UK parliament gears up for debate on digital game preservation following popular petition

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1. https://esports-news.co.uk/2025/09/19/stop-killing-games-petition-to-be-debated-in-uk-parliament/ - Please view link - unable to able to access data
2. https://www.gamesradar.com/stop-killing-games-eu-hearing-is-seemingly-all-but-guaranteed-as-verification-shows-around-97-percent-of-signatures-being-valid-it-looks-like-my-worrying-in-july-was-for-nothing/ - The 'Stop Killing Games' campaign, officially titled 'Stop Destroying Videogames,' is a European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) that has reached a significant milestone by verifying approximately 97% of over one million collected signatures as valid. This development makes a hearing before the European Commission nearly inevitable. Initially, the campaign faced doubts about reaching its goal and concerns about the legitimacy of the signatures. However, after experiencing a surge in support, verification efforts are showing strong results across several countries. The verification process, managed by national authorities, is expected to be completed within three months. Once finalized, organizers will deliver the petition to the European Commission, initiating the legislative phase where the Commission and European Parliament will determine their response. Campaign founder Ross Scott expressed relief after earlier expressing concern about signature authenticity, and industry figures such as Randy Pitchford have voiced their support for the initiative.
3. https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/219851 - This petition, submitted during the 2017-2019 parliament, aimed to stop the sale and access of violent and aggressive video games. The petition argued that such games normalise violence and aggression, desensitising individuals to their impact. It highlighted concerns about children being exposed to violent content and the potential link between violent video games and real-life crimes. The petition was rejected because it was not clear what specific action the UK Government or Parliament was being asked to take. Petitions need to call on the Government or Parliament to take a specific action, and this petition did not meet that standard.
4. https://www.xboxera.com/2025/07/03/stop-killing-games-initiative-reaches-1m-signatures-uk-petition-marks-132k/ - Despite a very unstable European Citizens’ Initiative website, Ross Scott’s ‘Stop Killing Games‘ initiative has reached one million signatures as of this writing, meaning that it is now eligible for verification by each of the responsible authorities in each European country and therefore the initiative can now move on and eventually be up for debate to the European Commission and Parliament. On top of this, yesterday at around 5PM BST, the United Kingdom-equivalent Parliament petition exceeded its 100K signature goal and now currently sits at 132K writings (nearing 133K!) as of this article’s publication. A debate date for that has yet to be announced. Still quite broken! It is important to note that signature collection doesn’t stop here—Ross Scott estimates that at least 1.2M signatures may be required as part of the verification process. You can head over to the Initiative site yourself to take a look and put your name in if you’re a European citizen.
5. https://www.thesixthaxy.com/2025/07/03/stop-killing-games-petition-passes-threshold-for-a-uk-parliament-debate/ - A petition to the UK government by the Stop Killing Games initiative has passed the 100,000 signatures threshold to be considered for a debate in parliament. A similar petition in the European Citizens’ Initiative is also nearing its 1 million signature threshold to be considered by the European Commission. The UK government already responded to the petition after it passed the 10,000 signature threshold in February, saying “We are aware of issues relating to the life-span of digital content, including video games, and we appreciate the concerns of players of some games that have been discontinued. We have no plans to amend existing consumer law on digital obsolescence, but we will monitor this issue and consider the relevant work of the Competition and Market Authority (CMA) on consumer rights and consumer detriment.” However, a debate in parliament is always good, and UK residents will be able to have their voices heard on the matter through their local MP – if this matters to you, then firstly the petition remains open until 14th July to add your signature and receive notifications, and you should try to get in touch with your MP to add weight to this argument.
6. https://www.euronews.com/next/2025/07/08/citizens-petition-to-stop-killing-games-reaches-1-million-signatures-likely-triggering-eu- - The ‘Stop Killing Games’ petition reached 1.25 million signatures. If they can be validated, the European Commission will evaluate whether new laws are needed to save online games when they are discontinued. The European Commission will likely have to decide whether the European Union needs new laws to force video game companies to preserve discontinued online games, after a successful citizens’ petition. A European Citizens’ Initiative called Stop Killing Games surpassed one million signatures in at least seven member states, which is the threshold to force the Commission to consider issues raised by the public. The petition argues that when video game makers decide to sell or discontinue online games, they typically sever the server connection needed for the games to run, effectively “destroy[ing] all working copies of the game.”
7. https://www.howtogeek.com/uk-government-dismisses-stop-killing-games-petition/ - 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. 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.