European Parliament Hearing Examines Legal Protections for Games After Service Shutdowns
Similar Articles
Consumer Rights Advocates Address EU Parliament on Game Preservation and Age Verification Laws
Lego 2K Drive Delisted as Stop Killing Games Initiative Gains Traction
California Bill Would Require Refunds or Offline Access When Online Games Shut Down
California Bill Would Require Game Companies to Provide Options Before Ending Online Services
Ubisoft Expands Offline Features for The Crew 2 Following Player Advocacy
A European Parliament committee held a hearing on the issue of video games becoming permanently inaccessible when publishers end online support. The European Commission's copyright director stated he will investigate whether existing regulations adequately cover this area and report findings in July.
Facts First
- A hearing on game accessibility was held in the European Parliament with presentations from organisers, experts, and stakeholders.
- The European Commission director Giuseppe Abbamonte will investigate copyright regulations related to the issue and report in July.
- The Stop Killing Games movement was triggered by the shutdown of 'The Crew' and cites games like Concord, Highguard, and Anthem as examples.
- Ross Scott, founder of Stop Killing Games, defined 'game destruction' as a publisher permanently disabling all sold copies.
- License agreements often reserve the right to terminate a service at any time for any reason.
What Happened
The Stop Killing Games initiative held a 45-minute hearing in the European Parliament to address the challenge of video games becoming unplayable after sale due to discontinued services or disabled access. Ross Scott, founder of Stop Killing Games, defined the destruction of a game as a publisher permanently disabling all sold copies so no one can play them again. Giuseppe Abbamonte, a European Commission director, stated he will investigate copyright regulations that may not adequately cover this area and report findings in July.
Why this Matters to You
If you purchase a video game, you may lose access to it permanently if the publisher decides to end its online support. This issue affects games attached to publishers via online services that cannot exist independently when support ends. Ross Scott shared a statistic showing that 93.5 percent of 400 titles were disabled when support ended. The legal investigation by the European Commission could lead to new protections that might safeguard your future purchases from similar loss.
What's Next
Giuseppe Abbamonte will investigate copyright regulations and report his findings in July. The outcome of this investigation could shape future European Union policy regarding consumer rights and digital goods. The hearing may lead to further parliamentary scrutiny of the issue.