The Stop Killing Games initiative has achieved a significant milestone, collecting over 1.4 million signatures ten days shy of the official cut-off. Having passed this benchmark, the European Citizens' Initiative deems the petition valid, even in the event that some of the signatures gathered are ultimately determined to be invalid.
While this is a huge win for all gamers, the fight for digital preservation is only just getting underway.
A Push for Game Preservation
Stop Killing Games campaign urges tighter digital rights protections for video game players, especially for online-based games that are taken offline. The center of the campaign is a straightforward request: allow games to continue playing even after publishers drop official support or close down their servers.
As the petition explains, the intention is to "require publishers who sell or license video games to consumers in the European Union to leave said games in a functional (playable) state."
The petition does not request ongoing support, development, or even ownership rights—merely a reasonable opportunity to maintain purchased titles playable.
Target Reached, Momentum Growing For the Petition
The campaign's initial target has exceeded its expectation. Actually, it's been surpassed. Driven by increasing frustration among the gaming community and a surge of media coverage, signatures are still rolling in. Controversial comments from respected industry representatives have also contributed to helping boost the discourse.
According to Insider Gaming, there is also Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot, who has been one of the high-profile voices recently defending the process of sunsetting games as a natural part of their lifecycle.
Ubisoft was criticized for pulling online access to titles such as "The Crew," leaving them completely unplayable after servers were shut down. Guillemot's comments were also perceived by many as dismissive, further fueling popular backing of the movement.
What European Citizens' Initiative Wants to Happen
The petition doesn't insist developers keep old games playable for all eternity. Rather, it suggests that if a game's online functionality is being shut down, publishers should be required to make reasonable provisions for continued playability, even if that means stripping online requirements or publishing an offline build.
This might involve supporting local server hosting, providing offline capabilities, or releasing code to enable the community to maintain functionality. The solutions would support the game's legacy to continue existing, well past official support.
European Parliament members will examine the effort, gauge public concerns, and decide on possible legislative action.
While this doesn't necessarily ensure policy change, it is a huge milestone for digital ownership and video game preservation. The petition's success indicates that players aren't mere passive consumers; they're willing to fight for their right to play the games they've bought.
