The EU Commission is preparing a non-binding Communication on the video game sector, likely in response to an ongoing citizens’ initiative calling for rules to “stop killing games”.
Gamers want rules against companies shutting off games when they’re no longer profitable, meaning that they would have to leave them in a playable state instead.
However, it’s highly unlikely that a Communication will be able to fulfil the very concrete demands of the citizens’ initiative.
Patrick Breyer, ex-Pirate MEP and supporter of “stop killing games”, told Euractiv that he wants a new EU law that allows games to be run by their communities after developers shutter them.
“That’s where the EU Commission has to get busy, instead of prioritising the industry’s profit interests above all else with a blah blah Communication,” he said.
A spokesperson for “stop killing games” also attacked the Commission’s plan as woefully out-of-date vs what gamers are facing. “This would have been a reasonable way to take if it was still 2005 or 2010,” they said.
Yesterday, the Commission released a short description of the planned Communication – but took it down again today. A spokesperson blamed a technical glitch but said full publication is planned for 2026.
The Communication – which the Commission description referred to as “Ready Player EU” – also seems to have a different focus. While the EU’s agenda mentioned protecting players, the text first discussed the sector’s importance for Europe’s economy.
There are “challenges concerning scaling up companies, attracting financing” and “managing cyclical waves of labour lay-off”, the Commission announcement stated.
A Commission’s spokesperson also said that while the EU is already supporting Europe’s gaming sector, “more can of course be done”.
The European Games Developers’ Federation would surely agree. Several months ago, the industry group laid out its positions on the state of play for the region’s game developers – flagging particularly “challenging times”. Access to funding topped the list of issues it identified.
The group’s president, Hendrik Lesser, noted that markets are fragmenting and inflation increasing, while supposedly new models (such as Web3 games) have not fulfilled their promise and “the big AI revolution has not happened yet for making games”.
As private capital retreats – due to the uncertainty surrounding US President Trump’s trade wars – Lesser also argued that “we must fight more than ever for public support for the games industry”.
Games developers and gamers will have to wait to see whether the Commission’s forthcoming Communication responds to all their concerns.
(nl)
