"Stop Destroying Videogames": citizens' initiative launched
The citizens' initiative "Stop Destroying Videogames" launched by YouTuber Ross Scott is now open. Anyone who wants to protect video games can sign up.
The shutdown of the Ubisoft racing game "The Crew" set a ball rolling that has now led to an EU citizens' initiative.
(Image: Ubisoft)
"Stop Destroying Videogames" - this is the call of a new European citizens' initiative launched by Youtuber Ross Scott and his project "Stop Killing Games". Games fans can now register for the citizens' initiative. One million statements of support are needed by July 31, 2025 for the European Commission to address the issue.
Scott and his supporters want to stop the shutdown of video games. "The initiative calls for publishers who sell or license video games (or related functions and goods) to consumers in the European Union to be obliged to keep these video games in a functional (playable) state," the EU website of the citizens' initiative states.
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The initiative got rolling when French publisher Ubisoft shut down its MMO racing game "The Crew" on April 1. Because the servers were switched off, the game has been unplayable ever since. Youtuber Ross Scott finds this procedure not only annoying, but also possibly illegal. With his "Stop Killing Games" initiative, he not only wants to raise awareness, but also initiate a legal review of the practice.
Support from pirates
The organizers around Scott are also receiving backing from the Pirate Party, which already expressed criticism of Ubisoft in April. "The shutdown of 'The Crew 1' by Ubisoft is an alarming example of how the interests of players are being ignored. It is unacceptable and probably illegal for companies to first sell popular games for a profit and then shut them down at short notice", wrote Pirate Party MEP Patrick Breyer in a statement.
"New video games come onto the market every day, so it sounds trivial at first if one of them disappears again," added Anja Hirschel from the Pirate Party. "However, this is not just about fans who can't let go of their favorite game. The discussion is much more about what should happen to products and works when the owner is no longer interested in them."
Several MMOs became unplayable
It is not unusual for servers of older games to be shut down in the gaming industry. In many titles, at least the single-player mode is retained, but MMO games become completely unplayable as a result. This has already happened in the past with titles such as "Star Wars Galaxies", "Wildstar" or "Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning" in the past. "The Crew" went on sale in 2014 and there are now two sequels, "The Crew 2" and "The Crew Motorfest". Ubisoft justified the shutdown of the first part with "license restrictions".
Video games are a comparatively short-lived medium. Not only servers, but also entire stores are taken offline over the years. In addition, newer systems are not always compatible with older titles.
Currently, 11,000 people have signed up to the citizens' initiative "Stop Destroying Videogames". The organizers have made a form available on their website.
(dahe)
