It's always sad when a video game loses some of its functionality, and while this news was announced last week, it must have slipped through the E3 cracks.  Nintendo has announced that as of June 30, 2009 it will no longer accept user-created material — that's stages, snapshots, and replay data — for Super Smash Bros. Brawl.  If you've spent the last year creating the ultimate custom stage then you'd better hurry and send it to the mothership before it shuts down.  Here's the official notice from the long-dormant Smash Bros. Dojo blog:

As of June 30th, 2009, the current service that accepts user-generated snapshots, stage designs, and replay data will no longer be available. Please note, however, that we will continue to distribute such data after that date.

At least there's still the PC-based level editor if you need your new level fix.  Remember how fired up we all were to play this game during its frenzied pre-release period?  Once I consumed what it had to offer, my interest in it dropped much faster than I'd expected.  I can't be the only one to have followed that path which makes me think that this shutdown has more to do with decreased use of the service than it does some kind of casual-boosting conspiracy meant to slam the core audience.  Sometimes the correct answer is the more cost-effective one.

(via Gamasutra)