San Francisco Frontiers - EU admits it can't save discontinued video games

But the European Union unlocked one potential cheat code by promising voluntary guidelines to manage video games' "end of life".

The EU was responding to a citizens' petition backed by over a million people from across Europe called "Stop Destroying Videogames", asking Brussels to make sure that older games which still have many fans remain available.

For over a decade, hundreds of online video games have been rendered unplayable at the whim of their publishers, for either technical or economic reasons.

Gamers asked the EU to introduce rules that would force publishers to keep the discontinued games active, for example, by allowing them to remain accessible on private servers set up by volunteers.

But the EU executive said "at this stage it cannot propose a legal obligation to keep video games playable after they stop being provided commercially" due to existing intellectual property rights and copyright law.

Rights holders have exclusive rights over their creations, Brussels said.

Instead, the EU will draw up a code of conduct with input from the industry and consumer representatives, and will work with consumer groups to ensure gamers' rights are respected, including any compensation they may be entitled to.

P.Thomas--SFF