The Stop Killing Games initiative, which has gathered more than 1.2 million subscriptions, aims to prevent video game publishers from removing services online or disactivating games, a practice that has been criticized for making it difficult to preserve games and harm consumers. Campaign creator Ross Scott claims that the closure of online services is a form of programmed obsolescence that not only affects players, but also raises legal issues in many countries.
Given the success of the campaign, the Video Games Europe Association issued a statement recognizing the importance of the players community, but explains that the decision to close online services is complex and is only made when the continuation of these services is no longer commercially viable. According to the association, these decisions are communicated in advance, in accordance with consumer protection laws.
Video Games Europe also recalls that private servers, often mentioned as an alternative, are not a viable solution in most cases, because they do not offer the same guarantees of security, data protection and control of illegal content. In addition, many games are produced exclusively for online mode, which would make maintenance undefined with these financially unfeasible services to editors.
The Association was open to dialogue with legislators and representatives of the European citizenship initiative in the coming months, in order to find a balance between players’ concerns and the economic reality of the sector.
Source
Source: https://www.eurogamer.pt/a-video-games-europe-opoe-se-a-campanha-stop-killing-games
