UK Parliament debates 190,000-strong game-saving petition
The Stop Killing Games campaign has reached Westminster, with MPs debating the future of game preservation. Nearly 190,000 signatures forced the issue onto the parliamentary agenda.
The Stop Killing Games campaign has reached the halls of Westminster, with parliament debating the petition calling for action against publishers who render online games unplayable when servers shut.
The petition, which gathered nearly 190,000 signatures before closing in July, finally received its parliamentary hearing after hitting the required threshold for debate.
During the hour-long session, various MPs pressed the government for clarity on how it plans to address concerns about game server shutdowns. Interestingly, the debate saw numerous game titles added to Hansard, including Cities: Skylines and even a Super Mario World ROM hack trilogy called Grand Poo World. The discussion highlighted the growing concern among gamers about preserving access to titles they've purchased.
Minister for Sport, Tourism, Civil Society and Youth Stephanie Peacock maintained the government's established position, stating there are no plans to amend UK consumer law regarding disabled games. However, she emphasised that existing legislation – specifically the 2015 Consumer Rights Act and 2024's Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act – already provides protection against misleading sales practices. "The law works," Peacock stated, "but companies may need to communicate better."
Regarding the campaign's request for publishers to provide final patches or hand over server capabilities to communities, Peacock pointed to legal complexities. Determining responsibility for security and legal compliance when games transition to community-run servers presents significant challenges, she explained, with potential reputational harm to original developers being a particular concern.
Liberal Democrat MP Tom Gordon raised pertinent questions about corporate ownership changes, specifically mentioning the recent Saudi-led investment group takeover of EA. He questioned how responsibility for maintaining game servers would be allocated in such complex corporate structures. Meanwhile, Labour MP Mark Sewards warned that without proactive measures, the erosion of ownership rights could spread beyond gaming.
The government is considering one concrete action: asking the Chartered Trading Standards Institute to develop specific guidance helping businesses ensure they provide legally required information to game buyers. While the debate didn't result in immediate policy changes, it successfully brought gaming preservation concerns to the parliamentary forefront, ensuring the issue remains on the political agenda.
