The exclusion of online games from digital storefronts has become a common occurrence in the gaming industry. Developers opt for this to save costs: supporting any project requires money for servers, a team for maintenance, website upkeep, moderators, and internet expenses. But if a project proves to be unprofitable, why keep it? Some games remain playable after being removed from listings. Others vanish forever, disappointing fans. Now, YouTuber Ross Scott from “Freeman’s Mind” (Freeman’s Mind, Ross’s Game Dungeon) is launching a global legal campaign to challenge this practice. If you are betting on esports or real sports, you may receive a Melbet bonus and use it to make free bets with the bookmaker.
The Stop Killing Games Project Is Collecting Petitions Against Developers
YouTuber Ross Scott has launched the website “Stop Killing Games” to petition against and challenge an anti-consumer practice. The recent removal of the online racing game “The Crew” from all platforms, followed by the shutdown of its servers last month, serves as one of the most recent instances of this practice. Once support for these games is discontinued, players who own them will lose access, regardless of the time or money invested in them.
Scott’s website argues that the legality of this practice remains unverified globally, with many governments lacking clear laws on such actions. Scott points out that due to the game’s scale and France’s strict consumer protection laws, “The Crew” provides a compelling example to hold publishers accountable, particularly as Ubisoft is a French company.
Moreover, the website highlights that official government petitions have been submitted in various countries, including the UK, Canada, Australia, several EU nations, and even Brazil, demanding a ban on this practice. This campaign aims to challenge publishers and ensure better protection for consumers worldwide.
Scott Doesn’t Anticipate Games Having An Infinite Number Of Servers
The objective is to encourage developers to design their games with the understanding that they will eventually be removed from listings and to enable customers to host servers privately and connect. He also recognizes that unsupported games will have limited functionality but will still be playable after official support ceases.
The campaign’s website argues that allowing players to continue playing games benefits developers who have invested time in their development. Despite several online games, like Knockout City and certain Battlefield titles, being removed from digital storefronts over the years, many remain playable due to local servers and hosting. These include the mentioned games as well as Unreal Tournament 3, Quake Wars, and Doom 3, among others, underscoring the prevalence of this practice in the past.
The Main Legal Argument Is That Video Games Are Considered “Goods,” Not “Services”
Regardless of the terminology used by game publishers, sellers should not render goods inoperable after they purchase them.
The most obvious legal defense for publishers is that when we buy games in digital format these days, we are essentially purchasing a conditional license for the game, with the main condition being that the license can be revoked for any reason. This is explicitly stated in the Steam subscriber agreement, which states that the games we purchase are “licensed, not sold.”
However, Scott argues that even if these agreements are presented to judges, they may not necessarily apply in every country. It will be difficult to achieve a favorable outcome in the US, but the campaign hopes that if one country, such as France, decides that publishers must find a way to make their games playable indefinitely, the industry will adopt new practices worldwide.
