Stop Killing Games Campaign Group Throws Weight Behind A California Bill That Would Force Companies To Keep Games Working Regardless Of Issues
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California’s government has been in the process of forming a bill to preserve games when studios shut the servers for them down. The campaign group Stop Killing Games has had a hand in advising on the drafting of that bill, dubbed the Protect Our Games Act, to make sure it provides the best outcome for players of online-only games when it comes to the end of their life. This is just one more in a string of bills that have made information about games become clearer to the users of video games and their digital storefronts.
The bill is intended to make sure companies provide enough notification for those games as they reach end of life, with clear information on how the game will function after that date, including any issues that might be faced for the user. Companies will also be prohibited from selling a game two months from its end of life date, along with needing to provide ways for the game to continue running independently of the servers or offering refunds once they close equal to the full purchase price of that game.
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There are exceptions outlined in the bill, with subscription services that allow access to games for the duration of those subscriptions being one. Free games are also included in those exceptions, which does raise some concerns regarding microtransactions within said games. That could be one of the things discussed during the committee hearing that is scheduled for April 16. If passed, games that launch after January 1, 2027 will have to adhere to this law.
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Source: Rock Paper Shotgun
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