The UK Government has replied to a ”Stop Killing Games.’ petition, which aimed to stop video game publishers from disabling games people have purchased.
The petition has received over 12,000 signatures as of February 3, 2025, and it asks for new laws to protect consumers from this practice. Companies disabling games users own is one of the most cited issues with a digital-only future. However, the government has stated that there are currently no plans to change the laws regarding this issue.
The official response explains, “There are no plans to amend UK consumer law on disabling video games. Those selling games must comply with existing requirements in consumer law and we will continue to monitor this issue.”
The government has recognized worries about how long purchased video games actually work, especially since some publishers have stopped supporting older games. This has been seen as a type of planned obsolescence. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) are keeping an eye on the situation by talking to industry representatives and observing how consumers interact with video games.
This kind of issue is especially important as the Xbox releases consoles that stop supporting discs, and former executives for Sony answer concerns about discless futures. It’s not far-fetched to think developers would like a future without the high cost of distribution (and possible issues from tariffs), so digital-only is pretty appealing.
The response mentioned the current consumer laws, like the Consumer Rights Act (CRA) of 2015 and the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations (CPR) of 2008, were mentioned as offering some protection for consumers. The CRA basically makes sure that digital products like video games must be of good quality, suitable for their intended use, and accurately described.
Buyers can ask for a repair, replacement, or refund if these standards are unmet. However, the law does not require companies to keep supporting older games. The government pointed out that supporting older games can be costly for businesses, especially due to issues like making them work with new technology and having fewer players.
The second part of the response, the CPR, concerns rules designed to give buyers clear and accurate information about their purchases, preventing companies from misleading them or leaving out important details. It’s pretty easy to see why it’s there, but it doesn’t feel as related to the future of digital ownership as the CRA does.
The government emphasized that if a game seems like it should still be playable (offline games, not MMORPGs or Multiplayer-only experiences), it must be able to be played without issues, even if updates or support are no longer available. If players have any problems, the responsibility for enforcing these rules lies with Trading Standards and the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
Luckily for players, the Digital Markets, Competition, and Consumers (DMCC) Act 2024 is set to take effect in April 2025. This new law will update existing consumer protection rules and create a system for dealing with unfair trading practices. It will give the Secretary of State the authority to change what unfair commercial practices mean, but any changes will require consultation and approval from Parliament.
Source: UK Parliament Petitions
