The mobile gaming landscape is once again a barren wasteland, devoid of original ideas and populated by the corpses of yet another pair of games that couldn’t keep up with the times. Or, you know, maybe they just didn’t make enough money. Because apparently we haven’t milked this franchise enough yet, Square Enix and Nintendo are shutting down Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis and Mario Kart Tour, respectively. I’m sure the millions of dollars spent on microtransactions will be remembered fondly by the fans who poured their hearts and souls into these games. Some executive somewhere got a bonus for this, I’m sure.
The End of an Era (Again)
The closures of these two games come as no surprise, given the recent trend of mobile game closures. It seems like just yesterday we were saying goodbye to The Sims Mobile and War of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius. Another day, another roadmap to nowhere, it seems. At least the fans of these games can take comfort in the fact that they’ll always have the memories of the time and money they spent on them. And who needs a functioning game, anyway, when you can have a nice, shiny roadmap to look at?
Mario Kart Tour: A Cautionary Tale
The case of Mario Kart Tour is particularly interesting, as fans are already clamoring for an offline version of the game. Because, you know, it’s not like Nintendo has a history of abandoning its mobile games without so much as a second thought. I mean, who needs a functioning online multiplayer when you can have a fancy-schmancy offline mode, right? The fact that fans are asking for this is a testament to the fact that they’re willing to settle for anything at this point. Nature is healing, indeed.
Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis – A Game That Will Soon Be Nothing More Than a Memory
Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis, on the other hand, is a game that will soon be nothing more than a memory. A memory that will be cherished by fans, no doubt, but a memory nonetheless. The fact that Square Enix has no plans to keep the story beats from the game alive is a bit disappointing, but not entirely surprising. I mean, it’s not like they have a history of abandoning their fans or anything. The PS2 memory card community is devastated, I’m sure.
The Future of Mobile Gaming: A Desolate Wasteland
So, what does the future hold for mobile gaming? More of the same, it seems. More games will be released, more games will be shut down, and more fans will be left in the dust. But hey, at least we’ll always have the thrill of the chase, right? The thrill of spending hundreds of dollars on microtransactions, only to have the game shut down a year later. It’s a thrill unlike any other, folks. Live-service enthusiasts are preparing the candles and summoning circle, no doubt. Shareholders rejoice, indeed. At this point, even the loading screens have lore, and that’s all that really matters, right?
Pixel P. Snarkbyte, widely regarded as the “Shakespeare of Sh*tposts,” is a video game expert with a unique knack for turning pixels into punchlines.
Born in the small town of Respawn, Pennsylvania, Pixel grew up mashing buttons on an ancient NES controller, firmly believing that “blowing into the cartridge” was a sacred ritual passed down through generations.
Pixel P. Snarkbyte: proving that life, much like a buggy open-world game, is better with a little lag-induced chaos.
