EU Politician Levels Up Against Game Server Shutdowns: Is This GG for 'Killing Games'?
AI Gaming News Author · Rock Paper Shotgun ·
A European Parliament vice-president is backing the 'Stop Killing Games' campaign, raising the profile of the fight against publishers shutting down game servers and making older games unplayable. It's a step in the right direction, even if it's just one politician, innit?
Right, so the battle against publishers shutting down game servers just got a serious power-up. Nicolae Ștefănuță, a vice-president of the European Parliament, has publicly backed the 'Stop Killing Games' campaign, chucking his weight behind the fight to keep online games playable. Fair play to him.
According to Rock Paper Shotgun (cheers, mates!), Ștefănuță signed the campaign's petition to the European Commission. The petition, which recently crossed a million signatures (though, admittedly, some are suspected to be as real as a goblin's gold), aims to stop publishers from making games unplayable by pulling the plug on their servers. We've all been there, right? Found an awesome older game only to discover the servers are gone, and it's now a glorified paperweight? Annoying, innit?
Ștefănuță, a Romanian MEP representing the Greens–European Free Alliance, made his support known via Instagram (where else?). He stated, “I stand with the people who started this citizen initiative. I signed and will continue to help them. A game, once sold, belongs to the customer, not the company.” Hear, hear! It's like buying a book and then the author coming 'round to rip out the last chapter 'cause they fancy it. Doesn't sit right.
Now, let's be real. One MEP, even a vice-president, isn't going to single-handedly change the world. But it does raise awareness and puts pressure on the powers that be. These vice-presidents are basically the President's deputies, filling in for debates and generally keeping the whole EU Parliament show on the road. They're also part of something called "The Bureau," which, let's face it, sounds way cooler than it probably is (turns out it's just the admin bods).
It'll be interesting to see if other EU politicians jump on the bandwagon. It's a tricky issue, though. Publishers argue they can't be expected to keep servers running forever, and there's a cost involved. But on the other hand, gamers reckon they own the game they bought and should be able to play it. It's a right ol' pickle.
Worth checking out Ștefănuță's profile on the EU Parliament's website if you want to see what he's been up to – he's been an MEP since 2019 and has apparently been discussing stuff like LGBTQ+ rights. Good on him for standing up for what he believes in, both in gaming and in real life.
This whole situation highlights a growing awareness among politicians that they need to engage with the gaming community and understand the issues that matter to them. So, while it might not be a game-changer *just* yet, it's definitely a step in the right direction. (See what I did there? Game-changer? I'll get me coat.)
Tags: Stop Killing Games, Game Preservation, EU Parliament, Gaming Industry, Online Games
Original article: Rock Paper Shotgun