Stop Killing Games Movement Surpasses One Million Signatures: Know What This Initiative Is All About

Hyderabad: People active in the gaming space will know about the “Stop Killing Games Movement” petition. It is an initiative which aims to safeguard video games. As video game developers now lean more towards online-only video games, if the company wants to shut down its servers, then the user will not be able to play the game they had once paid for. So, to prevent this, the Stop Killing Games Movement has been initiated.

What is the Stop Killing Games Movement?
It was launched in April 2024 by YouTuber Ross Scott (aka Accursed Farms). It is a consumer initiative aimed at preventing video game publishers from ruining video games that have already been sold to consumers. Lots of video games are sold successfully as products, which do not have a specified end date but are still crafted to become entirely unplayable when the moment the publisher ends support for the game. This approach brings a type of deliberate obsolescence, which is harmful to consumers, as providing preservation becomes nearly unfeasible. Moreover, the legality of this approach remains largely untested in numerous countries.

The movement started with the closure of a racing game, The Crew, published by Ubisoft, which required a continuous internet connection, even for single-player gameplay. When Ubisoft revealed that the company closed the game’s server and removed it from digital marketplaces, numerous players lost access to the game they had once bought. Scott and his supporters viewed it as an “attack on consumer rights and the preservation of media.”
They launched an initiative and urged publishers to guarantee ongoing access to games even after it is shut down, either by offering offline modes by enabling support via a private server or making critical code for the game available to the public.

Stop Killing Games Movement reaches 1 million digital signatures
The initiative has already gathered over one million signatures, and it intends to gather as many as possible by July 31, 2025, to take legislative measures in the European Union. The digital signatures will be submitted to the European Commission. The movement is expected to gain sufficient attention on the issue and implement new regulations, forcing publishers to provide options for continuing access to players even after its official support ceases.
So, to be on the safer side, the Stop Killing Games campaign targets 1.4 million digital signatures as a precautionary measure.

Importance of the campaign

It was started to support consumer rights to keep access to games that consumers have bought. This initiative focuses on the core of digital ownership and safeguarding it. It does not compel video game publishers to keep outdated games indefinitely but guarantees that customers can still have access to what they have purchased.
Many video games are now designed to go obsolete, once developers discontinue support, which is stealing from consumers as they have already paid for the game and undermining video games as an art form and unneeded.

Companies that are engaged in this practice often deliberately prevent individuals from ‘repairing’ the game by restricting access to essential parts.

• The act of a seller ruining a product that a customer has already purchased constitutes a severe violation of consumer rights and challenges the very idea of ownership. If this practice continues, it could become law and eventually extend to other more significant products like agricultural tools, educational materials, medical devices, and more.
• Scott likens this problem to the disappearance of silent films from early cinema as studios destroyed their creations, emphasising the cultural loss and consumer injustice when games vanish for good.
• High-profile figures like PewDiePie, Asmongold, Jacksepticeye, and Elon Musk have openly endorsed the movement, aiding it in achieving its key objectives.

Criticisms of the movement
The main criticism about this initiative is how practical and effective it will be for small video game studios, as they will not be able to sustain their already released games indefinitely.

The movement also asks the game publishing companies to establish an end-of-life strategy to alter or update the game. This will allow the games to function independently on the customer systems without the requirement of any additional assistance from the company. Additionally, the official Stop Killing Games Movement website has listed a few existing real-world examples of publishers who have ceased support for their online-only games responsibly.

Here’s the list of online-only games that have ended their support in a considerate way:

• ‘Gran Turismo Sport’ published by Sony Interactive Entertainment
• ‘Knockout City’ published by Velan Studios, Electronic Arts
• ‘Mega Man X DiVE’ published by Capcom
• ‘Scrolls / Caller’s Bane’ published by Mojang Studios
• ‘Duelyst’, published by Bandai Namco Entertainment, more

Hyderabad: People active in the gaming space will know about the “Stop Killing Games Movement” petition. It is an initiative which aims to safeguard video games. As video game developers now lean more towards online-only video games, if the company wants to shut down its servers, then the user will not be able to play the game they had once paid for. So, to prevent this, the Stop Killing Games Movement has been initiated.

What is the Stop Killing Games Movement?
It was launched in April 2024 by YouTuber Ross Scott (aka Accursed Farms). It is a consumer initiative aimed at preventing video game publishers from ruining video games that have already been sold to consumers. Lots of video games are sold successfully as products, which do not have a specified end date but are still crafted to become entirely unplayable when the moment the publisher ends support for the game. This approach brings a type of deliberate obsolescence, which is harmful to consumers, as providing preservation becomes nearly unfeasible. Moreover, the legality of this approach remains largely untested in numerous countries.

The movement started with the closure of a racing game, The Crew, published by Ubisoft, which required a continuous internet connection, even for single-player gameplay. When Ubisoft revealed that the company closed the game’s server and removed it from digital marketplaces, numerous players lost access to the game they had once bought. Scott and his supporters viewed it as an “attack on consumer rights and the preservation of media.”
They launched an initiative and urged publishers to guarantee ongoing access to games even after it is shut down, either by offering offline modes by enabling support via a private server or making critical code for the game available to the public.

Stop Killing Games Movement reaches 1 million digital signatures
The initiative has already gathered over one million signatures, and it intends to gather as many as possible by July 31, 2025, to take legislative measures in the European Union. The digital signatures will be submitted to the European Commission. The movement is expected to gain sufficient attention on the issue and implement new regulations, forcing publishers to provide options for continuing access to players even after its official support ceases.
So, to be on the safer side, the Stop Killing Games campaign targets 1.4 million digital signatures as a precautionary measure.

Importance of the campaign

It was started to support consumer rights to keep access to games that consumers have bought. This initiative focuses on the core of digital ownership and safeguarding it. It does not compel video game publishers to keep outdated games indefinitely but guarantees that customers can still have access to what they have purchased.
Many video games are now designed to go obsolete, once developers discontinue support, which is stealing from consumers as they have already paid for the game and undermining video games as an art form and unneeded.

Companies that are engaged in this practice often deliberately prevent individuals from ‘repairing’ the game by restricting access to essential parts.

• The act of a seller ruining a product that a customer has already purchased constitutes a severe violation of consumer rights and challenges the very idea of ownership. If this practice continues, it could become law and eventually extend to other more significant products like agricultural tools, educational materials, medical devices, and more.
• Scott likens this problem to the disappearance of silent films from early cinema as studios destroyed their creations, emphasising the cultural loss and consumer injustice when games vanish for good.
• High-profile figures like PewDiePie, Asmongold, Jacksepticeye, and Elon Musk have openly endorsed the movement, aiding it in achieving its key objectives.

Criticisms of the movement
The main criticism about this initiative is how practical and effective it will be for small video game studios, as they will not be able to sustain their already released games indefinitely.

The movement also asks the game publishing companies to establish an end-of-life strategy to alter or update the game. This will allow the games to function independently on the customer systems without the requirement of any additional assistance from the company. Additionally, the official Stop Killing Games Movement website has listed a few existing real-world examples of publishers who have ceased support for their online-only games responsibly.

Here’s the list of online-only games that have ended their support in a considerate way:

• ‘Gran Turismo Sport’ published by Sony Interactive Entertainment
• ‘Knockout City’ published by Velan Studios, Electronic Arts
• ‘Mega Man X DiVE’ published by Capcom
• ‘Scrolls / Caller’s Bane’ published by Mojang Studios
• ‘Duelyst’, published by Bandai Namco Entertainment, more