Jump to content

Stop Killing Games

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Draft:Stop Killing Games)
StopKillingGames.com

An editor has nominated the above file for discussion of its purpose and/or potential deletion. Consult image description page for details.
Type of site
Consumer movement
Available in32 languages
Created byRoss Scott
URLwww.stopkillinggames.com
CommercialNo
RegistrationNo
LaunchedApril 2, 2024; 15 months ago (2024-04-02)
Current statusActive

Stop Killing Games (SKG) is a consumer movement and initiative with the goal of preserving video games after they are taken offline. The initiative was started in 2024 by Ross Scott after the shutdown of The Crew, a racing game that required a constant internet connection despite being mostly single-player. The initiative quickly gathered popularity, being covered by various YouTubers and news outlets. The movement has launched multiple government petitions.

Background

[edit]

The Crew was a 2014 racing game developed by Ubisoft Ivory Tower and Ubisoft Reflections, published by Ubisoft. It required a constant internet connection to play, including in single-player mode; attempting to launch the game offline resulted in an error screen.[1] By December 14, 2023, Ubisoft delisted the game and its expansions from digital platforms, suspended sales of microtransactions, and announced that the game's servers would be shut down on March 31, 2024, citing "upcoming server infrastructure and licensing constraints".[2] The servers were shut down as planned on that date. When the shutdown was announced on December 14, 2023, Ubisoft did offer refunds to people who "recently" purchased The Crew.[3] In early April 2024, days after the shutdown, Ubisoft began revoking licenses from players who have bought The Crew.[4][5][6]

Ross Scott in front of a green screen
Scott in 2021

Ross Scott is a YouTuber primarily known for his machinima series Freeman's Mind.[7] He is critical of online-only games being shut down, describing the practice as an "assault on both consumer rights and preservation of media"[8] and comparing it to movie studios during the silent film era "burning their own films after they were done showing them to recover the silver content", while also pointing out that "most films of that era are gone forever."[9] In 2019, Scott criticized games as a service, calling it "fraud".[10]

Activities

[edit]

In April 2024, after the shutdown of The Crew, Scott released a video on his YouTube channel introducing Stop Killing Games and launched a website for the initiative.[10] The initiative encourages users to vote on petitions to force developers into providing ways to play games after the end of support, such as adding an offline mode or an ability to host private servers.[11] He also encouraged multiple petitions for Stop Killing Games, such as the Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Protection in France,[8][12] the UK Parliament petition, and the European Citizens Initiative in the European Union,[9][13][14] the latter of which gained over 350,000 signatures in the first two months.[15]

The UK government responded to the Parliament petition, stating that "there is no requirement in UK law compelling software companies and providers to support older versions of their operating systems, software or connected products".[16][17] On May 30, 2024, the petition was cut short due to a general election. A new petition was started, quickly gaining over 10,000 signatures, which was the amount needed for a guaranteed response for the government. In February 2025, the UK government responded to the new petition, stating that it had "had no plans to amend consumer law on digital obsolescence", but pointing out that "if consumers are led to believe that a game will remain playable indefinitely for certain systems, despite the end of physical support, the CPR may require that the game remains technically feasible [...] to play under those circumstances".[18][19]

In May 2025, Scott published a spreadsheet containing various online-only video games and their playability status. According to the spreadsheet, 68% out of the 731 games were either unplayable or at risk. Only 16 games that were playable after discontinuation have been salvaged by the developers, with the other 110 being fan-preserved.[20]

While the European Citizens Initiative gained a lot of signatures at the start, it quickly lost momentum, stagnating at around 500,000 signatures, which was 50% of the amount needed for Commission representatives to take action. In June 2025, Scott uploaded a video, reminding people of the petition and outlining that the problem with the insufficient signatures "isn't getting gamers to care about games; it's getting people to care about anything".[21][22]

On July 2, 2025, the UK Parliament petition reached 100,000 signatures, meaning it will be considered for debate in Parliament.[23] One day later on July 3, 2025, the European Citizens' Initiative reached 1 million signatures, meaning it will be considered for debate in the European Commission, though Scott stated that more signatures are still needed to counteract invalid ones, which are to be deducted.[24][25]

Reactions

[edit]

Upon the release of the Stop Killing Games introduction video, it quickly gained views and was covered by multiple gaming news outlets and YouTubers.[10]

Jason "Thor" Hall, creator of Heartbound, criticized the initiative in a video on his YouTube channel PirateSoftware. His response is thought to have stagnated the initiative's progress. On 23 June 2025, in his last statement regarding SKG, Scott criticized Hall's video, stating that Hall didn't understand the campaign and that he misconstrued information.[22]

Several other YouTubers such as Cr1TiKaL have since come out in defense of Scott, sharing many of the same criticisms against Hall.[26] In addition, prolific gamers such as xQc, Asmongold, PewDiePie, and jacksepticeye, including consumer rights activist Louis Rossmann have shown support for the initiative.[27]

