The industry is lobbying against Stop Killing Games!

Summary

The 'Stop Killing Games' campaign has recently surpassed one million signatures, with continued support crucial for success. The initiative faces opposition from Video Games Europe, which argues that shutting down online services is necessary for companies. However, the campaign counters, advocating for the right to retain purchased games even after online support ends. Key points include concerns about consumer rights, end-of-life plans for games, and the industry's arguments against preserving games. The video encourages action through contacting European Parliament members and highlights the importance of staying engaged with the initiative.

Takeaways

• 😀 The 'Stop Killing Games' campaign has surpassed one million signatures, and there's a focus on pushing for more sign-ups despite previous setbacks with invalid signatures.
• 😀 A new lobbying group, Video Games Europe, has issued a statement against the campaign, signaling its significant influence and opposition to the initiative.
• 😀 Video Games Europe, representing the voice of the industry, opposes the proposal because they believe it would limit companies' freedom to discontinue online services when they are no longer commercially viable.
• 😀 The campaign's stance is not to stop companies from shutting down online services, but to ensure that customers' rights to their purchased games are not taken away indefinitely.
• 😀 Legal concerns have been raised about whether companies like Ubisoft violated consumer protection laws by giving insufficient notice to players before shutting down services.
• 😀 The opposition argues that private servers are not always viable alternatives for players, but the campaign highlights that game companies could easily implement an end-of-life plan to protect consumers’ rights.
• 😀 The campaign suggests adding clear disclaimers in the end-user license agreements (EULAs) to absolve companies of liability when games are discontinued, allowing consumers to continue playing unsupported games at their own risk.
• 😀 The opposition's argument about the complexity and cost of creating an end-of-life plan for games is criticized as an exaggeration, with the campaign pointing out that only a small portion of the services (like core gameplay) need to be preserved.
• 😀 The campaign emphasizes that the initiative is not retroactive, and that publishers could implement end-of-life plans without major complications, especially since most already have test environments set up for their games.
• 😀 The campaign encourages European supporters to contact their members of the European Parliament, especially those in the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee, to support the initiative and protect consumer rights.

Q & A

What is the main goal of the 'Stop Killing Games' campaign?

The main goal of the 'Stop Killing Games' campaign is to prevent the destruction of video games by ensuring that players can continue accessing games even after official support ends, particularly by keeping the games playable through private servers or other means.

Why is the campaign facing opposition from Video Games Europe?

Video Games Europe, representing the industry, is opposed to the campaign because they believe that allowing players to continue playing unsupported games would interfere with the industry's ability to discontinue online services for games, which they argue is necessary for commercial reasons.

What argument does Video Games Europe make about the decision to discontinue online services?

Video Games Europe argues that the decision to discontinue online services is complex and should be left to companies, especially when a game is no longer commercially viable. They also claim that players are given fair notice according to local consumer protection laws.

How does the campaign respond to the argument about discontinuing online services?

The campaign responds by clarifying that they are not trying to stop companies from shutting down services. Instead, they advocate for ensuring that companies do not take away the rights players have already purchased when a game is discontinued.

What is the issue with Ubisoft's shutdown of 'The Crew'?

The issue with Ubisoft's shutdown of 'The Crew' is that they only gave players three months' notice before discontinuing the game, which may have violated local consumer protection laws that require a longer notice period, possibly around two years.

What concern does Video Games Europe raise regarding private servers for discontinued games?

Video Games Europe claims that private servers are not always a viable alternative because they would lack proper protections for players' data, and there could be legal liabilities for the rights holders due to issues like illegal content and unsafe community interactions.

How does the campaign view the argument that private servers are not viable?

The campaign dismisses this argument, suggesting that it is technically feasible to create private servers for discontinued games, and that the industry could easily address liability concerns by including proper disclaimers in the end-user license agreements (EULAs).

What alternative solution does the campaign propose for discontinued games?

The campaign proposes a compromise where companies can continue to allow players to run discontinued games, but with a warning that the game is no longer supported and that players assume all risks. This would provide a way for players to still enjoy their purchases while being informed of potential risks.

What argument does Video Games Europe make about the cost of designing games with end-of-life plans?

Video Games Europe argues that designing games with end-of-life plans and ensuring they can be supported after service shutdowns would significantly increase the cost of game development, making it financially prohibitive.

What is the campaign's response to the claim that creating end-of-life plans is too expensive?

The campaign counters that the cost of designing end-of-life plans is not as prohibitive as claimed. They point out that many microservices involved in online games, such as payment processing and anti-cheat systems, are not needed for running an unsupported game, thus reducing the overall cost of maintaining games post-shutdown.

How does the campaign suggest gamers can further support the initiative?

The campaign encourages supporters in the EU to contact members of the European Parliament, particularly those in the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee, to help promote the initiative and protect gamers' consumer rights.

What did the speaker mean when they mentioned the phrase 'Terminator State'?

The speaker used the term 'Terminator State' to emphasize the extreme stance taken by the industry in advocating for the destruction of games after they are no longer supported, likening it to a dystopian scenario where games are completely erased, even if players want to continue using them at their own risk.

What mistake does the campaign warn against when signing the petition?

The campaign warns against signing the petition if you are not of voting age or if you provide false signatures. They stress that any mistakes made in signing the petition should be corrected through the official spokesperson to ensure the signatures are valid.