What We Do for the Love of the Game

Splashgame Community that started back in 2007, Emerges again!

An old sleeping giant is awakening. For the past decade, Splashgame has been somewhat idle, with only friends and family having access to our game servers. Work, time, and family commitments have held back our dedication to recreating the community and setting up more accessible game servers. Now, we’re reigniting that passion to see if there is still something to build on.

The Legal Gray Area of a WoW Vanilla Server

Community realms or Private WoW Servers occupy a gray area when it comes to legality. We understand the risks involved and are prepared to shut down if Blizzard requests it. However, we firmly believe in our right to enjoy and share the games we’ve purchased.

Many players find themselves in situations where the official game services are simply not accessible due to personal life constraints. Whether it’s due to limited time or financial resources, not everyone can afford a monthly subscription or dedicate hours every day to justify the cost. For some of us, gaming is a cherished escape—a way to unwind and connect with friends without the pressure of a financial burden or a strict schedule.

Our Community Realm provides a lifeline for players who fall into this category. It allows individuals to enjoy the game at their own pace, without the stress of recurring fees or the need to justify the expense against other financial obligations. We see it as a way to make gaming more inclusive and accommodating to the diverse needs of players worldwide.

While we acknowledge the complexities of operating outside official channels, our commitment to preserving the spirit of these games and fostering a community of like-minded individuals remains unwavering. We strive to maintain a space where players can experience the joy and camaraderie of gaming without unnecessary barriers.

The Fate of Multiplayer Games

Many beloved games become difficult or impossible to play when official game services shut down. This is especially true for games where multiplayer networking is a significant part of the experience, such as racing simulators. When these services go offline, the games often become, at best, solo experiences, stripping away the community aspects that made them special. We believe that such games should transition to abandonware and enter the public domain, ensuring that they remain accessible and enjoyable for everyone. There’s a great Article on PC Magazine Make a private hosted version of your game! By Velan Studios director of marketing Josh Harrison

Addressing Regional Pricing and Accessibility

There are broader issues at play, such as regional pricing and accessibility. Many people around the world simply can’t afford the current costs associated with playing World of Warcraft. Our realm provides an opportunity for them to experience the game without the financial burden. There’s a great thread on Reddit, from 4 years ago, that is still relevant to this day!

Not for Profit, But for Passion

Our commitment is not driven by profit. In fact, maintaining the website, Discord, and multiple game servers requires a significant investment of both time and money. We do this out of passion, not for financial gain. Moreover, hosting our own servers allows us to organize unique in-game events, enhancing the community experience in ways that wouldn’t be possible otherwise.

Such as our Stairs Event as show below, our Sunday Booty Bay Fishing and Maze Events, on our old Realm back in the years 2007-2010.

A Rich History of Community

The Splashgame Community has a rich history, boasting thousands of members from 2007 to 2010. Many people who played not only on our World of Warcraft community realm but also in other games like Minecraft, Arma 3, Arma Reforger, Counter-Strike, Euro Truck Simulator 2, Project Zomboid, and Natural Selection 1 & 2, have met in real life, fallen in love, and are now living together and have children—all because of a shared passion for gaming and the togetherness of our community.

Bringing Players Together

Splashgame Community has attended several large LAN parties in Sweden and Denmark, making PvP and tournaments possible. Players could join our community PvP realm, get instant level 60/70 characters, and access all the gear they could only dream of. On Blizzard’s official realms back then, you would have to be on the same realm or server-shard to participate in such events. Here’s a video from such an events we hosted at NitroXy, with servers and staff helping players gear up, 16 years ago.

The Learning Experience

Running a dedicated gaming server has been an incredible learning experience. Managing servers on Linux has taught us a lot about shell scripting, C++, MySQL, email, web hosting, and a bunch of other technical skills required for a community like Splashgame. These skills not only help us maintain the servers but also enhance our ability to provide a seamless and enjoyable experience for our players. It’s a continuous journey of learning and improvement, driven by our passion for gaming and community building.

Our Goal

Ultimately, our goal is to foster a community of players who share our passion for the original World of Warcraft and other beloved games. We believe in fairness and accessibility, allowing everyone to enjoy these incredible games.

We do it for the love of the game.

Best regards,

The Splashgame Community Staff