The shutdown of GameSpy's servers will affect a wide range of games on both PC and consoles, as we've learned over the past month. Halo: Combat Evolved on PC will be among them, but thanks to online service GameRanger, it won't mean the end for the shooter's online multiplayer component.

Support for the first Halo game (as well as its demo and the multiplayer-only Halo: Custom Edition) was introduced to GameRanger this week (via PC Gamer), meaning it will be possible to continue playing the game online indefinitely. In addition to offering features like friends lists and messaging, GameRanger provides online support for hundreds of games, many of which would otherwise no longer be playable online.

The computer version of Combat Evolved was the only one to offer official online multiplayer support. Online multiplayer didn't become standard in the series' console versions until Halo 2, although it was possible to play its predecessor online on the Xbox using third-party services.

Many of Combat Evolved's multiplayer maps were brought back for the multiplayer mode in Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary (pictured above), making them playable online. However, they were only playable using the Halo: Reach engine, leaving the PC version of Combat Evolved as the only official way to experience the game's original gameplay online.

GameSpy's shutdown later this month will mean online support goes away for a number of games, such as Crysis and Crysis 2 on PC, Borderlands and Civilization Revolution on the PS3, and Max Payne 3 for Mac. Some companies have indicated they plan to update their games in order to enable online support in the future, including 2K Games, though it remains to be seen whether this will pan out.