The superlative mech game, Chromehounds, illustrates the pitfalls of multiplayer-only games that rely on servers provided by the publisher: the game only last as long as the publisher feels the servers are profitable. So while it's not surprising, it's disappointing that Sega quietly posted they'll shut down the servers in January, effectively killing the game (it includes offline missions, but they're basically tutorials).

Chromehounds is a strange beast. It's no mere action game. It's complicated, and it relies heavily on teamwork and strategy. The community was small, insular, and often petty. But it's hands-down the smartest mech videogame you can play. And although it came out three years ago, there's nothing else like it. Not only is Sega killing a great game, they're killing what's left of the mech genre.

(Thanks 1up and Hump.)