Current Events > The Stop Killing Games initiative is about to fail

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://youtu.be/HIfRLujXtUo?si=gVwepedREzoL9x1W
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sJpTCitKqw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnolgHHqdIk

Depressing but unsurprising.

We're not allowed good things in this timeline

Are you going to actually tell us anything about what this is or what's happened? No one's going to watch an hour-long video with no explanation of why we should.

at least we got some more PirateSoftware lolcow content out of it

Thanatos_the_Great posted...

Are you going to actually tell us anything about what this is or what's happened? No one's going to watch an hour-long video with no explanation of why we should.

https://www.stopkillinggames.com/

"Stop Killing Games" is a consumer movement started to challenge the legality of publishers destroying video games they have sold to customers. An increasing number of video games are sold effectively as goods - with no stated expiration date - but designed to be completely unplayable as soon as support from the publisher ends. This practice is a form of planned obsolescence and is not only detrimental to customers, but makes preservation effectively impossible. Furthermore, the legality of this practice is largely untested in many countries.

Over the past year, we have succesfully escalated complaints on this problem to consumer agencies in France, Germany, and Australia, and have brought forth petitions for new law on this problem to various countries. A list of the actions taken to date can be viewed here. As of 2025, most consumer action on this matter has concluded and we are awaiting decisions on it from several governments. However, there are a few remaining avenues left where people can participate if they are eligible:

https://www.stopkillinggames.com/eci
https://www.stopkillinggames.com/countries/united_kingdom

It's a movement trying to stop the practice of games just dying because they were always online and the publishers turn off the central servers. Something that never used to be a thing but now thousands of games are just rentals that you have no idea when the rental will end.

In America this is dead in the water because America is right wing and it's settled law that you do not own your games. Publishers can do whatever they like at any time.

In the EU, this is not the case and there are no laws regarding gaming. Just generic consumer protection laws that are inadequate for gaming.

When The Crew shut down, a game bought by millions of people made by Ubisoft which is a French company. (And advertised as pay once, play forever) This gave the first and possibly last good chance to bring a legal challenge to the process.

If the initiative gets a million signatures, it's almost garanteed to lead the creation of new laws which will ban future games having no end of life plans. And considering this is such a big market, pretty much every game developer will just have an end of life plan regardless of US law, rather than lose out of EU money.

But we're a month away from the deadline and they're still not even close. There's also been aggressive pushback from large content creators and video game sites that are misrepresenting the initiative so badly, it's either malicious or utter stupidity. Saying things like "THey're demanding WoW and FFXIV be made into a single player game!" or "They're demanding publishers support games forever!" which you cannot have as your legitimate goodfaith takeaway from the initiative if you look at it for more than 4 seconds.

There's also a petition to get the UK government to weigh in but not only is that pretty much dead in the water, even if they got the signatures, the UK government wouldn't do shit.

its depressing this failed

it shows gamers will complain about the state of the industry but wont do a damn thing about it

because yes if that reached its 1 million signatures it WOULD be taken before the UK government

this was our best chance to do anything about this crap

but gamers just dont care

EDIT: note to mods im not saying ALL gamers are like this

AceMos posted...

because yes if that reached its 1 million signatures it WOULD be taken before the UK government

EU*

There is a UK petition too (Which is also failing) but realistically, the UK government wouldn't do shit. The petition is just "PMs have to address this thing they don't understand and already shot down twice"

Where as the EU one would actually be a mandate. It's the EU one that matters.

UnfairRepresent posted...

EU*

There is a UK petition too (Which is also failing) but realistically, the UK government wouldn't do shit. The petition is just "PMs have to address this thing they don't understand and already shot down twice"

Where as the EU one would actually be a mandate. It's the EU one that matters.

oh sorry my mistake

AceMos posted...

it shows gamers will complain about the state of the industry but wont do a damn thing about it

Of course. Gamers are the type who will bitch and moan about a game but still pay full-price for it.

Thanks for the info. It's a pity they haven't got the signatures needed, but hopefully the campaign can continue anyway in other ways.

KhlavicLanguage posted...

at least we got some more PirateSoftware lolcow content out of it

I'm kind of ashamed I fell for that dude's shtick but alas

Thanatos_the_Great posted...

It's a pity they haven't got the signatures needed, but hopefully the campaign can continue anyway in other ways.

Same here. Fwiw I signed it myself and spread it around in my circle

Who else thought this was about Danganronpa

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3z4w_h2-UkM

There's a plan to do one last big push on July 2nd. Spreading the Hashtag on Twitter in an attempt to get it trending.

I would imagine Twitter has safeguards to prevent organized trending attempts but what do I know?

AceMos posted...

its depressing this failed

it shows gamers will complain about the state of the industry but wont do a damn thing about it

I've often said gamers are the most spineless jellyfish marks of any industry and it's not even close.

TMOG posted...

Who else thought this was about Danganronpa

Darumi in shambles

UnfairRepresent posted...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3z4w_h2-UkM

There's a plan to do one last big push on July 2nd. Spreading the Hashtag on Twitter in an attempt to get it trending.

I would imagine Twitter has safeguards to prevent organized trending attempts but what do I know?

really hope it succeeds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_5WIzkM0r8

Irish Markiplier is trying to save the day

I signed the EU petition.

