OpenFeint Multiplayer iOS Platform Shutting Down, Could Break Older Games

MacRumors · Nov 19, 2012, 01:30 PM

OpenFeint, one of the first iOS leaderboard platforms, will be shutting down in one month according to the company that owns it. The problem, at least for gamers, is that older games may crash upon launch depending on how they are coded.

Quote:

Developers have until December 14th to migrate away from OpenFeint, at which point it'll be offline forever. Even under normal circumstances this sort of deadline would be pretty crazy, but it's especially insane now given the massive influx of developers working around the clock to get their apps and games submitted before the cutoff to have them approved and on the App Store before the iTunes holiday freeze.

Basically, to make this cutoff, developers are going to need to drop everything they're doing, open up every old project that utilizes OpenFeint and re-code all of those API hooks to either use Game Center or whatever proprietary solution they come up with on their own. Assuming that doesn't take too long, compiling, uploading, and crossing their respective fingers might result in no downtime for their users.

GREE purchased OpenFeint for $104 million last year, perhaps a poorly thought out purchase with the service shutting down 18 months later. For newer games, Apple's GameCenter will enable most of the features that OpenFeint supported -- multiplayer support, leader boards, achievements and more.

Article Link: OpenFeint Multiplayer iOS Platform Shutting Down, Could Break Older Games

bushido · Nov 19, 2012, 01:33 PM

wtf ... i loved it. my game scores would actually stay in sync on multiple devices

angry birds im lookin at u

Matrix9180 · Nov 19, 2012, 01:37 PM

This comes less than a year after they told developers both OpenFeint and GREE Platform would coexist. The network still sees tons of traffic. This is just GREE sending a big **** you to game developers and gamers.

D-Back · Nov 19, 2012, 01:37 PM

Good riddance, open feint was absolutely terrible.

komodrone · Nov 19, 2012, 01:38 PM

**** off openfeint.

northernbaldy · Nov 19, 2012, 01:40 PM

I never really understood what it did

The Bulge · Nov 19, 2012, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by northernbaldy

I never really understood what it did

It's for tweeting that you just finished Angry Birds level. Duh

BRLawyer · Nov 19, 2012, 02:00 PM

Just another reason to be wary of "cloud solutions" purporting to be "for the long haul" - good riddance.

extricated · Nov 19, 2012, 02:03 PM

This really cracks me up.

My apologies to those who loved it - if any of you exist.

hirshnoc · Nov 19, 2012, 02:04 PM

"perhaps a poorly thought out purchase with the service shutting down 18 months later."

LOL

I'm sure they knew this was gonna happen. Not...

mrsir2009 · Nov 19, 2012, 02:13 PM

Good riddance. It was rather annoying to have to make that extra click on "No, I don't want these awesome features" whenever I got a iOS game.

DavidTheExpert · Nov 19, 2012, 02:13 PM

YES! This is OUTSTANDING news. I can not express in words how much I hated those damn openfeint popup messages at the beginning of nearly every single game I ever played on iOS. Good ****ing riddance!

foobarbaz · Nov 19, 2012, 02:16 PM

I don't expect many apps crashing. Those apps would have also crashed whenever I'm offline and thus would have been angrily deleted a long time ago.

bushido · Nov 19, 2012, 02:20 PM

so people actually disliked it? i thought their save in the cloud feature was great. i ignored the rest however

northernbaldy · Nov 19, 2012, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Bulge

It's for tweeting that you just finished Angry Birds level. Duh

Pointless crap then

much like game center

Usehername · Nov 19, 2012, 02:35 PM

OpenFeint? Never heard of them.

The Bulge · Nov 19, 2012, 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by northernbaldy

Pointless crap then

much like game center

Indeed

ikir · Nov 19, 2012, 02:46 PM

Long life to Game Center!!

M. Malone · Nov 19, 2012, 02:47 PM

No thanks, I don't want these awesome features.

Fruit Cake · Nov 19, 2012, 03:06 PM

Feeling a bit feint?

sazivad · Nov 19, 2012, 03:08 PM

Too bad that OpenFeint, which existed before Game Center, is now shutting down. I mean, they were the first to implement it.

Although having to click "I don't want these awesome features," instead of something like "No thanks," to dismiss the initial popup, is sort of dumb.

MadeTheSwitch · Nov 19, 2012, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by extricated

This really cracks me up.

My apologies to those who loved it - if any of you exist.

I exist! I've always liked OpenFeint, so this is really really bad news to me. It's my version of the twinkies going away. Hopefully the games I play using it will be updated.

But I have to say, it's pretty stupid to buy something for that much cash and then close it so soon afterwards. What the hell were they thinking?

cclloyd · Nov 19, 2012, 03:16 PM

Glad I always chose the Game Center and icloud combo instead of that.

Jessica Lares · Nov 19, 2012, 03:16 PM

Aww, I remember the first time I used OpenFeint. That was so long ago. Now them and Plus+ are both gone.

Good memories of the iPhone 2G and the iOS App Store's first year.

Truffy · Nov 19, 2012, 04:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MacRumors

GREE purchased OpenFeint for $104 million last year, perhaps a poorly thought out purchase with the service shutting down 18 months later.

Didn't they shut it down though?

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadeTheSwitch

it's pretty stupid to buy something for that much cash and then close it so soon afterwards. What the hell were they thinking?

Eliminating opposition and 'clarifying' the market, perhaps?

