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More and more modern games rely on publisher-owned servers. When companies decide to end support, some titles become completely unavailable even to people who had previously paid for them. The Stop Destroying Videogames initiative was set up to oppose this trend and has gained huge support from players across Europe. The matter has even been brought before the European Commission. However, the institution’s response is not what most of the community had been hoping for.
The European Commission does not plan to impose new obligations on publishers
After reviewing the initiative’s demands, the European Commission concluded that it cannot currently propose rules requiring companies to keep a game running after the end of its commercial lifecycle. According to officials, one of the main reasons is existing copyright and intellectual property law. Developers and publishers hold exclusive rights to their products, and intervening in this area could lead to complex legal issues. The Commission also emphasises that current consumer regulations already provide some protections for buyers. Companies are required to inform customers about the terms of digital services and how those services may be terminated. If a product does not meet the terms specified in the contract, consumers may be entitled to a partial refund. The Commission therefore believes existing rules offer a certain level of protection. That does not mean the problem disappears entirely. In recent years many online games have been shut down, leaving players unable to access content they had previously purchased. It was cases like these that led to the creation of the Stop Destroying Videogames movement. Despite strong interest in the issue, the Commission decided that new regulation is not the best solution at this time. Instead, it plans to pursue consultation-based measures. For many gamers this is far too little compared with the expectations raised after more than a million signatures were gathered.
The industry should create its own code of conduct
Instead of changing the law, the European Commission wants to start talks with representatives of the games industry and consumer organisations. The aim of these consultations is to create a specific code of good practice on ending support for games. The document would set standards for how servers are shut down and how a product’s end of life is handled. The problem is that such a code would not have legal force. That means companies would not be obliged to follow it. This element has sparked the strongest wave of criticism among gamers. Many comments on social media pointed out that the community expected concrete rules, not voluntary guidelines. Some people say that a campaign that ran for months has ended with only a symbolic response from European institutions. The Commission has also announced information campaigns about consumer rights and an analysis of existing digital regulations. A report on the matter is due to be published before the end of the year. Officials hope that better enforcement of current rules will encourage publishers to support their games for longer. It is unclear, however, whether such measures will actually influence the decisions of the biggest firms. For many players the key issue remains the ability to keep access to purchased titles even after official support ends. For now there is nothing to suggest such an obligation will be introduced in the coming years.
The European Commission does not currently intend to introduce legislation forcing publishers to keep games running after servers are shut down. Instead of new regulations, only a voluntary code of conduct for the industry is to be created. The decision was met with considerable disappointment by some gamers, who had hoped for real change following the success of the Stop Destroying Videogames initiative.
source: techpowerup
