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[gufu1992]

This is what happens, when you want to get X-com:UFO for free. Don't mess with STEAM.:notrust:

[_r.u.s.s.]

i don't think they have fingers in it..

[Japo]

HOTU is down every semester, and every time rumors arise out of the blue that it's permanent and that of course it's some kind of plot from the powers that be.

Even when it's not down the service is sub-par... Just wait. This has happened before indeed, and for a longer time at least once if I remember right. Even the domain name (extension) was changed.

[einstein999999]

Hm, well, hopefully it'll be up again, sometime, then! I went on there two days ago to browse around for some games but wasn't able to connect to the server. I'd really like to go and find an old game I saw at a friend's house.

[red_avatar]

HOTU was the first site I discovered back in 1998 when I first tried Internet - I bought 60 3.5" disks (a CD Writer was still pretty uncommon back then) and filled them with dozens of games I always wanted to play but never got my hands on. HOTU was pretty new back then though, and was updated every week (imagine that!).

To be honest though, HOTU was always one of the less attractive Abandonware sites to use:
- only one download at a time with the risk of getting banned (and sharing one IP with 100 other PCs often meant that you DID get banned)
- 5kb/sec if you were lucky
- corrupted zip files
- having to enter a code before you were allowed to download
etc.

But HOTU had some rare gems that, back then, were nearly impossible to get ahold of. Things have changed, however, and many of the games on HOTU have found their way on other sites that are less draconion and more reliable. HOTU was always the mother of abandonware sites but it will be nearly 3 years since it last received an update and I fear it's time other sites take over. I personally haven't visited the site in months and it no longer has a place in my bookmarks either.

[Dave]

Still down it seems...

[Balthasar]

- only one download at a time with the risk of getting banned (and sharing one IP with 100 other PCs often meant that you DID get banned)
- 5kb/sec if you were lucky
- corrupted zip files
- having to enter a code before you were allowed to download
etc.

Agree with that...

HOTU was also the first site I discovered for searching old games. I don't think they will shut down at all but they got a serious problem. It seems, that the hole server is financally supported by the mass of commercials, banners and stuff they got on their site. Maybe they need a new buisness plan for the future. Of course people could donate to this site but this will always be only temporarly and not to be calculated.

So i hope those guys only have shut down the server to develope a new concept and the site will go on. OLD GAMES NEVER DIE !!! (oops that was another site )

Greets B.

[Japo]

Originally Posted by Balthasar

I don't think they will shut down at all but they got a serious problem.

Let me say however that even though this has happened before and it's still likely that the site will go up again, one of the laws of the universe is that nothing lasts forever... And HOTU has been agonizing since looong ago.

Still it's been up once and again every time it's had problems. I'd say Miss UD is (or was? ) more committed to the site (at least to keeping it on line as an archive even if not updated) than most people think.

[DoomYoshi]

Honestly, HOTU had the best organization of games. Abandonia is coming closer but HOTU is still miles ahead of the next competitor (COS by the looks of it) Every genre had like 10 or more subgenres, making finding an old gem or even a new game in a similar style quite easy. I'm pretty sure they were the first abandonware site to use organization by theme as well. There were problems with downloading etc. but for its purpose as a sheer archive of old games, it cannot die. That would be like destroying google.

[Bobbin Threadbare]

Haha, I remember when this happened in 2006. It won't really affect anything since you can get most of the games that are on that website from here or through file sharing networks.