Nov 19, 2012, 01:33 PM	#2
bushido macrumors 68040 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Germany, Europe	wtf ... i loved it. my game scores would actually stay in sync on multiple devices angry birds im lookin at u __________________ '13 MacBook Pro Retina 2.5 GHz '13 MacBook Pro 2.54 GHz, C2D, 128GB SSD iPhone 5 (white & silver), 16GB iPad 3 white, 32 GB, Wifi+Cellular Apple TV 3
	2

Nov 19, 2012, 01:40 PM	#6
northernbaldy macrumors 6502a Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: the north, UK	I never really understood what it did __________________ 17" MacBook pro, MacMini Server, iPhone 5 64gb, AppleTV, iPad 32gb wifi, 11" MacBook Air
	4

Nov 19, 2012, 02:00 PM	#8
BRLawyer macrumors 601 Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Currently in Switzerland	Just another reason to be wary of "cloud solutions" purporting to be "for the long haul" - good riddance. __________________ iMac 27" Core i7 3.4GHz, 16GB RAM, 2GB GPU, 120GB SSD+4TB HD, Bowers & Wilkins 685, Nuforce HDP, OS X 10.8.3; iPad 3 Wi-Fi+4G 64GB; iPhone 5 White 32GB.
	9

Nov 19, 2012, 02:13 PM	#11
mrsir2009 macrumors 604 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Wellington, New Zealand	Good riddance. It was rather annoying to have to make that extra click on "No, I don't want these awesome features" whenever I got a iOS game. __________________ How to Prevent your Mac from Overheating
	13

Nov 19, 2012, 02:13 PM	#12
DavidTheExpert macrumors member Join Date: Apr 2012	YES! This is OUTSTANDING news. I can not express in words how much I hated those damn openfeint popup messages at the beginning of nearly every single game I ever played on iOS. Good ****ing riddance! __________________ Check out my blog with tech news and stuff: www.DavidTheExpert.com Have any ideas for new posts I could write? Drop me a line on Twitter! - @DavidTheExpert
	9

Nov 19, 2012, 01:37 PM	#3
Matrix9180 macrumors member Join Date: Oct 2003	This comes less than a year after they told developers both OpenFeint and GREE Platform would coexist. The network still sees tons of traffic. This is just GREE sending a big **** you to game developers and gamers.
	2

Nov 19, 2012, 01:37 PM	#4
D-Back macrumors member Join Date: Sep 2008	Good riddance, open feint was absolutely terrible.
	14

Nov 19, 2012, 01:38 PM	#5
komodrone macrumors 6502 Join Date: Apr 2011	**** off openfeint.
	6

Nov 19, 2012, 02:03 PM	#9
extricated macrumors regular Join Date: Jul 2011	This really cracks me up. My apologies to those who loved it - if any of you exist.
	1

Nov 19, 2012, 02:04 PM	#10
hirshnoc macrumors regular Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Whitefish Bay, WI	"perhaps a poorly thought out purchase with the service shutting down 18 months later." LOL I'm sure they knew this was gonna happen. Not...
	0

Nov 19, 2012, 02:16 PM	#13
foobarbaz macrumors regular Join Date: Nov 2007	I don't expect many apps crashing. Those apps would have also crashed whenever I'm offline and thus would have been angrily deleted a long time ago.
	6

Nov 19, 2012, 02:20 PM	#14
bushido macrumors 68040 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Germany, Europe	so people actually disliked it? i thought their save in the cloud feature was great. i ignored the rest however
	1

Nov 19, 2012, 02:35 PM	#16
Usehername macrumors member Join Date: Oct 2012	OpenFeint? Never heard of them.
	1

Nov 19, 2012, 02:46 PM	#18
ikir macrumors 6502a Join Date: Sep 2007	Long life to Game Center!! __________________ My homepage html, php, css handwritten, graphics made by me Amiga News.it THE italian Amiga portal
	1

Nov 19, 2012, 02:47 PM	#19
M. Malone macrumors 6502a Join Date: Mar 2004	No thanks, I don't want these awesome features.
	9

Nov 19, 2012, 03:06 PM	#20
Fruit Cake macrumors 6502a Join Date: Mar 2012	Feeling a bit feint?
	2

Nov 19, 2012, 03:08 PM	#21
sazivad macrumors 6502 Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: New Jersey	Too bad that OpenFeint, which existed before Game Center, is now shutting down. I mean, they were the first to implement it. Although having to click "I don't want these awesome features," instead of something like "No thanks," to dismiss the initial popup, is sort of dumb. __________________ My devices: iPod touch, MacBook Air. • StarCraft II is a fun game.
	0

Nov 19, 2012, 03:16 PM	#23
cclloyd macrumors 65816 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Alpha Centauri A	Glad I always chose the Game Center and icloud combo instead of that. __________________ iPhone 5 Sprint 6.1 Jailbroken iPad mini 6.1 Jailbroken MacBook Pro Retina Early 2013 Let's open iOS - Sign now!
	3

Nov 19, 2012, 03:16 PM	#24
Jessica Lares macrumors 68030 Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Near Dallas, Texas, USA	Aww, I remember the first time I used OpenFeint. That was so long ago. Now them and Plus+ are both gone. Good memories of the iPhone 2G and the iOS App Store's first year. __________________  Have You Hugged Your Mac Today? Daily Expressions \| Power Mac G5 \| Late 2011 13" MacBook Pro \| iPod Nano (7G) \| iPod Shuffle (2012) \| iPad Mini
	1

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