Spec Ops: The Line is no longer available on Steam. The distributor 2K has removed the game from the Valve store due to problems with the licensing of some songs. Up to this point it seems like just another piece of news: another game that disappears from digital stores and can no longer be purchased. But why is Spec Ops: The Line so important?
As they say in Inverse, the game from German developer Yager is a “must read” in the video game sector. Spec Ops: The Line is a third-person action game published in 2012 for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. At first glance it seems like an extremely generic title: another game halfway between Gears of War and the current Call of Duty. But Spec Ops goes much further.
Yager's work is generic on purpose. He uses his aesthetics and mechanics to center themes and reflections around war, violence in entertainment and even the use of chemical weapons against the civilian population (yes, I'm talking about the mythical white phosphorus scene). If we look for references in cinema, it is easy for films like Platoon or Apocalypse Now to come to mind.
The American media The Verge has contacted 2K for information on the status of Spec Ops. And the response has been the following: “Spec Ops: The Line will no longer be available in stores because many licenses related to the game are expiring. Players who have purchased the game will be able to continue downloading and playing it.” These licenses refer to songs such as The Star Spangled Banner by Jimi Hendrix or Nowhere to Run by Martha
The director of the game, Cory Davis, has regretted the news through social networks. In one of his posts on Why did this happen, 2K?”
Davis is right: Yager's work is more relevant than ever. In three weeks, it will be two years since the start of the war between Russia and Ukraine and, since October 2023, Israel has been carrying out genocide in Palestine. In fact, Amnesty International in October accused Israel of using white phosphorus on Lebanon's southern border, a war crime that violates international law.
With each piece of news of this type – and there are many – the same question arises: How can we preserve video games? The consolidation of digital as the dominant format and the sector's shift towards games as a service or day-one patches make preservation extremely difficult.
Many video games no longer have a physical format and those that reach stores on a disc cannot be played without updates and without downloading complementary files from the Internet. In other cases, such as Fortnite or Roblox, it is impossible to play the original title today.
The case of Spec Ops: The Line adds to all this. Starting this week it can no longer be purchased on Steam and, little by little, it will disappear from the rest of the PC and console digital stores. Those who have bought it or have it physically will be able to continue playing. It hasn't disappeared from GOG.com yet, so if you're interested, hurry up.
