A US congressman has introduced legislation designed to grant players genuine ownership of digital games, addressing growing concerns about what happens when publishers remove titles from storefronts or shut down servers. The move comes as Sony phases out physical media from PlayStation, leaving digital purchases as the only option for many consumers.
New York Democratic Representative Ritchie Torres introduced the Power to the Players Act, which would direct the Federal Trade Commission to establish regulations protecting gamers and their libraries. Under current terms of service, digital game purchases are technically non-exclusive licenses that platform holders can revoke at any time, rather than actual ownership. Torres's bill seeks to change this fundamental relationship between consumers and the games they buy.
Torres emphasized that the current system amounts to deception. He argued that when families save money to purchase games, they should own those games outright, not rent them under the guise of a sale. A digital purchase that can vanish whenever a company decides to shut down its servers or remove content from a storefront does not constitute true ownership, he contended. The legislation would ensure consumers retain the right to own, play, and transfer the games they purchase.
Server Shutdowns and Accessibility
Beyond digital ownership, Torres's bill addresses a related concern: ensuring games remain playable after online servers are shut down. The congressman pointed to NBA 2K25 as a concrete example of the problem. The standard edition retails for $69.99, while the All-Star Edition costs $99.99. Despite these substantial prices, the game will be delisted from digital storefronts on October 30, with online servers shutting down on December 31. This means single-player modes will become inaccessible to players who purchased the game, even though they paid full price.
Offline Functionality Requirements
The Power to the Players Act would require developers to provide offline modes before shutting down servers, closing what Torres describes as the gap between buying a game and owning it. This aligns with campaigns by advocacy groups like Stop Killing Games, which has pushed for similar protections in California and the European Union.
Whether the legislation will pass remains uncertain, as Congress faces numerous competing priorities and gaming industry lobbying efforts. However, the bill's introduction signals mounting pressure on publishers regarding digital rights. The debate over game ownership has intensified as physical media disappears and consumers lose access to titles they have paid for, raising fundamental questions about consumer protection in the digital age.
Related Articles
About the Author
