Ubisoft's decision to shut down The Crew ignited a European-wide petition demanding legal protection for digital game purchases. This article explores the petition's goals and the fight to preserve players' investments.

European Gamers Unite to Save Their Games

One Million Signatures Needed for EU Law Proposal: "Stop Killing Games"

A significant movement is underway across Europe to protect gamers' digital assets. The "Stop Killing Games" petition urges the European Union to legislate against publishers ending online game support and rendering purchases unplayable.

Campaign organizer Ross Scott expresses confidence in the initiative's success, citing its alignment with existing consumer protection policies. While the proposed law's scope is limited to Europe, Scott hopes its passage in such a large market will inspire global change, either through similar legislation or industry-wide standards.

The petition faces a significant hurdle: the "European Citizen’s Initiative" requires one million signatures from across various European nations within one year to trigger a formal legislative proposal. Eligibility is simple: European citizens of voting age (age varies by country).

Launched in early August, the petition has already amassed 183,593 signatures. Although a considerable goal remains, the campaign has a year to reach the one million signature threshold.

Holding Publishers Accountable for Server Shutdowns

Ubisoft's sudden termination of The Crew's online services in March 2024 highlighted the problem, effectively wiping out the investment of 12 million players.

The closure of online-only games like SYNCED and NEXON's Warhaven further underscores the issue, leaving players with nothing to show for their time and money. This, Scott argues in a YouTube video, is "planned obsolescence," akin to the silent film era's practice of destroying films to recover silver.

The petition seeks to ensure games remain playable at the time of server shutdown, mandating that publishers "leave said videogames in a functional (playable) state" within the EU. The specific method of achieving this is left to the publishers' discretion.

The initiative also aims to protect players who made in-game purchases in free-to-play games. Scott points out that making a game unplayable after microtransactions invalidates those purchases. The example of Knockout City, shut down but later relaunched as a free, standalone game with private server support, demonstrates a possible solution.

However, the petition does not demand: relinquishing intellectual property rights, surrendering source code, guaranteeing perpetual support, mandatory server hosting, or holding publishers liable for player actions.

To participate, visit the "Stop Killing Games" website and sign the petition (one signature per person). Country-specific instructions are available on the site to prevent invalid signatures. Even non-Europeans can help by spreading awareness, aiming to create a "ripple effect" within the gaming industry.