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Players Demand Game Ownership Rights Now!
16 Oct
Summary
- A new bill aims to give players actual ownership of purchased video games.
- The bill addresses concerns over digital games being removed from sale or support.
- Legal challenges may hinder the FTC's ability to enforce new regulations.
Representative Ritchie Torres has announced plans to introduce the Power to the Players Act, a bill aimed at ensuring consumers genuinely own their purchased video games. This legislative effort seeks to protect players from situations where digital titles are removed from sale or have their online services discontinued, exemplified by the upcoming server shutdown for NBA 2K25. The proposed act would task the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) with establishing rules to prevent such occurrences.
Torres views this as a restoration of the traditional norm for game ownership, predating the prevalence of digital licensing. He suggested similar protections could be extended to digital books, movies, and music. However, the bill faces potential hurdles. A similar state-level bill in California failed earlier this year. Furthermore, a recent Supreme Court decision has weakened the FTC's regulatory authority, potentially making it difficult for the commission to enforce new rules regarding the game industry.
