Latest news with #StopKillingGames
Euronews
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Euronews
Citizens' petition 'Stop Killing Games' reaches 1.4mln signatures
The citizens' petition "Stop Killing Games" has attracted more than 1.4 million signatures across the European Union. It's looking likely that the European Commission will have to examine petition and decide whether or not new laws are needed to force video game companies to preserve discontinued online games. "It's a form of programmed obsolescence. Many video an online component. And when this online component is deactivated, not by the publisher but by the video game distributor, the game is unplayable", Daniel Ondruska, a representative of the initiative, told Euronews. He gives the example of the online racing game The Crew, launched in 2014 by the French company Ubisoft, which has not been accessible since 2024. He condemns a growing practice which, in his view, undermines consumer protection and destroys cultural heritage. "All we are asking is that when the game is suspended, it has an end-of-life plan to remain reasonably playable. We don't expect it to be completely playable with all the options, just that the core of the game is still playable for someone who has legally purchased it," Ondruska explained. "We're not asking for intellectual property, we're not asking to monetise, we're not asking to resell or anything like that. The only thing is, if we buy a product, we want to use that product." Video Games Europe Video Games Europe, the lobby group for the video games industry, said in a statement in July that stopping an online game "must be an option for companies" when it is no longer "commercially viable." "We understand that this can be disappointing for players, but when this happens, the industry ensures that players receive reasonable notice of potential changes in accordance with local consumer protection laws," the group said in the statement. It added that saving video games on private servers is not an alternative because there would be no data protection, no removal of illegal content and no fight against dangerous content. When contacted for comment by Euronews, Video Games Europe declined the request, referring us instead to the press release. Citizens' initiative The European citizens' initiative "Stop Killing Games" was submitted on 19 June 2024 and launched on 31 July of the same year. It had one year to collect one million signatures in the European Union and reach minimum thresholds in at least seven Member States. That target was reached on 4 July. Since Monday, it has been at the verification stage. Member States now have three months to check the validity of the signatures. But there is still a long way to go. The organisers will then have to formally submit the initiative to the European Commission for examination, which will have six months to state whether or not it intends to take action and present a legislative proposal to the European Parliament. If necessary, the text will still have to go through the process of adoption into EU law.
Euractiv
08-08-2025
- Automotive
- Euractiv
Stop Destroying Videogames is the least we can ask
Ross Scott is the founder of the Stop Killing Games movement and makes video game-related videos. The "Stop Destroying Videogames" citizens' initiative is asking for something most customers take for granted: that when you buy something, you are entitled to keep it. Most video games work indefinitely, but the industry is pushing a paradigm shift where a game's functioning is completely dependent on a publisher continuing to support it. This has led to customers owning nothing, nor even being informed when what they paid for will expire. The blatant unfairness of this practice has led over 1.4 million citizens to sign the initiative. The message is in the title: They want publishers to stop destroying customers' video games. The problem has become a threat to the medium itself: An informal study showed that games with an online requirement get effectively destroyed about 70% of the time, with the industry doing nothing to allow (or actively preventing) customers from retaining their purchase in 97% of instances. What is happening is planned obsolescence under a new banner. The industry sometimes justifies this practice by saying games sold to customers are now services, not products, but that rings hollow; services inform you how long they can be accessed. The same is not true of the vast majority of games requiring a connection to the publisher. If they are indeed services, this would be akin to an insurance company selling a policy not for one year or two, but for an undisclosed length of time that can end whenever the seller wishes. It is currently unclear how legal this practice even is. The licence of almost every game that requires a connection to the publisher contains terms like "can terminate at any time for any reason." When asked about the legality of this, the EU Commission claimed it was possible that this violated the law, however existing remedies only refer to the "duration of the contract", but most game licences typically have no stated duration, only that they "can terminate at any time." One lawyer has called the current law on this "unfit for purpose." The industry has many excuses for why it finds this practice to be necessary. They are reminiscent of the auto industry's excuses from the 1960s for why cars should not be required to have seatbelts, arguing they would stop selling cars in certain markets if such a law was passed. It was a bluff back then, as it is now. This is especially the case as the costs associated with providing an "end of life" plan for a game can be a rounding error for many companies, particularly if planned for from the start. In fact, most video games already do this, but even those that don't typically have a testing environment for the development of their game, which could easily serve as a basis for an 'end of life' version. Finally, the excuse that publishers will lose intellectual property rights is patently untrue. Companies write their own terms in their licence agreements. All commercial video games have to sell some rights simply for customers to be able to play the games in the first place. The citizens' initiative asks only that customers do not have the limited rights they were already sold taken away from them. Just as authors own the rights to their works, but cannot enter your home to repossess books you bought from them, the initiative is asking for the same of videogames. It is the least for a customer to ask.
