Stop Destroying Videogames
July 04, 2024
On the 19th of June, a new EU citizens initiative was registered that aims to prevent the remote disabling of video games by the publishers, before providing reasonable means to continue playing them. From the introduction text:
This initiative calls to require publishers that sell or license videogames to consumers in the European Union (or related features and assets sold for videogames they operate) to leave said videogames in a functional (playable) state.
I have, on more than one occasion, pointed out how much fun it is to play the games I grew up with, with my own children and this way share with them the fun I've had with those games for decades. The reason that I can do that, is that those games are mine, like the books in my book case and the tapes in my audio cassette collection. I can physically touch them, give to someone else, play them whenever I want as long as I have the device that it was meant for and just the electricity to run it. If I take good care of these games and their computers, there's a chance that in time a third generation will enjoy them.
I have little hope my children will be able to share the games from their own youth (i.e. now) with theirs. Many games can only be played online and/or via subscription models and even when downloaded locally on a PC, they often still need to contact a server before they can run. Behind those servers are companies that need income to keep them running, and as soon as a game stops making enough money, they shut them down.
Personally, I think that whenever a company stops providing a service that people are still using, they should be required to upload the code of the server software in a compilable state to GitHub or some other public platform with a detailed README.md so that users don't depend on others to use their devices or run their games and these companies can go focus on new things. But that's probably why I'm not in politics, and also not what this initiative aims for.
European Citizens' Initiatives aren't referendums. Here's how it works, but in short, you need 1 million signatures from EU citizens of voting age from seven different EU countries. Once submitted, you get to meet with representatives of the Commission within a month. Within another six months you get a public hearing in EU Parliament, after which you submit the initiative to the Commission. Within another three months, they might take action in whatever form they deem appropriate, which includes legislation. There are currently initiatives ongoing about stopping border violence, taxing the rich and providing life bus stop information.
I think this is exciting and if it works it's a good example of how the EU makes the entire world a better place. If companies have to leave games in a playable state for EU gamers, there's no reason people from outside the EU wouldn't be able to access those games as well. Gamers are people who overcome great difficulty for fun. I'm sure if one million of them come together, they will slay whatever end-boss stands in their way.