"MMO Game Preservation Needs One Million EU Signatures for Law Proposal"

Ubisoft's decision to shut down The Crew has ignited a fervent movement among European gamers, culminating in a petition aimed at safeguarding digital purchases. Dive into the details of the "Stop Killing Games" initiative and the battle to preserve access to multiplayer games.

EU Gamers Rally to ‘Stop Killing Games’

'Stop Killing Games' Petition Aims for One Million Signatures Within One Year

An increasing number of European gamers are uniting in support of a citizen’s initiative focused on the preservation of digital purchases. The "Stop Killing Games" petition urges the European Union to introduce legislation that would stop game publishers from making games unplayable once they cease support.

Ross Scott, a key organizer of the campaign, remains optimistic about its success, noting that "the initiative aligns with existing consumer policies." The proposed law, if passed, would apply exclusively within Europe. Nonetheless, Scott hopes that legislation in a major market like the EU could inspire similar actions worldwide, either through regulatory measures or industry-wide standards.

Achieving this goal presents significant challenges. The campaign must successfully navigate the "European Citizen’s Initiative" process, which demands one million signatures from various European countries to propose a legislative change. Eligible signatories must be European citizens of voting age, which differs across countries.

Launched in early August, the petition has already secured 183,593 signatures. With a full year to reach the target, the campaign is well on its way but still has a considerable distance to cover.

The Initiative Seeks to Hold Publishers Accountable for Server Shutdowns

The Crew, an online-only racing game launched in 2014, became the catalyst for this movement when Ubisoft suddenly ended its online services in March of this year, effectively nullifying the investments of 12 million players.

The stark reality is that when servers for online-only games are shut down, countless hours and financial investments vanish. By mid-2024, games like SYNCED and NEXON's Warhaven have already been slated for closure, leaving players without recourse for their expenditures.

"It’s a form of planned obsolescence," Ross Scott remarked in his YouTube video. He likened it to the silent film era, where studios "destroyed their films after screenings to reclaim the silver content," resulting in the loss of most films from that period.

Scott’s proposal is straightforward: developers and publishers should "maintain the game in a functional state at the time of shutdown." The initiative specifies that the proposed law would compel "publishers selling or licensing video games, or related features and assets, to consumers in the European Union to ensure these games remain playable." The exact method of maintaining functionality would be left to the publishers.

The campaign also targets free-to-play games with microtransactions. Scott noted, "if you purchase a microtransaction as a product and the game becomes unplayable, you've essentially lost your purchase."

This approach has precedent. For instance, Knockout City, shut down in June 2023, was later relaunched as a free-to-play standalone game with private server support, allowing all items and cosmetics to be accessed for free, and enabling players to host their own servers.

However, there are limits to what the initiative demands. It does not require publishers to:

⚫︎ Relinquish intellectual property rights
⚫︎ Surrender source code
⚫︎ Provide endless support
⚫︎ Host servers
⚫︎ Assume liability for customer actions

To support the "Stop Killing Games" campaign, visit their website and sign the petition. Remember, you can only sign once, and any errors will invalidate your signature. The website offers country-specific guidance to help avoid such mistakes.

Ross Scott highlighted in his video that even non-Europeans can aid the cause by spreading awareness. The ultimate aim is to "create a ripple effect in the video game industry to prevent further game destruction by publishers."