EU Law Proposed for MMO Preservation, Requiring 1M Signatures

Ubisoft's abrupt closure of The Crew ignited a European movement to protect digital game ownership. This article explores the "Stop Killing Games" petition and its ambitious goal: preventing publishers from rendering games unplayable after ending support.

European Gamers Fight for Digital Game Preservation

One Million Signatures Needed for EU Law Proposal

A significant European gamer-led initiative, "Stop Killing Games," is striving to safeguard digital purchases. The petition urges the European Union to legislate against publishers shutting down games, leaving players with unusable purchases.

Ross Scott, a key organizer, is optimistic about the petition's success, citing its alignment with existing consumer protection policies. While the proposed law's reach would be limited to Europe, Scott hopes its success in this major market will inspire global change, either through similar legislation or industry-wide adoption of better practices.

The challenge is significant. The petition must gather one million signatures across various European countries within a year to trigger a formal legislative proposal. Eligibility is simple: any European citizen of voting age (age varies by country) can participate.

Launched in early August, the petition already boasts over 183,593 signatures. While the target remains distant, the year-long timeframe offers a realistic chance of success.

Holding Publishers Accountable for Server Shutdowns

Ubisoft's decision to shut down The Crew in March 2024 highlighted the problem, effectively wiping out the investment of 12 million players.

The loss of access to online-only games after server closures represents a considerable loss of time and money. Even in the first half of 2024, several games, including SYNCED and NEXON's Warhaven, faced the same fate.

Scott describes this as "planned obsolescence," comparing it to the silent film era's practice of destroying films to recover silver. The petition aims to ensure games remain playable at the time of shutdown, mandating that publishers "leave said videogames in a functional (playable) state" within the EU. The how is left to the publishers.

The initiative extends to free-to-play games with microtransactions, arguing that lost in-game purchases represent a loss of goods. Knockout City's transition to a free-to-play model with private server support demonstrates a potential solution.

However, the petition does not demand: relinquishing intellectual property rights, source code release, perpetual support, continued server hosting, or publisher liability for player actions.

To contribute, visit the "Stop Killing Games" website and sign the petition (one signature per person). The website offers country-specific instructions to ensure signature validity.

Even non-European supporters can help spread awareness, aiming to create a widespread impact on the gaming industry and prevent future game closures.