ALBAWABA - Could this be the end of live service games? VGC recently reported that an EU lobbying group that is responsible for the games industry responded to the 'Stop Killing Games' petition launched by YouTuber Ross Scott.
The petition calls on authorities to require offline mode in games by pressuring companies using new laws that prevent them from including sketchy terms and conditions in their titles. The petition aims to stop publishers from shutting down games, which can prevent consumers from playing titles they legally own.
Ubisoft's handling of The Crew comes to mind. The publisher shut down the title on March 31, 2024, leaving the game unplayable.
By the time of reporting, the initiative garnered more than 1.2 million signatures, making it eligible for action.
EU responds to 'Stop Killing Games' petition, the end of live-service games?
Video Games Europe stated that green-lighting the Stop Killing Games petition might make live-service games expensive to create due to the nature of their development, because they are developed "from the ground up to be online-only."
The EU lobbying group wrote in a statement, "We appreciate the passion of our community; however, the decision to discontinue online services is multi-faceted, never taken lightly, and must be an option for companies when an online experience is no longer commercially viable."
It added, "We understand that it can be disappointing for players but, when it does happen, the industry ensures that players are given fair notice of the prospective changes in compliance with local consumer protection laws."
The statement also raised complaints about why some companies won't allow players the freedom of creating private servers to enjoy their favorite games, despite being shut down, similar to how an MMORPG called AION currently operates.
Video Games Europe stated, "Private servers are not always a viable alternative option for players as the protections we put in place to secure players’ data, remove illegal content, and combat unsafe community content would not exist and would leave rights holders liable."
