About The Crew

The Crew is a racing video game developed by Ivory Tower and published by Ubisoft. The initiative Stop Killing Games has emerged in response to concerns regarding the accessibility of games after support is discontinued. With over 1 million European citizen signatures, the movement aims to bring new regulations to protect consumer rights in the digital landscape.

Stop Killing Games Hearing

During a recent hearing in the European Parliament, committee vice chair Nils Ušakovs summarised the discussions on the challenges arising from games becoming unplayable after sale. He stated, "Today we've had the opportunity to understand directly from the organisers, experts and stakeholders about various challenges that arise when video games become unplayable after sale due to discontinued services or disabled access." This highlights a pressing issue affecting millions of European citizens.

Ross Scott, founder of Stop Killing Games, articulated the movement's core message, explaining, "When we say a game has been destroyed, what we mean is a publisher has permanently disabled all copies of it that have been sold so no one can ever play them again." He illustrated the unfairness of this practice by comparing it to the book industry, stating, "If you bought a book in a store, the publisher cannot come into your home and take back your book at will." This comparison underscores the lack of consumer protections in the gaming industry.

The Scale of the Problem

Scott shared alarming statistics, revealing that 93.5 percent of 400 titles were disabled when support ended. He remarked, "This business practice is responsible for more destruction to the medium than anything else by an enormous margin." The initiative aims to address these practices and advocate for solutions that protect consumers without disrupting current business models.

European Commission director Giuseppe Abbamonte noted the need to review copyright regulations that inadequately cover these issues. He pledged to report his findings in July, indicating a proactive approach to the concerns raised during the hearing.