The European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) has launched a new petition aimed at ending the practice of video game developers 'killing' their games. The initiative seeks to introduce legislation preventing developers from discontinuing access to games that customers have purchased.

Popular gaming commentator Remigiusz Cetnar has also raised concerns about the growing trend in the video game industry to discontinue games after a certain period. Cetnar explained that this practice is not limited to multiplayer or game-as-a-service titles but also affects single-player games. Citing the example of Ubisoft's 'The Crew' game, Cetnar noted that the game was recently shut down, depriving players of the ability to continue playing it, possibly to drive sales of its sequel, which he believes will eventually suffer the same fate.

Addressing this issue, organisers of the "Stop Killing Games" (officially submitted as "Stop Destroying Videogames" on the ECI website) petition have clarified that their goal is not to obtain ownership of the games or their intellectual property rights. They acknowledge that maintaining game servers incurs costs and do not expect indefinite support for game functionality. Instead, they advocate for the option to play discontinued games offline after they have been removed from servers. Remigiusz Cetnar highlighted that the initiative aims to establish minimum standards to eliminate any ambiguity or dispute surrounding potential legislation.

Emphasising the disparity in consumer rights between the US and the EU, Cetnar expressed hope that the EU could lead the way in protecting the interests of gamers worldwide.

The "Stop Destroying Videogames" petition, launched on 31 July, has garnered nearly 250,000 signatures. The initiative's authors have a year to amass the required million signatures, with strong indications that it will gain official status. What does this signify in practical terms? The European Commission will be obligated to respond to the initiative's demands within six months.

The European Citizens' Initiative, in operation since 2011, stipulates that when seven individuals from different EU countries propose a project and gather one million signatures for its implementation, the initiative is presented to the European Commission. Additionally, specific thresholds must be met in at least seven member states.

The Commission's response is published as an official Communication, adopted by the College of Commissioners and published in all official EU languages. Moreover, Commission representatives convene with the organisers to provide a detailed explanation of the decision regarding the proposed initiative.

Source: citizens-initiative.europa.eu