Zakawer3 posted...

I signed the EU petition.

I like you

The gacha gamers have won.

Uk is now at 79,000 (out of 100,000)

EU is now at 800,000 (out of 1,000,000)

It's still looking dicey but fucking PewDiePie and Jacksepticeye of all people may have just saved game preservation

hows it goun bros its PEEEWWWEEEDEEEPIII

OK the UK one (The one that doesn't matter) has now PASSED 100,000 votes and will be debated in Parliament

This won't do anything, it's the EU one that matters but damn does it show the power youtubers have

This is pretty much all on Jacksepticeye who has an enormous UK audience

https://www.stopkillinggames.com/

Now at over 900k signatures. Need just 99000 to secure a tabling of a discussion in EU parliament.

UnfairRepresent posted...

OK the UK one (The one that doesn't matter) has now PASSED 100,000 votes and will be debated in Parliament

This won't do anything, it's the EU one that matters but damn does it show the power youtubers have

This is pretty much all on Jacksepticeye who has an enormous UK audience

That is good news at least.

But yeah, would sign it if I could, but I am not an EU citizen :/.

Alucard188 posted...

https://www.stopkillinggames.com/

Now at over 900k signatures. Need just 99000 to secure a tabling of a discussion in EU parliament.

Just to note there are a lot of reports of sus people illegally signing.

This is super dumb because the EU WILL check and invalid signatures will be discarded.

I know not much CE can do about it but spread the message not to stop even if it does reach a million. For saftey we need as high numbers as possible.

Super crazy that it now looks like we're gonna hit a million tho

what a turn around this has had

The EU petition has completely crashed for me

Can you guys and girl see it?

Nope.

is it a petition that does something? These gaming related ones never amount to anything.

Rai_Jin posted...

is it a petition that does something? These gaming related ones never amount to anything.

in the EU it might

FFTHEWINNER posted...

That is good news at least.

But yeah, would sign it if I could, but I am not an EU citizen :/.

Same. = /

Rai_Jin posted...

is it a petition that does something? These gaming related ones never amount to anything.

This one actually might

EU arguably has the best consumer rights laws in the world. They already fucked Apple over.

There is currently no law on the matter in the EU

This petition would give them a mandate to actually make laws.

And if the EU goes, any major publishers worldwide will accommodate rather than lose 10-15% of revenue

It's back up!

IT DID IT!!!!!!!

Over a million signatures

Now please , tell all the French people you know to keep signing. We don't know how many signatures may be 'Disallowed' and we all know this timeline sucks so keep at it

But man does this turnaround feel good

Ross should be proud

I can't help but think a lot of the sigs are from people who aren't actually eligible to participate.

AceMos posted...

its depressing this failed

it shows gamers will complain about the state of the industry but wont do a damn thing about it

because yes if that reached its 1 million signatures it WOULD be taken before the UK government

this was our best chance to do anything about this crap

but gamers just dont care

EDIT: note to mods im not saying ALL gamers are like this

Kinda like voters in general.

Solid_Sonic posted...

I can't help but think a lot of the sigs are from people who aren't actually eligible to participate.

Very likely

The surge is lovely but shady

Allegedly dudes on anti blizzard discords are bragging about faking signatures or signing multiple times

But we simply have no way of knowing, all we can do is keep pushing

Push all you want, I know I'm not eligible to participate so I can offer nothing.

And I feel like trying to spread this around is kind of disingenuous since I mostly know Americans.

honestly though, what do all these people have against Danganronpa?

Solid_Sonic posted...

Push all you want, I know I'm not eligible to participate so I can offer nothing.

And I feel like trying to spread this around is kind of disingenuous since I mostly know Americans.

And none of them know any Euro dudes?

or know anyone who knows any Euro dudes?

You can try dude

Not really, honestly, at least as gaming pals go.

UnfairRepresent posted...

It's back up!

IT DID IT!!!!!!!

Over a million signatures

Now please , tell all the French people you know to keep signing. We don't know how many signatures may be 'Disallowed' and we all know this timeline sucks so keep at it

But man does this turnaround feel good

Ross should be proud

Aye. They can't stop at just a million because they will likely cull the fraudulent signatories from it before certifying it.

Alucard188 posted...

Aye. They can't stop at just a million because they will likely cull the fraudulent signatories from it before certifying it.

https://youtu.be/cmkCQJrc9n4?si=mmo_c6JMUD1yT4jX

as has been said keep pushing this to anyone who can legally sign

as who knows how many are fake and cant be used

the more attention this gets the more official signatures it will get

and whats more this can snowball into the government looking at other shit the industry pulls

Elon Musk retweeted Asmagold's tweet about it

https://twitter.com/Asmongold/status/1940442584494801154

Wow look! Elon and Asmongold CAN use their platforms for good.

I'm not from the EU and don't know anyone who is, so I can't help. But I really hope this works out in the end.

Calwings posted...

I'm not from the EU and don't know anyone who is, so I can't help. But I really hope this works out in the end.

Best thing you can do is heighten awareness about it, as others have.

Signed it earlier today.

Anthem gon' die.