The Steam release of Dark Souls 2 for PC (which we call the definitive version of the game) brought with it concerns of the original being taken offline due to its reliance on Games for Windows Live. Addressing the issue in their Tumblr blog, Bandai Namco stated that the game “will remain fully functional on GFWL for the foreseeable future.”
In addition, the company is “currently seeking avenues to continue support and ensure the functionality of Dark Souls on other services.” Whether this pertains to the console versions remains to be seen, but with any luck the publisher will look to switch the Windows Live server content over to Steam.
At the very least, Dark Souls on PS3 and X360 has a fair bit of breathing room before it potentially goes offline. The timeline of Demon’s Souls removal and the release of Dark Souls suggests so, at least.
Many games and services have been dropped lately, with multiple GameSpy servers shutting down (luckily not bringing Borderlands and Civilization with them) and Nintendo dropping online support for Wii, DS and DSi.
