Halo 2 PC multiplayer servers shutting down, disappointing dozens

Did you know that as many as 20 people are still playing the PC edition of Halo 2? Surprising, isn't it? They won't be for much longer, mind, as 343 Industries yesterday announced it will shut down the servers on February 15. How sad that Halo 2's going away just as we finally have PCs capable of running it at a decent FPS. Ah, ha ha. That joke would've killed in 2007, you know.

"We've been monitoring the population for months, and it's been peaking consistently at approximately 20 players or less," 343 community manager Jessica Shea wrote in the latest Halo Bulletin blog post.

"Those that own this game can continue to enjoy Multiplayer over LAN after that date; however our network services will be turned off at that time," Shea said. "We love you, Halo 2 PC, and you will live forever in our hearts."

The Xbox edition of Halo 2 went dark when Microsoft shut down the original Xbox Live network in 2010, though a group of adoring fans kept it going for almost a month by keeping their connections alive. Their numbers were whittled away by lagouts and overheating consoles until the casket was finally lowered into the ground.

Halo 2 came to PC in 2007, three years after its Xbox debut, as a Windows Vista exclusive. It was widely slated for looking and feeling outdated, requiring Vista at a time when people were still very wary of it, and running like a total dog on even the snazziest PC.