'Stop Killing Games' Consumer Movement Hits Major Milestones (gamingonlinux.com) 25
The "Stop Killing Games" movement, led by YouTuber Accursed Farms, has gained serious momentum as it pushes back against the practice of game publishers shutting down access to titles consumers have paid for. Recent milestones include a UK petition surpassing 100K signatures and an EU initiative nearing its 1 million goal. GamingOnLinux reports: In the UK, the newer petition has flown past the 100K signatures (126,066 at time of writing) needed for it to be considered for a debate in Parliament. That doesn't mean it will happen, just that it now needs to be considered by the UK government to potentially have it mentioned. A good step though, with signatures still flowing in until July 14th, showing there's demand for change.
On the EU side, things are also going well there now too. Against the needed 1 million signatures, it's now hit 977,864 (at time of writing). According to the official Accursed Farms X account, they've had reports of "non-citizens spoofing signatures on the EU initiative" so it may be a little inflated.
On the EU side, things are also going well there now too. Against the needed 1 million signatures, it's now hit 977,864 (at time of writing). According to the official Accursed Farms X account, they've had reports of "non-citizens spoofing signatures on the EU initiative" so it may be a little inflated.
Re:And nothing of value was lost (Score:4, Informative)
I think they expected that since they had paid to purchase the game, they would be able to play that game for as long as they cared to, i.e. same as the deal you get when you purchase a book or a DVD.
You can argue that they were wrong to expect that, but that's the usual way of thinking about items that you buy, so that's what people (who haven't yet thought through the implications of software shrink-wrap licensing agreements) naturally expect.
If being able to play the game perpetually isn't a viable business model, then perhaps the publisher should be required to specify up-front how long (at minimum) they will guarantee purchasers access to the game; that way nobody will be surprised when their access goes away, because they understood the time-limit on what they were purchasing before they made the purchase.
Re: And nothing of value was lost (Score:4, Insightful)
Re: And nothing of value was lost (Score:2)
Sounds good to me. Someone will chime-in, as usual, that:
* Non-transferable third party licenses
* Reduction of possibility of future exclusive exploitation of their re-usable IP (game engine, assets, game mechanics etc) thus giving competitors a leg-up
Still, this is not core to the issue that customers expect persistent use from the exchange.
Re: (Score:2)
Ford is required by law to manufacture enough spare parts for 10 years after they stop making the car. This is a much, much closer analogy to the suggested release of the compiled software so local servers can play the game after it is discontinued.
What you said is analogous to the software company releasing the source code and all graphics and sounds used to make the game once it is discontinued. While that would be nice, it's not what is being discussed here.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: And nothing of value was lost (Score:2)
I'd secretly hoped for a combination of the Spanish Inquisition, Alien Invasion and The Robocalype. Still waiting...
Thanks Pirate Software (Score:2)
A few thousand more needed until 31 July (Score:2)
For the petition to be valid, they still need (at this time): 2677 signatories from Malta, 2487 from Cyprus, 690 from Bulgaria, 7 from Slovenia.
Not feasible anymore (Score:2)
Because virtually every game these days includes an online component, they'd need to start making offline games again, and we're well beyond the point in history when anyone would even remotely consider that anymore.
Re: (Score:3)
Indie game companies make and sell new offline games every day.
And online games can have their server code released when the publisher's servers shut down. I'm not even going to insist that it be provided for free. Doesn't guarantee that the game will keep going but it at least makes it possible.
No (Score:2)
Ps, you just gave us 5 trillion dollars out of your pockets because half of you were freaking out over moral panics and the other half don't know basic economics, do you think we're going to let you have video games?
Re: (Score:2)
They literally said 'girl with a big meaty cock'. He is acknowledging that although they have a big meaty cock that are, in fact, a girl. That is not transphobic, that is trans acceptance.
Meaningless (Score:3)
Unless these folks stop spending money on cloud dependent games that can be shutdown, the shutdowns will never end. Sign all the petitions you want. Until you put your money where your mouth is, it will not stop. Simply because itâ(TM)s profitable
Re: Meaningless (Score:1)
Tru dat.
Re: (Score:1)
This is the answer right here.
STOP BUYING SHITWARE!
If buying something means you don't own it... (Score:2)
Re: If buying something means you don't own it... (Score:2)
Yep, it's almost as if there should be a requirement for a 'fair usage policy' term in every contract or more generally that contracts which formalise an imbalance of power should become a thing of the past - if only morality could keep pace with the development of mobile phone tech.
Perhaps if there were some way to package morality with profit rather than the current situation where morality seems to be an inconvenient and optional impediment to profit.