California Passes Game Protection Bill

California's new bill requires publishers to keep purchased games accessible to players even after official support for them ends.

The California State Assembly has passed Assembly Bill 2854, the "Protect Our Games Act." This legislation targets the practice of publishers making games unplayable by shutting down their servers. The bill requires companies that sell games in California to ensure players can continue accessing content they have purchased after official support ends. This can be achieved by either maintaining the necessary online servers or by releasing a patch that enables offline play for single-player and local multiplayer modes. The act is a direct response to the growing "Stop Killing Games" consumer movement, which advocates for the preservation of digital games as cultural and commercial products.

This bill could establish a significant legal precedent for digital ownership and consumer rights far beyond California. If enacted, publishers and developers would face new long-term support obligations, potentially altering their business models, especially for live-service games. Companies would need to factor in post-sale support costs and plan for a game's end-of-life from the outset, which could influence game design and monetization. For consumers, it means their purchased games are less likely to become unusable. The legislation now moves to the California Senate for consideration, and its progress will be closely monitored by the global games industry.

This legislation could set a major precedent for digital consumer rights, forcing game publishers to reconsider long-term support and end-of-life strategies for their products, potentially impacting the 'games as a service' model.

Game publishers and developers may face increased long-term operational costs to comply with the law. It could necessitate changes in game design, monetization strategies, and end-of-life planning to account for mandatory post-sale support, affecting profitability for live-service titles.