Huge win for gamers and consumer rights!
The California State Assembly just passed AB 1921, the Protect Our Games Act.
It passed on the floor by a vote of 43 to 16.
The bill would force video game companies to give players a heads-up before they shut down the servers for a game.
It would also make them provide a way for people to keep playing afterward, like adding offline mode or letting community servers take over.
Quick recap of what the bill does:
>60-day advance notice before any server shutdown or major service change that would make a game unplayable in its “ordinary use.”
>Companies must then provide a workable solution so players can keep playing, usually an offline mode/patch, community server support, or (in some cases) a full refund.
>Applies to digital games first sold or substantially re-released in California after January 1, 2027.
>Does not affect subscription games, free-to-play titles, or games that are already permanently offline/single-player.
>Enforceable by the Attorney General or district attorneys.
In short: If you buy a game, you should still be able to play it even after the company moves on.
No more “purchase” turning into a rental that expires when the servers die.
Valve’s Gabe Newell always knew what makes Steam better than all other PC and console game stores. In a 2011 interview he said,
“The thing that we’ve been successful with are the Steam sales.”
While other companies made fancy stores or gave special games only for their platform, Valve made its sales into big events that gamers look forward to.
The Summer Sale and Winter Sale give very big discounts of 75 to 90% off with time limits that make people want to buy fast.
These sales bring much more traffic and can increase money many times over, which keeps players coming back year after year.
This simple idea from more than 10 years ago is why Steam is still the top game store for PC gaming today.
Via: gamesradar
The Stop Killing Games movement has officially backed the proposed California bill focused on protecting players when online games are shut down.
> Publishers must provide an offline mode or a way to keep the game playable after server shutdown.
> If this is not possible, players should receive a full refund.
> The goal is to protect digital ownership and game preservation.
This proposal follows growing concerns over games becoming completely inaccessible once support ends, especially after shutdowns like The Crew.
Most gamers think that if players pay for a game, it should remain playable or be fairly compensated.
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