Path: news.eternal-september.org!eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail
From: JAB <noway@nochance.com>
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action
Subject: Re: Video games Europe - Seriously?
Date: Tue, 8 Jul 2025 09:21:24 +0100
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On 07/07/2025 16:43, Spalls Hurgenson wrote:
> I've generally stayed away from Stop Killing Games just because -as
> much as I agree with their goal- it's a lost cause from the start.
> There's too much legal precedent and money against it ever gaining any
> sort of traction, especially for as spurious a medium as video games
> (which, given the age of the average litigator, is assumed to be
> something only little kids play and thus lacking any and all artistic
> integrity). Its end goals are too vague too; how, exactly, can you
> prevent a publisher from killing games without overreaching
> legislation?

I think the chances of the EU* suddenly springing into action are very 
low but I do think that it will at least help make them more aware of 
whether the current law is fit for purpose when it comes to digital 
assets in general. The EU is generally consumer friendly and less 
inclined to the mantra of businesses must be allowed to do whatever they 
want to make as much money as possible. There's also an outside chance 
that a single individual in the EU may take it up as a cause**.

For the vague part, I agree it is but STG have said they look at this as 
the starting part of a conversation over what would be a reasonable 
solution.

One positive I do hope one thing that comes out of it is that it keeps 
the issue in gamers minds and thinking do I really want to be buying, 
and continue to spend, money on a game where at some point the publisher 
is going to turn around and say bad luck you've lost it all.

*The UK petition has already passed the number of signatories but I 
think we have somewhat bigger problems to attend to at the moment.

**We had a similar case here in the UK when I single MP took it upon 
themselves to try and do something about what's called fixed odds 
betting terminals and the real life harm they can cause - think people 
losing their jobs, family and house. They made the industry so much 
money that is was actually profitable to open up another betting shop 
close by just to get around the limit of only four allowed per-shop.

The gambling industry swung into action but after I think two years the 
rest of parliament just got to the stage of let's pass this bill to keep 
her quiet!