Ubisoft

[edit]

Ubisoft initially refused to comment on the situation with The Crew.[10] After severe player backlash, fueled in part by the Stop Killing Games initiative according to PC Gamer, Ubisoft promised to add an offline mode to The Crew 2 and The Crew Motorfest, though the discontinued The Crew was not mentioned.[15][28][29] In April 2025, Ubisoft released an update video on the upcoming offline mode for The Crew 2, stating that not all features will be available offline and that the mode playtesting will begin on 30 April.[30][31][32] The offline mode for Motorfest is still planned.[33]

Law

[edit]

In September 2024, a new Californian law AB 2426[34] was signed that forces digital storefronts to disclose what the user is getting after making a transaction to access digital goods, making it illegal to use the terms "buy" and "purchase" while only providing a license that can be revoked at any time—a practice common among digital storefronts.[35][36][37] The law does not extend to games that can be played offline permanently.[36][38] The law came to effect in 1 January 2025.[39] In October 2024, Steam added a disclaimer that a game purchase only grants a license.[40][41] GOG.com, a DRM-free storefront, responded to the law by posting a concept banner that states that GOG's offline game installers "cannot be taken away".[42][43]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Iwaniuk, Phil (2014-12-08). "The Crew review". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 2025-06-29. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
  2. ^ Nightingale, Ed (15 December 2023). "Ubisoft delists The Crew, with servers shutting next year". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  3. ^ Carpenter, Nicole (2024-11-11). "Ubisoft sued for shutting down The Crew". Polygon. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
  4. ^ Bonk, Lawrence (12 April 2024). "Ubisoft is deleting The Crew from players' libraries, reminding us we own nothing". Engadget.
  5. ^ Ferdinand, Pam (12 April 2024). "Ubisoft Reportedly Removing Access to The Crew From Buyers' Accounts". GameRant.
  6. ^ Chalk, Andy (2023-12-14). "The Crew removed from sale, will become unplayable after April 1: 'We understand this may be disappointing for players still enjoying the game'". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 2025-06-29. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
  7. ^ Francis, Tom (2010-08-06). "Community heroes: Ross Scott for Freeman's Mind". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 2025-06-25. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
  8. ^ a b Smith, Graham (2024-04-04). "Stop Killing Games hopes to petition regulators to stop developers from shutting down games". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Archived from the original on 2025-06-22. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
  9. ^ a b Livingston, Christopher (2024-08-01). "If 1 million people sign a petition, a ban on rendering multiplayer games unplayable has a chance to become law in Europe". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 2025-06-27. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
  10. ^ a b c d Wilde, Tyler (2024-04-05). "Gamers seek legal win that would stop developers from rendering online games unplayable: 'It is an assault on both consumer rights and preservation of media'". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 2025-06-25. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
  11. ^ Blazewicz, Jacob (2024-06-07). "Campaign Against Killing Games Continues. We Asked Its Organizer About Future and Lawyers' Opinions About The Crew". Gamepressure.com. Archived from the original on 2025-06-27. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
  12. ^ Phillips, Tom (2024-04-04). "Stop Killing Games aims to mount political and legal challenges to games going offline". Eurogamer.net. Archived from the original on 2025-02-19. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
  13. ^ Neal, Chris (2024-08-12). "Stop Killing Games Initiative stumps for signatures to pressure EU governments | Massively Overpowered". Archived from the original on 2024-12-10. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
  14. ^ Bailey, Dustin (2024-08-02). "After 10 years, Ubisoft's always-online racing game The Crew has snowballed into a massive consumer rights campaign that's now looking for 1 million EU signatures". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on 2025-05-17. Retrieved 2025-06-26.
  15. ^ a b Chalk, Andy (2024-09-10). "After eating it for killing The Crew, Ubisoft promises to bring offline support to The Crew 2 and The Crew Motorfest". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 2025-06-27. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
  16. ^ Chalk, Andy (2024-05-15). "UK government responds to Stop Killing Games petition, and it's not good: 'There is no requirement in UK law' that forces companies to support old software". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 2025-05-19. Retrieved 2025-06-26.
  17. ^ Smith, Graham (2024-05-05). "UK government responds to petition asking them to regulate publishers into keeping games "in a working state"". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 2025-06-26.
  18. ^ Lane, Rick (2025-02-05). "UK government says it won't change the rules on publishers taking videogames offline after selling them: 'We have no plans to amend existing consumer law on digital obsolescence'". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 2025-06-27. Retrieved 2025-06-26.