Euractiv
03-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Euractiv
Gamers flood EU consultation in push for rules to make sure the fun never stops
Furious at the shutdown of an online racing game, The Crew, gamers worldwide are teaming up to get the EU to regulate this notoriously lawless corner of the entertainment industry and make sure online games aren't abruptly pulled offline. A consultation for the upcoming EU Digital Fairness Act (DFA), which will focus on online consumer protection, is getting a lot of attention from angry video gamers. They see it as a vehicle to get the EU to force the industry to keep online video games playable once developers stops supporting them. The movement of online gamers, called Stop Killing Games, started last year after The Crew, which could only be played online, was shut down despite being marketed without an expiry date when it was launched back in 2014. Fast forward to this summer and the Commission kicked-off a public consultation on 17 July for its upcoming DFA proposal. In the two weeks since then, this EU request for views from citizens and businesses has collected almost 3,000 responses, which is highly unusual for such a wonky process. The overwhelming response is, however, no accident. The consultation caught the attention of this existing movement of angry gamers who are triggered by the prospect of the EU coming up with standards to protect consumers online. They want the new rules to also safeguard the longevity of the online games they purchase. Keen not to let this (possibly forlorn) hope slip from view this week, gamers have organised a mass response via the social media platform Reddit. Ready player EU A shortcut to explaining all the fuss is the Stop Killing Games campaign, which has been channeling gamer rage over beloved titles being withdrawn from the market by profit-focused games developers. The issue, per the initiative, is that online games become "unplayable" as soon as support from their publisher ends. This is because servers are switched off since maintaining them is no longer profitable. The practice remains largely unregulated worldwide. The pro-gamer campaign, which has been coordinating consumer responses internationally, recently crossed the 1 million signatures threshold to qualify for a Commission response under the European Citizens Initiative, as we reported previously. But Stop Killing Games didn't stop there. The initiative's organiser, Ross Scott, launched a Reddit thread three days ago to ask signatories to fill the Commission's DFA consultation too, and press the EU for rules that safeguard the purchase of online video games. "We have a new option that could get a new law introduced," proclaims Scott in a YouTube video at the top of the Reddit thread. The video goes on to urge gamers "to start protecting games you've already paid for." "We are asking for video game publishers to leave copies of video games they have sold to customers in a reasonably working state once they end support without requiring any further intervention from them," Scott explained to Euractiv. "There are additional nuances, but that's ou[r] primary ask," he added. His call-to-action appears to have worked – the Commission's feedback page shows that numerous citizens have already filled out the consultation, with several more months for it to roll. "I would like to express my support for the Stop Killing Games initiative and urge lawmakers to consider it as a relevant and worthy cause that aligns with the core goals of the Digital Fairness Act," opines one response. "It is very annoying to have games you bought with your own money taken away," points out another. Still, some gamers are divided on whether the DFA will address their concerns. "It seems this piece of legislature [DFA] is about regulating markets themselves rather than the products being sold," noted one Reddit user. The ball is now in the Commission's court. (nl, jp)
ABC News
26-07-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
What is Stop Killing Games? Millions back EU petition to shape future of video game industry
Across the internet in recent weeks, influencers, streamers and video game fans have been calling for laws to "stop killing games". It's part of a grassroots initiative that has been picked up around the world, including in Australia, and is now picking up speed as it makes an eleventh-hour push for signatures on a petition to the European Union. This is what to know about the Stop Killing Games movement, and why it's getting so much attention. If you bought a game for your Nintendo 64 back in 1999, you could still dust it off, plug it into your console and boot it up to this day. But the same isn't possible for many released in recent years. That's because more games than ever require an internet connection to play, usually via online servers hosted by the developer. But when those companies decide they no longer want to keep the servers operating, they can shut them down and render the game unplayable. These games are usually sold for around the same prices as titles that can be played years down the line and aren't marketed as having a life span. Essentially, it's an issue of consumer rights. The Stop Killing Games movement says the issue also has bigger implications than just the video games industry. "The practice of a seller destroying a product someone has already paid for represents a radical assault on consumer rights and even the concept of ownership itself," its organisers wrote in an FAQ on its official website. "If this practice