Brussels, Belgium – A groundswell of discontent is brewing within the European gaming community, as evidenced by a rapidly growing petition demanding that game publishers ensure single-player functionality remains accessible even after official servers are shut down. The Stop Destroying Video Games initiative, a European Citizens’ Initiative, has already garnered over 400,000 signatures and is rapidly approaching its goal of one million before the July 31st deadline.
The petition highlights a growing concern: the increasing trend of games becoming entirely unplayable after their online services are discontinued, effectively robbing players of content they have legitimately purchased. This issue is particularly acute in games with always-online requirements, even for single-player modes.
The petition, spearheaded in part by YouTube personality Ross Scott (Accursed Farms), gained momentum following Ubisoft’s decision to shut down servers for The Crew last year, rendering the game completely inaccessible. This action sparked outrage, as players were denied access to a game they had paid for, with no recourse for refunds.
The digital age has brought incredible convenience and innovation to gaming, says Scott in a statement on his YouTube channel. But it has also created a situation where publishers can unilaterally decide to take away access to games people own. This is unacceptable.
The issue extends beyond complete inaccessibility. Gran Turismo Sport, for example, experienced a similar problem when its servers were shut down in January 2024. While the single-player mode remained technically playable, the inability to connect to servers meant players could not save their progress, effectively crippling the experience.
This reliance on persistent online connectivity, even for solo gameplay, has become a contentious issue. Diablo IV, released in 2022, requires a constant internet connection even for players solely interested in the campaign mode. This raises the specter of the game becoming unplayable should Blizzard decide to shutter its servers in the future.
The petition calls for publishers and developers to implement solutions that allow games to function independently of official servers after support ends. This could involve releasing server-side code, providing offline patches, or implementing other measures that ensure the longevity of the game.
We’re not asking for the impossible, states the petition’s organizers. We simply want publishers to provide a reasonable solution that allows us to continue playing the games we’ve purchased, even after the servers are gone.
If the petition reaches one million signatures, the European Commission will be obligated to consider the issue. This could potentially lead to legislation requiring publishers to provide offline solutions for games before remotely disabling them.
The Stop Destroying Video Games initiative reflects a growing awareness of consumer rights in the digital age and a desire to preserve gaming history. The outcome of this petition could have significant implications for the future of game ownership and accessibility. The gaming community is watching closely to see if the European Commission will heed their call.
References:
- Tech4Gamers. (2024, March 26). European Citizen Initiative Demands Publishers Ensure Games Remain Playable After Server Shutdowns. Retrieved from [Insert Link to Tech4Gamers Article Here if Available]
- IT之家. (2024, March 28). 欧洲超 40 万人联名请愿：游戏停服后应确保单机模式仍然可玩 [Over 400,000 Europeans Jointly Petition: Ensure Single-Player Mode is Still Playable After Game Shutdown]. Retrieved from [Insert Link to IT之家 Article Here if Available]
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