  19. ^ Phillips, Tom (2025-02-04). "Favourite game no longer playable? UK government says it won't tighten rules to punish publishers who switch off servers". Eurogamer.net. Retrieved 2025-06-26.
  20. ^ Evans-Thirlwell, Edwin (2025-05-23). "70% of games with online requirements are doomed, according to Stop Killing Games survey". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Archived from the original on 2025-06-28. Retrieved 2025-06-29.
  21. ^ Randall, Harvey (2025-06-24). "The 'Stop Killing Games' initiative is close to its final deadline, and after that, its leader is understandably done: 'Either the frog hops out of the pot, or it's dead'". PC Gamer. Retrieved 2025-06-26.
  22. ^ a b Blazewicz, Jacob (2025-06-24). "Your games could disappear overnight. The campaign to prevent this is failing". Gamepressure.com. Archived from the original on 2025-06-25. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
  23. ^ Scott, Ross [@accursedfarms] (2025-07-02). "The UK petition has reached 100k signatures! This means it will be brought before Parliament and we can ignore the old garbage answer that didn't address the problem. Will have a video on it later. Keep signing for safety margins!" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 2025-07-02 – via Twitter.
  24. ^ "Stop Killing Games Initiative Reaches 1,000,000 Signatures". 80.lv. 2025-07-03. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
  25. ^ Bailey, Dustin (2025-07-03). "Stop Killing Games reaches its 1 million signature goal after a desperate month where it seemed doomed to fail, but it's looking for more because "there's a chance a significant number of them aren't real"". GamesRadar+. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
  26. ^ Fox, Riley (27 June 2025). "MoistCr1TiKaL blasts PirateSoftware for spreading misinformation about Stop Killing Games initiative". Spilled. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  27. ^ "'Stop Killing Games' Europe petition has hit over 900,000 signatures in push for video game preservation". Khel Now. Archived from the original on 2025-07-03. Retrieved 2025-07-03.
  28. ^ Dinsdale, Ryan (2024-09-12). "Ubisoft Adding Offline Modes to The Crew 2 and The Crew Motorfest, But the Original Is Gone for Good". IGN. Archived from the original on 2025-06-29. Retrieved 2025-06-26.
  29. ^ Yang, George (2024-09-10). "After The Crew Was Rendered Unplayable, Its Sequels Will Be Preserved". GameSpot. Retrieved 2025-06-26.
  30. ^ Chalk, Andy (2025-04-24). "Ubisoft is keeping its promise to add an offline mode to The Crew 2, and testing begins next week". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 2025-06-29. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
  31. ^ "The Crew 2 Offline Mode is a "Hybrid Way to Play the Game" – Ubisoft". GamingBolt. Archived from the original on 2025-06-27. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
  32. ^ Kuhnke, Oisin (2025-04-24). "The Crew 2 is getting an offline mode play test and it, unsurprisingly, won't have all of its online features". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 2025-06-26.
  33. ^ Franzese, Tomas. "Amid Anger Over First Game's Shutdown, The Crew 2's New Offline Mode Detailed". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 2025-06-27. Retrieved 2025-06-26.
  34. ^ "AB 2426- CHAPTERED". leginfo.legislature.ca.gov. Retrieved 2025-06-26.
  35. ^ Walter, Brittany. "California AB 2426 Clarifies Digital Goods Purchases and Licensin". natlawreview.com. Archived from the original on 2025-06-27. Retrieved 2025-06-26.
  36. ^ a b Roth, Emma (2024-09-26). "California's new law forces digital stores to admit you're just licensing content, not buying it". The Verge. Archived from the original on 2025-06-29. Retrieved 2025-06-26.
  37. ^ Carpenter, Nicole (2024-09-26). "New California law means digital stores can't imply you're buying a game when you're merely licensing it". Polygon. Archived from the original on 2025-06-27. Retrieved 2025-06-26.
  38. ^ Phillips, Tom (2024-09-27). "Buying digital games means you're just purchasing a license, California will force storefronts to admit". Eurogamer.net. Archived from the original on 2025-06-29. Retrieved 2025-06-26.
  39. ^ Chalk, Andy (2024-09-27). "New California law inspired by Ubisoft and Sony requires retailers to warn consumers that the digital games they buy can be taken away at any time". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 2025-06-27. Retrieved 2025-06-26.
  40. ^ Dent, Steve (2024-10-11). "Steam now tells gamers up front that they're buying a license, not a game". Engadget. Retrieved 2025-06-26.
  41. ^ Yin-Poole, Wesley (2024-10-11). "Steam Now Warns Customers They're Buying a License, Not a Game Before They Continue to Payment". IGN. Archived from the original on 2025-06-29. Retrieved 2025-06-26. spotted by Engadget and verified by IGN
  42. ^ Chalk, Andy (2024-10-11). "Steam's new disclaimer reminds everyone that you don't actually own your games, GOG moves in for the killshot: Its offline installers 'cannot be taken away from you'". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 2025-06-27. Retrieved 2025-06-26.
  43. ^ Lewis, Catherine (2024-10-11). "Valve reminds Steam users they don't actually own a darn thing they buy, GOG pounces and says its games "cannot be taken away from you" thanks to offline installers". GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on 2025-06-27. Retrieved 2025-06-26.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Stop_Killing_Games&oldid=1298673459"