The push behind the Stop Killing Games movement continues to grow, with hundreds of thousands of fans worldwide backing the calls for change.
The Stop Killing Games petition has struck a chord within the gaming community, attracting a mammoth 800,000 signatures, but if you’re unsure of exactly what the movement is about, we’ve got all the details.
What is The Stop Killing Games Controversy?
Stop Killing Games is a movement started by Ross Court to challenge the legality of “publishers destroying video games they have sold to customers,” focusing on games that require connection to a server, making games unplayable if support from the publisher ends.
Ubisoft has been a focal point of the movement, with a class-action lawsuit submitted in California after The Crew was shut down, which a legal team from Ubisoft applied to have thrown out, but it did lead to changes, as an offline mode for The Crew 2 began testing in April.
Action has already been taken worldwide, though not always successfully. For example, in France complaints regarding The Creew have reached “the highest levels” of the DGCCRF, while in Brazil an attempted lawsuit against Ubisoft on The Crew failed due to sales figures being required.
While Ubisoft has been a central focus of the movement, it does not solely apply to the company, and, instead, is a movement targeting a change of approach from all gaming companies, ensuring that players can continue to play any owned games permanently. If this is to happen, games that require persistent internet connection would need patches to support offline play, where applicable.
What is The Current Objective of The Stop Killing Games Movement?
Complaints have been successfully raised in France, Germany, and Australia on the matter, bringing forth a petition for a new law in various countries. Now, the focus is on The European Citizens’ Initiative, which is “the most powerful option” available, though it requires a massive number of signatures.
If the target of one million signatures is met, there is a “very strong chance” that the European Commission passes a new law to protect consumer rights to retain video games and “advance preservation efforts massively.”
Meanwhile, a separate petition in the UK is approaching the 100,000 signature requirement to be considered for debate in Parliament, which could then lead to a law change later down the line.
Reaching the targets does not mean a law protecting gamers will be created, however, and is merely just one step in the journey towards such protection.
Do you agree that purchasing games should guarantee permanent ownership, even if support has ended? Let us know your thoughts in the Insider Gaming forum.
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