The UK government will force the industry to keep video games in a “reasonable working condition after end of support”, rather than allowing them to become unplayable due to online servers being shut down. responded to a petition calling for “government intervention.'' The petition comes after Ubisoft's racing game The Crew was shut down in March after a 10-year run.
“Consumers should be aware that there is no requirement in UK law to force software companies or providers to support older versions of operating systems, software or connectivity products. There may be cases where commercial decisions are made based on the high running costs of maintaining “servers for video games that have a declining user base,'' the government response said. “However, video game sellers must comply with existing consumer laws such as the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (CRA) and the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (CPR).”
The Crew's servers were permanently shut down earlier this year, making the game unplayable even in single player as there was no offline mode. In response to the shutdown, YouTuber Ross Scott started a campaign called “Stop Killing Games.” The campaign encourages players to raise the issue of forced obsolescence in video games with governments and regulators, which is what led to this petition.
The government's response explains the current regulations and what constitutes a breach of regulations in this context. For example, digital content such as video games must be of “satisfactory quality, fit for a particular purpose, and as described by the seller.” As for the question of unsatisfactory quality, the regulations would only be breached “if it falls short of a standard that a reasonable person would consider satisfactory, having regard to the circumstances, such as the price and the description given.”
Similarly, a product that is unusable for a long time after purchase may only be a violation if it violates how the product is advertised. “If a consumer is led to believe that a game will remain playable indefinitely on a particular system despite physical support ending, CPR may may require you to remain available (for example, available offline).
The response includes a contact number and website for consumers to use if they feel there has been a violation of the regulations.
No video game is explicitly advertised as being “playable indefinitely.” This concept is a bit ridiculous when you consider the cost and effort involved in maintaining software. Similarly, I think it's hard to find a reasonable person who would expect online games to be playable online forever, given the assumed operating costs of servers and the numerous precedents for shutting down online games.
Still, there's still something about The Crew's closure that feels particularly jarring. The game was not made unplayable due to changes in the player's software or hardware beyond Ubisoft's control, but rather due to unexplained “upcoming server infrastructure and licensing constraints.” is. And for many, this was essentially a single-player game rather than an online experience.
Do you think government regulation is the solution to this problem? No, it's not. I think it's a shame that The Crew has shut down, but I also think it's unreasonable to expect the game to be maintained indefinitely, and I don't think we know anything about The Crew's server infrastructure needs. I can't say that there is. I think a better option than a government petition is probably to petition GOG.com. The Crew currently has only 36 upvotes on GOG.com.
The UK government's petition will be accepted until October 16, and if it reaches 100,000 signatures it will be considered for consideration in Parliament.
