The gaming community is in uproar as Gotcha Gotcha Games announced the closure of the official RPG Maker forums. While the company is launching a new forum called RPG Maker Guildthe decision not to archive the existing forums has left many users dismayed. The forums, which have been a hub for RPG Maker creators for over 20 years, contain a vast amount of valuable information and resources that are now at risk of being lost.
The RPG Maker forums have been a cornerstone for the gaming community, providing a space for creators to connect, share projects, and exchange ideas. The forums host a massive amount of data, including 1.4 million posts, 45,600 threads in the Legacy Engine Support forum, and 34,700 threads in the Javascript Plugins forum. This wealth of information has been instrumental in helping developers troubleshoot issues, share tutorials, and collaborate on projects.
The Community’s Reaction
The announcement has sparked a wave of criticism from the community. Users have expressed their frustration and disappointment, highlighting the importance of the forums in their game development journeys. One user wrote, “Closing the forums is already bad enough, but no proper archive? Seriously?” Another user shared, “Wouldn’t have completed my game, One Fenix Down, without these forums and the community.” The sentiment is clear: the loss of this resource is a significant blow to the RPG Maker community.
The outcry extends beyond individual developers. The RPG Maker community has been instrumental in the creation of many classic games over the past 35 years. The forums have served as a knowledge bank, providing solutions to niche technical problems and fostering a collaborative environment. The decision to shut down the forums without an archive has been met with widespread disapproval, with users calling it “a terrible decision” and “extremely hostile.”
The Race to Preserve Gaming History
Amidst the backlash, there is a glimmer of hope. Jason Scotta renowned archivist, has hinted that the Internet Archive may step in to preserve the forums. The Archive Team has already begun crawling the forums, aiming to save as much content as possible before the shutdown. This effort is crucial, as the forums contain years of community knowledge, plugins, tutorials, and historical context that would otherwise be lost.
The community has until December 11 to save any posts, guides, resources, or other content they wish to keep. While this window provides some time for preservation efforts, the task is monumental. The Internet Archive is a valuable tool, but it cannot replace the original forums. Users hope that Gotcha Gotcha Games will reconsider and provide an official archive or leave the forums up in read-only mode.
The shutdown of the RPG Maker forums highlights a broader issue in the gaming industry: the difficulty in maintaining institutional knowledge. The loss of such a significant resource is a setback for the community, but the preservation efforts by the Archive Team and the outpouring of support from users demonstrate the resilience and dedication of the RPG Maker community.
