Twitter KO'd the ability for users to embed MS-DOS games in tweets, just as people were starting to have fun.
The finisher came over the weekend. Now, links to MS-DOS games hosted by the Internet Archive are just that, links.
Before Twitter got wind of the ability to embed games in tweets, users could share any of the more than 2,600 games in the Internet Archive's library of MS-DOS games.
The games in the archive run on EM-DOSBOX, emulation software that can run inside web browsers.
The move shouldn't come as a surprise. In its documentation on its cards, Twitter forbids developers from using Player Cards for anything other than audio and video.
"Do not build end-to-end interactive experiences inside the video or audio player unrelated to Player Card content, such as the following: purchasing, gaming, polling, messaging, and data entry," stated the guideline.
It's possible that tweet gaming could return, if dev with a bit of free time decides to work with another type of Twitter card to host the MS-DOS games. While Player Cards are off limits, Twitter hasn't forbidden gaming on its App Cards.
"Instead, build these interactive experiences with our other Card types or enhance your Player Card content with links to your website or mobile application," said Twitter in the Player Card's guidelines.
Those still wanting to get their hands on the massive archive of MS-DOS games at the Internet Archive can continue to do so. For those who left their hearts in the arcades, they can play 900 classics from the gaming halls and skating rinks online and in their browsers.
The emulated games in the Internet Archive may not be preserved indefinitely, as the non-profit would like. The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) wants to let abandoned games die.
Preserving games, no matter how noble the intentions, is an act of piracy, according to the ESA. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has been fighting for legal protections for those who preserve games that could evaporate into digital dust, but the ESA has been standing its ground and protecting the abandoned intellectual properties.
"The proposed exemption would jeopardize the availability of these copyrighted works by enabling - and indeed encouraging - the play of pirated games and the unlawful reproduction and distribution of infringing content," stated the ESA in response to the EFF.
