The European Commission has revealed that it will be stepping in to talk with players and video game publishers to help save older games, which might rely heavily on a company’s servers, from being permanently shut down. This comes after a popular European Citizens’ Initiative called “Stop Destroying Videogames,” was proposed for the Stop Killing Games movement.

European Commission Rejects SKG Proposal to Preserve Online Games After Shutdown

A recent press release by the European Commission explained that it, unfortunately, cannot pass a law that forces publishers or studios to keep games online forever, even after support ends. With studios ending online support, as Sony did for Destruction AllStars recently, they are allowed to take servers for these titles down.

Explaining this disappointing development in the Stop Killing Games initiative, the press release stated, “Under EU copyright law, rights holders enjoy exclusive rights over their creations. In addition to copyright, other intellectual property rights may also be relevant, as they may protect different visual and technological aspects of a video game.” This comes after the SKG movement recently secured a win with the Protect Our Games proposed bill, which passed a full California State Assembly vote.

However, the EU also pointed out that the current laws already protect gamers’ rights to a certain extent. The existing consumer law requires companies to clearly state how long upcoming games will be supported before a player purchases them. If a game happens to be shuttered sooner than the suggested period, the player might be legally entitled to a partial refund, according to EU consumer protection rules.

In addition to this, the European Commission also detailed its next steps towards the Stop Destroying Videogames initiative. The commission has revealed that it will be bringing gaming companies and consumer groups together to create a shared rulebook on how to handle video games reaching the end of their life cycle. Furthermore, the EU will be working with consumer groups to raise awareness about players’ rights and how to claim refunds if a game is abandoned early.

Stop Killing Games Responds to Major EU Setback With New Plans

The spokesperson at the Stop Killing Games movement revealed that the EU’s decision did not surprise them, and they are already moving to their next plan. In a Reddit thread, the organisers revealed their plans for the movement in different regions:

United States

• The US legal and policy team will continue pushing forward with the POG (Protect Our Games) Act, focusing on turning it into official law.

European Union

• The EU team is setting up the foundation to launch an own-initiative report directly within the European Parliament to keep the issue on the political radar.
• They are actively rewriting and tailoring the core concepts of the US POG Act so that it fits into the EU’s unique legal framework.
• SKG will collaborate with major political groups like the European People’s Party and Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament. This will help them figure out which current legislative proposals they can target and attach their ideas to.

United Kingdom

• Instead of working alone, the UK team for Stop Killing Games will pivot to building a new group called Stop Killing the Internet.
• They are launching this initiative in partnership with several prominent civil liberties organizations. This includes the Open Rights Group, Big Brother Watch, Index on Censorship, Progressive Victory, and The Pirate Party.

The group has made it clear multiple times that they are not asking game companies to support old games forever or make their secret codes available to the public. The movement simply wants companies to leave games in a playable state before walking away from them.