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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 already paid for them. The Stop Destroying Videogames initiative was launched to fight this phenomenon and has garnered huge support from players across Europe. The issue even reached the European Commission. However, the institution’s response is not what most of the community had hoped for.
The European Commission does not plan new obligations for 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 life cycle. According to officials, one of the main reasons is existing copyright and intellectual property laws. Creators and publishers hold exclusive rights to their products, and interfering in this area could lead to complex legal issues. The Commission also emphasizes that current consumer regulations already provide some protections for buyers. Companies are required to inform customers about the terms of use for digital services and the conditions under which those services may end. If a product does not meet the terms set out in the contract, consumers may be entitled to a partial refund. In the Commission's view, the existing rules therefore provide a certain level of protection. However, this does not mean the problem disappears completely. In recent years many online games have been shut down, causing players to lose access to content they had purchased. It was precisely such cases that led to the creation of the Stop Destroying Videogames movement. Despite the huge interest in the issue, the Commission decided that new regulations are not currently the best solution. Instead, the Commission plans to carry out consultations. For many players this is clearly far too little compared with the expectations that arose after more than one million signatures were collected.
The industry is to 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 organizations. The aim of these consultations is to create a special code of good practice regarding ending support for games. The document would set standards of conduct for shutting down servers and ending a product's life. The problem, however, is that such a code would not have legal force. That means companies would not be required to comply with it. It is this element that has sparked the biggest wave of criticism among players. Many comments on social media indicated that the community expected concrete rules, not voluntary guidelines. Some people believe the months-long campaign ended with only a symbolic reaction from European institutions. The Commission also announced public information activities about consumer rights and an analysis of existing digital regulations. A report on this is to be published before the end of the year. Officials hope that more effective 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 largest companies. For many players, the key issue remains the ability to retain access to purchased games even after their official support ends. So far there is no indication that such an obligation will be introduced in the coming years.
The European Commission currently does not intend to introduce laws forcing publishers to keep games available after servers are shut down. Rather than new regulation, only a voluntary code of conduct for the industry will be introduced. The decision was met with great disappointment by some players who had hoped for real change after the success of the Stop Destroying Videogames initiative.
source: techpowerup