does not stop, it may be codified into law and spread to other products of more importance over time, such as agricultural equipment, educational products, medical devices, etc. "It is important consumers maintain a basic level of rights so as to not be overrun by predatory practices." Frustration around this practice of developers shutting down games has existed for years. But when Ubisoft announced plans to shutter its online racing game The Crew in 2024 and render the game unplayable, the situation reached a boiling point. Ross Scott, who runs the YouTube channel Accursed Farms, had been reporting news updates about developers destroying games for years, but believed The Crew was the clearest case of a consumer rights violation he'd seen in the space. He told his audience at the time he intended to pursue legal proceedings against Ubisoft, with the intention of setting a legal precedent against the practice. Out of that, the Stop Killing Games initiative was born. Since April 2024, supporters of the initiative in several countries have pushed for legislation to discourage the practice of destroying games consumers have already purchased. Supporters are asking for laws that would require games to stay in a working state when developers end support. "The irony is, most video games already do this," Mr Scott said. Stop Killing Games says two of the ways this can be achieved is by: The initiative is not calling for developers to be required to run servers for their games forever. "It's unreasonable to expect a developer to support a game forever," says Seán McLoughlin, who goes by jacksepticeye online, in a video posted to his YouTube channel. "I don't think anyone would expect that. But if a developer wants to stop supporting a game … put stuff in place where you can hand it over to the consumers, where they can start supporting it themselves, and put stuff out, and we can still enjoy the game." The movement's petition to the European Union has received an eleventh-hour groundswell of support, bringing the issue into mainstream discourse. The petition, which closes on July 31, had 12 months to collect at least 1 million verified statements of support in order to bring the matter before the EU's main executive body, the European Commission. For most of that time, it appeared as though it would fall short. But when prominent video game influencers, including PewDiePie, jacksepticeye, MoistCr1TiKaL, and Minecraft creator Notch offered public statements of support, the petition saw a massive boost. In little over a fortnight, it shot from around 454,000 signatures to 1.3 million. There are a few reasons. For one, getting enough signatures would guarantee the issue goes before the European Commission, meaning there's a better chance the EU will consider legislating against developers destroying games they have sold to customers. Mr Scott is hopeful that if the EU, or even Australia, introduces new laws, they would be enough to tip the scales worldwide. "The costs of implementing 'end of life' plans are trivial when compared to the potential profits from selling in those markets," he said. "At that point, I think it will become standard practice in the industry, because that is what will become the most profitable." This flow-on effect has been seen before. In 2022, the European Union ruled all smartphones sold within the bloc must be capable of being charged with a USB-C connection. That meant Apple was forced to abandon its brand-specific Lightning cables to comply, and rather than manufacturing models just for Europe, the company implemented the change worldwide. Similarly, in 2017, gaming company Valve lost a case against Australia's consumer watchdog, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), in the federal court for misleading customers about their rights to refunds for faulty games. Valve, which owns the gaming platform Steam and has more than 2 million Australian accounts, only offered refunds on a case-by-case basis. But the court upheld that, according to Australian Consumer Law, every business selling products in the country was required to provide refunds for faulty products. Mr Scott attributes the case for prompting Valve to offer refunds on purchases with less than 2 hours of playtime for up to 14 days. Stop Killing Games has already received some optimistic commentary from the EU, with Vice-President Nicolae Ștefănuță voicing his full support and signing the petition. Emphasis has also been placed on Stop Killing Games's European Union petition because it marks one of the last avenues the initiative can pursue to see governments take up the matter. Past actions in countries such as Canada, the US and Brazil have so far turned up dead ends. In response to a class action lawsuit over the shutdown of The Crew, Ubisoft lawyer Steven A Marenberg argued the game's packaging made clear the game required an internet connection to be played, and that Ubisoft retained the right to revoke access at its own discretion. Having been able to play the game for years, he argued players "cannot complain now that they were deceived simply because Ubisoft did not then create an offline version of the discontinued game", he wrote in a filing obtained by Polygon. Video Games Europe, a trade association representing the continent's video game industry, has been critical of the Stop Killing Games initiative. In a statement released in early July, it said private servers were not a practical option for many online-only games. "We understand that it can be disappointing for players