The shift to widespread use of 64-bit operating hardware and systems is a good thing in many ways; for one thing, it means that we don’t need to hear quite as much about the Year 2038 Problem. But it does have downsides for those using older hardware, as PlanetSide 2 has demonstrated. With the game’s next update, the 32-bit client will no longer be officially supported, thus placing those on older machines out of the game.
According to the post announcing that support will be discontinued, a minority of players still use the 32-bit client, so the development team clearly feels it will have a minimal impact. Still, it means that some players will be locked out of the game. Whether or not it’s a necessary price for the ongoing march of technology is left as an exercise for the reader.
