Two Historic Japanese Mobile Games Shut Down Permanently Due to Widespread Exploit Issues

After reports surfaced about a critical vulnerability affecting a core technology of the web, the internet briefly came to a standstill. Major companies rushed to implement emergency maintenance to address a newly identified PHP exploit that could enable hackers to execute code on any site utilizing this framework, which is estimated to support around 70 percent of the internet. Nearly 24 hours later, many platforms and services resumed operations. However, in Japan, some services relying on outdated software are struggling to update their systems, leading to permanent closures.

Two of the longest-running mobile games are now shutting down for good due to their reliance on older technology that cannot be updated to fix the exploit. One of these is World Quest, which debuted on the Japanese mobile platform GREE in 2011 as a social travel game. Players could create avatars and explore various countries and landmarks virtually. The app, which used open-source online maps to enhance the travel experience, gained a loyal following in Japan. After its initial shutdown in 2019, it was brought back in 2020 to provide a travel experience during the COVID-19 pandemic, remaining active until now.

The service has now been abruptly terminated, citing the inability to secure customer data due to outdated systems. Since its revival in 2020, the game had not received any updates, yet it maintained a dedicated player base over the past six years. Japanese players have expressed their nostalgia and gratitude to the development team for their efforts throughout the game’s life.

Another casualty this week is a text-based community RPG called Save My Demonic World, which also had to close due to the new security vulnerability. Like World Quest, it has aging systems that cannot support the necessary updates after ceasing updates two years ago. The fragility of the internet is evident!

Many older websites and services that are no longer actively maintained—or are simply too outdated to receive updates—now face the risk of disappearing permanently. Such closures would obscure large portions of the old internet, including areas that are already deteriorating and becoming inaccessible. These two games highlight the potential loss of significant pieces of internet history in the wake of these security vulnerabilities.