Most gamers are likely already aware, but if you aren’t up to date on your industry hubbub then allow me to fill you in on the biggest news going. YouTuber Ross Scott initiated a petition following the continuous delisting of titles from online gaming marketplaces and digital libraries. This petition known as Stop Killing Games was created with the intention of gathering a vast amount of gamers to share one undeniable voice, in the expression of a singular opinion that the gaming industry should be restricted on delisting titles like Ubisoft’s The Crew, among countless others.
“”Stop Killing Games” is a consumer movement started to challenge the legality of publishers destroying video games they have sold to customers. An increasing number of video games are sold effectively as goods – with no stated expiration date – but designed to be completely unplayable as soon as support from the publisher ends. This practice is a form of planned obsolescence and is not only detrimental to customers, but makes preservation effectively impossible. Furthermore, the legality of this practice is largely untested in many countries.” – Ross Scott
SKG is meant to save the artistic creations that developers have dedicated their time and talent into producing, while also providing protection for gamers who desire continued access to the games that they’ve paid for, which I find to be more than reasonable. Following the early momentum of the campaign last year, Scott’s initiative began to lose steam as there just weren’t enough eyes on the project, and not enough coverage to ensure continued word of mouth to help it reach its critical goal.
A little while back, Scott even posted a video called “The End of Stop Killing Games,” where he spent about an hour detailing the lack of exposure for the initiative leading to an underwhelming amount of support. This video was shared around and was eventually discovered by YouTube/Twitch gaming/lifestyle mega stars like penguinz0 (a.k.a. MoistCr1TiKaL), Jacksepticeye, and Ludwig, to name a few, and once they spoke to their communities about their support if the initiative, the ball didn’t only get rolling, it got kicked straight into the goal in no time!
Within just a few weeks of Ross Scott’s concerning video of worry and felt defeat, Stop Killing Games gained hundreds of thousands more signatures of gamers wanting to let the industry know that they want these delisting practices to end. As of writing this, the number of signatures currently sits just under 1.2million supporters, which is only about 200k more away from reaching the number that Scott believes will be heard by the industry, felt by the community, and hopefully provide dramatic changes in protecting the rights and lasting purchasing power of the consumer base.
With all of that said, a couple of years ago the Video Game History Foundation held a study that found about 87% of games released before the year 2010 are no longer as easily accessible for use on modern technology/gaming equipment. This issue with delisting has been a relatively significant issue for the better part of 15 years and is only getting worse with EA having shut down over 61 game servers just in the two years since that study was performed!
The continued success of the SKG petition and others like it should send an impactful message that many gamers are fed up. I however recognize that delisting is not the only issue with getting to play older games, with some of the problem coming from technological advancements invalidating certain capabilities, which is thankfully being protected by GOG’s Game Preservation Program that has been faithfully obtaining the rights to release classic titles to their platform without DRM so once the game is purchased, it will always be playable.
The issue that is at the forefront of the petition, however, is that customers who have purchased games are running the risk, and in many cases facing the harsh reality that they may lose access to their purchased games due to copyright issues and licensing concerns, among other legal nonsense. With the ever-growing support of critical voices in the gaming community, the scope of the petition continues to swell and evolve into a broader reaching movement that is now spreading around the world in such a way that may contribute to significant changes for gaming as a whole.
Though the SKG petition began in the European Union, the movement has spread globally, leading to the creation of many other individual petitions in other countries, accompanied by official complaints being filed with their respective consumer agencies in Australia, France, and Germany, with more reported to come. With the combination of massively supported petitions and official filings of concern and complaint, it’s not only crystal clear that gamers all over the world want to see a change in these practices, but it also indicates a far increased likelihood that these companies and perhaps even government entities will take notice and make changes to the current rules and regulations in regard to these voiced criticisms.
The official Stop Killing Games website now has a way to actively follow the number of signatures in support of the petition since its initial release, which came only recently after the petition hit over 820k signatures. It hasn’t been long since then, and as I mentioned before, that number is consistently growing. The movement has until then end of July to reach its goal, and the more media outlets that cover it, the better chance it will meet the goal, so if you agree with the initiative then share this around. The gaming community will be heard, and with any luck, the companies making these decisions to delist games will be faced with a few difficult decisions going forward. If not, then gamers will just have to speak with their wallets and not support these practices, much like any concerned consumer.
For anyone that believes in what the petition is trying to accomplish and hasn’t signed it yet, please head over and due so before July 31st! The more signatures, the louder the combined voice, and the greater the impact on the gaming industry. Every signature added brings the petition one step closer to reaching desks in the European Parliament and understanding that the EU has historically ruled in favor of consumer interests such as this, it’s all the more likely that this could literally change European law in regard to how these companies are allowed to conduct business. If the EU makes these changes, it likely wouldn’t be long before the US and other major gaming markets began investigating and legislating on these issues.
