“Can an organization take away one thing you have already paid for?” asks the BBC. “On the planet of on-line video video games, some already do.”
Publishers can resolve to change off a sport’s servers, typically leaving it successfully unplayable. Cease Killing Video games, a rising client rights marketing campaign began by American YouTuber Ross Scott in 2024, is difficult that apply. In January, the group submitted a petition that includes practically 1.3 million signatures to the European Fee, triggering a public listening to within the European Parliament in April. What started as a web-based marketing campaign is now awaiting a call from one of many EU’s strongest establishments…Scott’s marketing campaign started following an announcement from the key studio Ubisoft, saying it might shut down the online-only racing sport The Crew in 2024… Ubisoft has already defended its place in court docket. Responding to a proposed class-action lawsuit introduced by two The Crew gamers in California, the studio argued that clients had bought a licence to make use of the sport, not limitless possession rights, and that gamers had been warned on-line providers wouldn’t be accessible endlessly. The lawsuit was dismissed with out prejudice in June 2025, after the plaintiffs voluntarily withdrew the case. The broader video games trade has additionally pushed again towards the marketing campaign. Video Video games Europe, which represents most of the trade’s largest publishers, mentioned shutting down on-line providers “have to be an possibility” when video games are not commercially viable. It additionally warned that among the marketing campaign’s proposals might make online-only video games considerably dearer to develop. “On no account are we asking corporations to maintain servers working or providers going, they will finish it any time they need,” mentioned Scott. As an alternative, he and his fellow campaigners argue that when a sport is shut down it ought to be finished “responsibly”, with publishers contemplating “end-of-life plans” similar to updating the sport to work offline or releasing software program that enables gamers to proceed working it.
Two key factors from the article:
“In March, French client group UFC-Que Choisir launched authorized motion towards Ubisoft over the shutdown of The Crew, arguing that gamers have been misled in regards to the permanence of their buy and that among the firm’s contract phrases have been unfair.”
“The European Fee should reply to the European Residents’ Initiative — the petition introduced by the group — by 27 July.”
Due to Alain Williams — Slashdot reader #2,972 — for sharing the article.
