The original Planetside was one of the most unique games I've ever played, a nearly perfect blend of MMO and FPS elements, but its heyday had long since past and without a consistent patching schedule the population slowly withered away into nothingness.

As you would expect, this downward spiral eventually resulted in Daybreak announcing Planetside's retirement on July 1, along with a special event designed to give Planetside 1 the "sendoff it deserves". While I unfortunately couldn't spare the time to watch my teenage years go up in flame, Steven Messner made a recording of Planetside's final few moments, and despite not being invested in the game for many years now, I can't help but feel an immense sorrow at its loss. Have a look:

While the planet may have been utterly destroyed by an apocalyptic meteor shower, you will be happy to know that the glorious Vanu Empire had triumphed during the final few moments... that is, unless you're one of those heretics that doesn't love purple spandex!

If this is your first time bumping into Planetside, don't worry, its not all lost. Planetside 2 is still alive and well, and due to a recent massive update its population has received a nice boost, so if you're up for some large-scale shooty action feel free to give it a try, its free after all. And make sure to chose the Vanu, they have hover-tanks!