but, when it does happen, the industry ensures that players are given fair notice of the prospective changes in compliance with local consumer protection laws," the statement reads. "Private servers are not always a viable alternative option for players as the protections we put in place to secure players' data, remove illegal content, and combat unsafe community content would not exist and would leave rights holders liable. "In addition, many titles are designed from the ground-up to be online-only; in effect, these proposals would curtail developer choice by making these video games prohibitively expensive to create." A longer position statement argued such laws as Stop Killing Games is pursuing would erode intellectual property rights of developers and raise the costs of developing such games, creating a "chilling effect on game design". It added that forcing developers to allow privately run servers would risk reputational harm and expose players to security risks and "illegal or harmful content or conduct" in the absence of moderation. Mr Scott rejected the suggestion that requiring developers to have end-of-life plans in place would be too costly. "While it's not practical for all existing games, which we acknowledge, the costs to implement 'end of life' plans for games in the future can be utterly minimal," he said, adding that most games already allowed for continued play after support ended. He noted that the EU was an "enormous market" with a population of more than 450 million, meaning the potential profits from selling games there would outweigh the costs of implementing such plans. Other studios, including Warhammer 40,000 developer Owlcat Studios, have expressed support for the petition. Yes. Stop Killing Games petitioned the federal government last year, collecting more than 10,000 signatures. Former MP Stephen Jones, who was the assistant treasurer and financial services minister at the time, responded with a letter outlining current consumer law but did not commit to pursuing legislation. The ACCC said developers should be clear to consumers about whether they were purchasing a game as a product, or just a licence to play it. A spokesperson for the commission said "there is no requirement under the ACL that game developers need to continue to provide access to a game, or support the operation of a game, for any defined period of time". "If consumers are impacted by a game developer changing the nature of the product or service they have purchased and believe they have been misled, they should contact the business in first instance to try to resolve the issue. "They should also report the matter to the ACCC and their local state or territory consumer affairs or fair trading agency."
Time of India
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Stop Killing Games movement mysteriously accused of violating EU transparency laws; Ross Scott responds
(Image via @Accursed_Farms/YouTube) A viral campaign to stop publishers from deleting games has found itself in an unexpected spotlight this week. The Stop Killing Games movement, known for its bold stance on digital ownership, is facing allegations that it violated EU transparency rules, claims that have since sparked both outrage and support across Europe's gaming community. Mysterious complaint targets unpaid work by popular campaign figure Ross Scott On Thursday, July 18, 2025, social media started buzzing after reports emerged that the European Commission received a quiet but serious complaint targeting the Stop Destroying Video Games Initiative, the official EU-facing campaign aligned with Stop Killing Games. The industry filed false claims against the "Stop Killing Games" initiative The complaint names Ross Scott, widely credited with sparking the movement, as someone who allegedly provided undisclosed professional services worth over €100,000 in labor. But the twist? Scott says he's not even a member of the official initiative, and his work has been entirely unpaid and voluntary. Complaint timing raises eyebrows as lobbying pressure mounts What's raised even more suspicion is the timing. The Stop Killing Games movement has recently gained momentum across the continent, rallying players who want to keep access to the games they've paid for, even after publishers pull the plug. Several MEPs, including Vice President Nicolae Ștefănuță, have expressed vocal support for the cause. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Premium 3 & 4 BHK ( 1079 - 1829 ) from ₹72.03 Lacs* at Jessore Road Srijan Realty Learn More Undo The campaign has also been featured in major gaming forums and YouTube channels. Now, with the legal complaint suddenly emerging, some supporters smell foul play. Scott believes the anonymous move may be part of a coordinated effort to silence the campaign, especially after industry groups like Video Games Europe issued sharp criticisms of his work earlier this year. EU documents may already clear Scott of wrongdoing Interestingly, this isn't the first time Scott's role has come up. Back in early 2024, the initiative reportedly discussed his involvement with EU officials, and no objections were raised then. If proven, that could directly undermine the legitimacy of the current complaint. For now, the EU Commission has yet to respond publicly, and it remains unclear whether a formal investigation will follow. Whether this complaint fizzles out or escalates further, one thing's certain; the fight to preserve digital games just got a lot more political. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
