Abstract:
New York State Representative Ritchie Torres announced that he plans to introduce the "Power To The Players Act" to Congress, requiring the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to formulate rules to protect consumers' ownership and continued ability to play the video games they purchase. The goals listed in the proposal also include transferring the rights to the game; for games that rely on network services, manufacturers must provide an offline mode before shutting down the server.
The proposal addresses the current situation where digital games are often sold with revocable licenses rather than full ownership. Torres said in the statement that after consumers pay for a game, they should not lose the opportunity to play it because the publisher stops operating the service. He took "NBA 2K25" as an example: This game launched in 2024 will be removed from digital stores on October 30, and the online servers are expected to be closed on December 31, about two years from release. At that time, the online mode that relies on servers will no longer be available. If the bill is implemented according to the proposed goals, it may promote consumers to obtain broader rights to transfer or resell games, but the specific mechanism still needs to be formalized.
Torres said that the bill is currently in the planning stage and has not yet been formally submitted to Congress, and the complete text of the bill has not yet been made public. Therefore, it is currently not possible to confirm the scope of applicable games, compliance requirements, enforcement methods or penalties for violations. The bill only targets electronic games and does not involve other digital content such as movies and music. Members expressed the hope that if legislation in the gaming field progresses, it will provide a reference for other digital purchase rights in the future.
This initiative aligns with the concerns of the Stop Killing Games movement. The movement emerged after Ubisoft shut down servers for The Crew, rendering purchased games unplayable, and has promoted discussions on relevant legislation in Europe and the United States. However, the European Commission has not proposed legislation before, instead considering negotiating a voluntary code of conduct with publishers; a bill in California that requires players to be notified before stopping the service and provides remedies such as offline versions, community servers or refunds also failed to pass the state Senate committee. Subsequent U.S. federal proposals must still be submitted, reviewed by committees, and voted on by Congress. It remains to be seen whether the final terms and whether the FTC has obtained clear enforcement authority.
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