EU Law Proposed: 1 Million Signatures for MMO Preservation

European Gamers Launch Petition to Preserve Digital Game Purchases

A European citizen's initiative, "Stop Killing Games," is demanding EU legislation to protect players' investments in online games. Triggered by Ubisoft's shutdown of The Crew, the petition aims to prevent publishers from rendering games unplayable after ending support.

The campaign, spearheaded by Ross Scott, seeks one million signatures within a year to formally propose the legislation to the EU. While enforceable only within Europe, Scott hopes its success will influence global industry standards. The initiative requires signatures from EU citizens of voting age. As of early August, over 183,000 signatures have been collected.

The petition directly addresses the issue of server shutdowns for online-only games, highlighting the loss of significant player investment. Scott likens the practice to "planned obsolescence," comparing it to the loss of silent films due to silver reclamation. The proposed law would mandate that publishers maintain games in a playable state at the time of shutdown, leaving the implementation method to the publishers themselves.

The initiative also covers free-to-play games with microtransactions, arguing that rendering purchased items inaccessible constitutes a loss of goods. The success of Knockout City's transition to a free-to-play model with private server support serves as a positive example.

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

To support the campaign, visit the "Stop Killing Games" website and sign the petition (one signature per person). Even non-Europeans can contribute by spreading awareness. The ultimate aim is to create a ripple effect across the gaming industry, preventing future game closures.