This is something Xfire once offered.
What Was Xfire?
Xfire was a free gaming-focused chat app and server web app.
These games had built-in server browsers, but they weren’t great for finding your friends.
This made it possible to join a server that wasadvertised in an IRC channel, for example.
The server information on Xfire was pretty basicyou could see the name, player count, and ping.
Shutterstock.com/Eugene Kouzmenok
Xfire was so large at one point that it rivaled Steam, which had much of the same functionality.
This included instant messaging and a configurable overlay with a built-in web net online gate.
However, Steam eventually overtook Xfire, thanks to its game store.
Shutterstock.com/Eugene Kouzmenok
This meant players were more likely to just use Steam for their community needs instead of a separate app.
While server browsing was one of its core functionalities, Xfire could do so much more than that.
Xfire had a simple chat interface reminiscent of Discord and Steam but with fewer complications.
That’s how I found my first localWorld of Warcraftcommunity.
A Universal Game Time Tracker
The Xfire feature I miss the most is game time tracking.
While Steam can track game hours for Steam games, it doesn’t work for non-Steam games.
There are some universal game time tracking solutions available, but none of them are particularly popular.
Remember, Xfire was used by tens of millions of gamers.
I remember using Xfire to playCall of Duty 2zombie maps long before the franchise officially introduced zombies.
I just hope that someone will create an Xfire-style solution sooner rather than later.
