“Stop Killing Games” Sparks Digital Ownership Debate

Launched by content creator Ross Scott, the campaign aims to pressure European authorities to legally review these practices, often referred to as “planned obsolescence.” Many games are designed to cease functioning once official support ends, despite users having already bought them.

An Unresolved Legal Issue:

Scott argues that this behavior has not undergone serious legal scrutiny in many countries and may constitute a potential violation of consumer rights. It also complicates efforts to preserve games as part of modern digital culture.

The petition aims to reach one million signatures to activate the European Citizens’ Initiative, a mechanism that allows citizens to propose legislative changes at the EU level. The deadline for submitting signatures is July 31, 2025.

Potential Global Impact:

Although the petition is directed only at EU citizens, the campaign organizers believe that a successful initiative in Europe could positively impact other global markets. This is due to the strength of the European market and its influence on publishing policies within the gaming industry.

The campaign has urged players outside of Europe to raise awareness and draw the attention of the public and decision-makers to this issue, especially given the recurring cases of games being removed from stores or their servers being shut down without adequate compensation for users.

The Countdown Continues:

According to Insider Gaming, the campaign has made remarkable progress, recording 2,000 additional signatures in just 10 minutes after the report’s publication. This indicates the growing awareness and support from the gaming community.

The success of this campaign could pave the way for new legislation regulating the relationship between players and digital content, ensuring the permanent right of access to digitally owned games, particularly in an era of rapid transformation towards service-based games and cloud-dependent titles.