In an age where digital downloads and always-online requirements have become the norm, the question of game preservation has never been more pressing. As publishers increasingly rely on online connections to control access to their games, what happens when those servers inevitably shut down?
With the upcoming release of Star Wars Outlaws just around the corner, a new petition on the European Citizens’ Initiative website aims to tackle this very issue.
The Fight Against “Planned Obsolescence” in Gaming
The petition, titled “Stop Destroying Videogames” takes aim at the practice of planned obsolescence in the gaming industry. The initiative gained significant attention after being shared by the X handle of the popular pro-game-preservation website DoesItPlay.org—garnering support from gamers who share the same concerns.
It specifically called out Ubisoft, citing upcoming titles like Star Wars Outlaws, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, as well as the recently released Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, as examples of games that could be rendered unplayable if the publisher decides to pull the plug on their servers:
Fight planned obsolescence!
— Does it play? (@DoesItPlay1) August 24, 2024
The Crew, Assassin's Creed Shadows, Star Wars Outlaws, Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora. You are entirely at the mercy of Ubisoft granting access if you want to play these games.
Let's stand up against this practice by signing and spreading the European… https://t.co/VH8t2rCIdf
The issue at the heart of the petition is the fact that even if you purchase a physical copy of a game, you may still be required to connect to the publisher’s servers in order to start playing it. As the petition further explains:
While this is not a problem in itself, when support ends for these types of games, very often publishers simply sever the connection necessary for the game to function, proceed to destroy all working copies of the game, and implement extensive measures to prevent the customer from repairing the game in any way.
This means that even if you have a disc sitting on your shelf, you may one day find yourself unable to play the game you paid for—simply because the publisher decided it was no longer profitable to maintain the servers.
Gamers Push Back Against Always-Online Requirements
The petition has struck a chord with many gamers who are growing increasingly frustrated with the industry’s reliance on always-online requirements and digital rights management (DRM).
Some have even gone so far as to say that they’ll boycott games that don’t include the full experience on the disc:
Let me just say that a lot of these Ubisoft games would be day 1 for me, but since the whole game is not on the disc, I have very little interest in buying them, if ever. That’s quite a swing for Ubisoft – going from getting my money day 1 to maybe not getting it at all.
— Jordan Iverson (@jordaniverson) August 24, 2024
It’s a sentiment that’s likely to resonate with many players who have been burned by server shutdowns in the past. After all, what’s the point of buying a game if you can’t be sure you’ll still be able to play it a few years down the line?
The petition is just a first step, and it remains to be seen whether it will gain enough signatures to force a response from the European Commission. But even if it doesn’t, it’s clear that the issue of game preservation in the digital age isn’t going away anytime soon.
What do you think about the petition against the destruction of video games? Do you worry about losing access to your favorite titles in the future? Let us know in the comments below!
