Ubisoft Shareholders Demand Action on Stop Killing Games Movement
▼ Summary
– Ubisoft shareholders pressured the company to address the Stop Killing Games movement, sparked by the shutdown of The Crew’s servers, making the game unplayable.
– Stop Killing Games, started by YouTuber Ross Scott, advocates for government petitions to prevent purchased games from becoming inaccessible due to publisher actions.
– Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot defended the company’s practices, citing market realities, service limitations, and offering discounted upgrades like The Crew 2 for €1.
– The movement demands publishers implement end-of-life plans to keep games playable offline, citing examples like Gran Turismo Sport and Knockout City as responsible models.
– The UK petition for Stop Killing Games surpassed 150K signatures, triggering a potential parliamentary debate, despite the government’s reluctance to amend consumer laws.
Ubisoft shareholders are pressuring the company to address growing concerns from the Stop Killing Games campaign, a movement that gained momentum after the publisher shut down The Crew last year. The backlash stems from players losing access to purchased content when servers go offline, a practice that has sparked global debate about digital ownership and game preservation.
The movement, spearheaded by YouTuber Ross Scott, urges governments to intervene as more games become unplayable due to publisher decisions. The Crew’s shutdown in March 2023 highlighted the issue, with Ubisoft later revoking licenses, effectively erasing the game from players’ libraries. Critics argue this undermines consumer rights, especially for titles marketed as permanent purchases.
In response to shareholder inquiries, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot defended the company’s policies, emphasizing that online services inevitably reach end-of-life. He cited warnings on packaging and terms of service, noting that support can’t last indefinitely. Guillemot also referenced a limited-time offer where The Crew 2 was sold for just €1, framing it as a goodwill gesture. However, critics say this misses the point, players want functional offline modes, not temporary discounts.
Stop Killing Games clarifies it doesn’t demand perpetual support but rather reasonable end-of-life solutions, like patches enabling offline play. The campaign points to examples like Gran Turismo Sport and Knockout City, where developers preserved gameplay without ongoing servers. With over 1 million signatures globally, the movement has forced industry giants to respond.
In the UK, the petition has crossed 150,000 signatures, triggering parliamentary consideration despite the government’s stance against legal changes. Meanwhile, trade group Video Games Europe, representing major publishers, claims such measures would inflate development costs. The debate continues as players and corporations clash over what constitutes fair treatment of digital purchases.
Guillemot’s remarks reflect a broader industry dilemma: balancing profitability with consumer expectations. Yet as preservation advocates stress, games shouldn’t vanish entirely, especially when players paid for them. The conversation isn’t about immortality but accountability, pushing publishers to rethink how titles are retired. With regulators and shareholders now involved, the pressure for change is mounting.
(Source: EUROGAMER)
