortest and vaguest tutorial in gaming history, a slightly bold statement we do concede, the game threw you right into an atmospheric, unforgiving world, where players had to fend for themselves and die...a lot.
Yet, every time a person died he learnt something new and the next time he would arrive at the place he met his downfall he would be prepared. The formula repeated itself throughout the game, yet always kept things fresh.
One of the game’s most innovative plus points however, was its use of its multiplayer component. Players could leave messages on the ground for other players to find in their own single-player campaigns.
Walking along a narrow corridor one would have stumbled upon the message, ‘danger lies ahead’. The message would have been left there by someone in their own single-player campaign, yet available to everyone via multiplayer.
Players could also jump into other peoples single-player games to either aid them or hunt them down. The lack of voice chat meant that there was an added layer of tension and in essence, a multiplayer component such as Demon’s Souls was truly an enthralling
experience.
However, all that comes to a close on the 31st of May as Tim Pivnicny, the VP of sales and marketing at Altus, wrote a lengthy letter. The letter thanked the fans for their support and highlighted what the studio set out to achieve with the game.
It also pointed out that they were shutting down the servers for the game, which meant the end of the multiplayer component. However, players can still play through the single-player campaign, albeit without the help of fellow adventurers.
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