Eu Law Proposals Demand One Million Unterschriften to Safeguard MMO Game Legacies

European Gamers Launch Petition to Save Online Games from Server Shutdowns

A significant European gamer-led initiative, "Stop Killing Games," is underway, aiming to protect digital game purchases from disappearing due to publisher server shutdowns. The petition seeks one million signatures within a year to propose a new EU law.

The campaign, spearheaded by Ross Scott, seeks to hold publishers accountable for rendering games unplayable after ending support. The proposed legislation, if successful, would only apply within the EU but could influence global industry practices. Scott highlights the initiative's alignment with existing consumer protection policies, boosting its chances of success.

The petition, launched in August 2024, already boasts over 183,000 signatures. While ambitious, the one-million-signature goal is achievable within the allotted year. Eligibility is limited to European Union citizens of voting age.

Ubisoft's shutdown of The Crew in March 2024, impacting 12 million players, fueled the campaign. This exemplifies the loss incurred when online-only games are deactivated, rendering significant player investments worthless. Other recent game closures, such as SYNCED and NEXON's Warhaven, further underscore the urgency.

Scott describes server shutdowns as "planned obsolescence," comparing it to the historical loss of silent films due to silver recovery practices. The petition doesn't demand source code release, intellectual property rights relinquishment, or perpetual support but simply requires games to remain playable at the time of server closure. This means publishers would need to find a way to keep the game functional, even after ending support.

The initiative extends to free-to-play games with microtransactions, arguing that lost microtransaction purchases constitute a loss of goods. The success of Knockout City's transition to a free-to-play model with private server support demonstrates a viable alternative.

The petition explicitly does not demand:

• Relinquishing intellectual property rights
• Handing over source code
• Providing endless support
• Maintaining servers indefinitely
• Assuming liability for player actions

Support the "Stop Killing Games" petition by visiting their website (link omitted for brevity). Remember, only one signature per person is valid. Even non-European gamers are encouraged to spread awareness to create a global impact on the video game industry.