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Mavericks: GameKit.framework 'gamed' process –constant network connections

Since upgrading to Mavericks, Little Snitch's network monitor is showing a ridiculous amount of attempts by a process called gamed, which is part of the GameKit.framework, at making network connections. Sometimes it will try dozens of times in a row before giving up. Obviously this framework is something to do with Apple's Game Centre, which I've only previously come across on iOS. What is it now doing on OSX, given that there seems to be no GUI 'front-end' for it? And how the **** do I disable it? I have no games on my comp and no intention of installing any, so I don't really want to be wasting processor cycles with some framework which won't take [Little Snitch's] "no" for an answer, continually trying to beat a path to the internet.


Screengrab link: http://d.pr/i/r4np+

MacBook Air, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.5)

Posted on Oct 28, 2013 11:13 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Feb 6, 2014 2:42 PM

err... tried stiobhart's method and the notifications stopped..... temporarily.. today, I have another thousand blocks by little snitch. *** gives? Any advice?


Did you restart the computer after moving com.apple.gamed.plist into the disabled folder?


Anyway... This was bothering me, too. So, after some reading, I added this to the gamed plist file -


<key>Disabled</key>

<true/>

This is what Apple suggests...


https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/Darwin/Reference/ManPages/ man5/launchd.plist.5.html


...and it definitely gets the job done. You'd need to do this as root, so type very carefully. Lanuch the Terminal program, then -


Sluggy:/Users/billy> sudo su -

Password:

Sluggy:~ root# cd /System/Library/LaunchAgents/

Sluggy:LaunchAgents root# pico com.apple.gamed.plist



and write in the two Disabled key lines just below these, near the top of the file -


<key>Label</key>

<string>com.apple.gamed</string>


Then type Control-X and answer Yes to save the new file.


You probably should make a backup copy first - open the /System/Library/LaunchAgents folder and

while holding down the Option key drag a copy to your Desktop.


Billy Y..

50 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Feb 6, 2014 2:42 PM in response to otgkhan

err... tried stiobhart's method and the notifications stopped..... temporarily.. today, I have another thousand blocks by little snitch. *** gives? Any advice?


Did you restart the computer after moving com.apple.gamed.plist into the disabled folder?


Anyway... This was bothering me, too. So, after some reading, I added this to the gamed plist file -


<key>Disabled</key>

<true/>

This is what Apple suggests...


https://developer.apple.com/library/mac/documentation/Darwin/Reference/ManPages/ man5/launchd.plist.5.html


...and it definitely gets the job done. You'd need to do this as root, so type very carefully. Lanuch the Terminal program, then -


Sluggy:/Users/billy> sudo su -

Password:

Sluggy:~ root# cd /System/Library/LaunchAgents/

Sluggy:LaunchAgents root# pico com.apple.gamed.plist



and write in the two Disabled key lines just below these, near the top of the file -


<key>Label</key>

<string>com.apple.gamed</string>


Then type Control-X and answer Yes to save the new file.


You probably should make a backup copy first - open the /System/Library/LaunchAgents folder and

while holding down the Option key drag a copy to your Desktop.


Billy Y..

Apr 20, 2014 2:01 AM in response to Gramps

Perhaps your configuration did not have the launch agent. If it stays down, don't worry.


Apple doesn't like LS in much the way that Stalin didn't like Trotsky. It is not really a conflict between an Apple resource and LS. It is a conflict between Apple and you over who controls your system resources. Every software company, if it stays around long enough and is successful, becomes Microsoft. The symptom here is very much like that of Internet Explorer. When a company has a weak product, there is a tendancy, over time, to use more and more coercive methods to sell it. Apple has failed to generate any enthusiasm among gamers, so the people responsible for that division use this feature to get in your face instead of asking why a gamer who wants to hot-rod his machine with overclocked chips, water cooling and lights would want to buy a closed system.


Using LS you have to decide if Apple, or Google for that matter, is connecting you to software update because they think you really need the latest version of something every few hours. The implications are much broader than this annoying thing with gamed.

Oct 30, 2013 1:01 PM in response to Colin Robinson

Ah. Well spotted. I guess I should pay more attention to the less well publicised additions a new OSX upgrade brings.


Anyway, just because I got so irritated watching LittleSnitch's menubar icon flashing away like a semaphore blocking the ridiculous number of network connections that the gamed process keeps trying to make, I disabled that particular framework:


sudo mkdir /System/Library/LaunchAgentsDisabled

sudo mv /System/Library/LaunchAgents/com.apple.gamed.plist /System/Library/LaunchAgentsDisabled/

No ill effects and a few processor cycles reclaimed.

Nov 11, 2016 3:41 PM in response to niteowl

The OP wants to KILL the process, not just block it!


They know how to block it, but that doesn't STOP the **** thing from wasting memory (no matter how small the usage may be).


I've never played games in the year I've owned this computer, but there's gamed - chugging along day-in day-out using resources for no apparent reason. 😠


Even the commands I thought had worked weren't permanent, and gamed is now active again.


User uploaded file

Mar 4, 2014 5:50 PM in response to stíobhart

As an alternative to disabling com.apple.gamed, I think you can solve the problem by logging out of Game Center. I have a Mac Pro and a Macbook, and the Mac Pro is getting constant notifications from Little Snitch that gamed is connecting to different IP addresses. The Macbook does not get these messages. The two Macs are both running 10.9.2, and the gamed notifications started after that update.

Mar 18, 2014 2:42 PM in response to stíobhart

It seems Apple is intent on making Mac OS X like Windows, at this point. The number of extraneous system services and processes running for background tasks that are irrelevant to all users, with no way to manage them outside terminal or file deletion... Not pleased. I am running FROM Windows, not intending to run to a mimicry of it. Is Apple going to create a registry too? Bah.

Apr 19, 2014 12:15 PM in response to gordonol

I was able to find the first file mentioned (gamed) and squash it, but the second one does not seem to exist in the launchagents folder. Am I missing something?


BTW, just eliminating the 'gamed' UNIX resource file seems to do the trick. Thanks for that!


But all Little Snitch users should be aware that Apple definitely does not like Little Snitch. I was made aware of that fact recently when I talked with an AppleCare specialist. This could explain why they are not really concerned when there is a conflict between an Apple resource and LS that causes such things to happen.

Mavericks: GameKit.framework 'gamed' process –constant network connections

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