{"id":1929671,"date":"2026-05-11T15:39:19","date_gmt":"2026-05-11T12:39:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1929671"},"modified":"2026-05-11T15:39:19","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T12:39:19","slug":"the-industry-wants-people-to-think-this-is-a-demand-for-eternal-server-support-it-isnt-e3-owner-and-stop-killing-games-clash-over-californian-games-bill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1929671","title":{"rendered":"&#8220;The industry wants people to think this is a demand for eternal server support &#8230; it isn&#8217;t&#8221; &#8211; E3 owner and Stop Killing Games clash over Californian games bill"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"article \" data-ads=\"true\" data-article-type=\"news\" data-article-group=\"news\" data-paywalled=\"false\" data-premium=\"false\" data-sponsored=\"false\" data-type=\"article\">\n<header class=\"article_header\" data-component=\"article-header\">\n<div class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n<nav class=\"nav_breadcrumbs\" data-component=\"nav-breadcrumbs\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\">\n<ul class=\"nav-links\">\n<li>\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/\" data-active=\"false\"><br \/>\n                      Home<br \/>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li>\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/news\" data-active=\"false\"><br \/>\n                      News<br \/>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li>\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/games\/the-crew\" data-active=\"false\"><br \/>\n                      The Crew<br \/>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/nav><\/div>\n<div class=\"headline_details\" id=\"main-content\">\n<h1 class=\"title\">&#8220;The industry wants people to think this is a demand for eternal server support &#8230; it isn&#8217;t&#8221; &#8211; E3 owner and Stop Killing Games clash over Californian games bill<\/h1>\n<p class=\"strapline\">&#8220;Strict rules could ultimately mean fewer new and innovative experiences for players.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"headline_asset\">\n<figure class=\"headline_image_wrapper\">\n<p>        <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"headline_image\" src=\"https:\/\/assetsio.gnwcdn.com\/Freegunner-Concord.jpg?width=570&amp;quality=85&amp;format=jpg&amp;dpr=3&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"A Concord Freerunner wearing bulky green armour\" loading=\"eager\" data-uri=\"Freegunner-Concord.jpg\" data-lightbox width=\"569\" height=\"320\"><figcaption>\n          <span class=\"attribution\">Image credit: <cite>Firewalk\/Sony<\/cite><\/span><br \/>\n        <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"metadata\">\n<div class=\"avatar\">\n<p>    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Connor Makar avatar\" src=\"https:\/\/assetsio.gnwcdn.com\/tAtwiaBo_400x400.jpg?width=2048&amp;height=2048&amp;fit=bounds&amp;quality=85&amp;format=jpg&amp;auto=webp\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 1\" width=\"374\" height=\"374\"><\/p>\n<p>  <img alt=\"Connor Makar avatar\" data-autosize=\"crop_lossy\" data-uri=\"tAtwiaBo_400x400.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 1\" width=\"374\" height=\"374\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"byline\">\n                  <span class=\"article_type\" data-slug=\"news\"><br \/>\n                    News<br \/>\n                  <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"by\">by<\/span> <span class=\"author\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/authors\/connor-makar\">Connor Makar<\/a><\/span>                    <span class=\"job_title\"><br \/>\n                      Staff Writer<br \/>\n                    <\/span>\n            <\/div>\n<div class=\"published_at\">\nPublished on <time datetime=\"2026-05-11T15:39:19+00:00\">May 11, 2026<\/time>              <\/div>\n<div class=\"comments\">\n      <a class=\"comments__link comments-bubble\" href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/esa-e3-california-law-stop-killing-games?view=comments\" rel=\"nofollow\"><br \/>\n          2 comments<br \/>\n      <\/a>\n    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"mypop-header-wrapper\">\n<p><button class=\"mypop-button button wide\" data-state=\"follow\" data-type=\"tag\" data-uuid=\"48ea953d-74a8-415a-9d32-c8069d04ea52\" data-name=\"The Crew\" data-follow-text=\"Follow The Crew\" data-unfollow-text=\"Following The Crew\" data-aria-follow-text=\"Follow The Crew\" data-aria-unfollow-text=\"Following The Crew\" data-popup=\"true\" data-force-login=\"true\" aria-label=\"Follow The Crew\" title=\"Follow The Crew\"><br \/>\n  Follow The Crew<br \/>\n<\/button>          <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article_body\" data-component=\"article-content\">\n<div class=\"article_body_content article-styling\">\n<p>The proposed <a href=\"https:\/\/leginfo.legislature.ca.gov\/faces\/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1921\">Californian consumer protection law AB 1921<\/a>, a digital game-focused law which would ensure either offline versions of games or refunds at end-of-service would be available, is causing some arguments in the industry.<\/p>\n<p>On the one hand we now have the video game trade body Entertainment Software Association (ESA) &#8211; best known as the owner of game show E3 &#8211; coming out in opposition of the bill as it feels it&#8217;ll hurt game creators. All the while, consumer rights movement Stop Killing Games argues it isn&#8217;t as expensive a proposal as the ESA would like you to believe.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<div class=\"video_wrapper youtube\">\n<a aria-label=\"God of War E3 Trailer - E3 2017: Sony Conference\" class=\"video-facade full-size\" data-platform=\"youtube\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/UaUT-n4_lB0?autoplay=1\" title=\"Click to play video from YouTube\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Cover image for YouTube video\" class=\"video-facade__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/UaUT-n4_lB0\/hqdefault.jpg\"><span class=\"video-facade__title\">God of War E3 Trailer &#8211; E3 2017: Sony Conference<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div><figcaption>Here&#8217;s a bit of nostalgia for you, a brilliant trailer from E3 2017!<a class=\"video\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=UaUT-n4_lB0\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Watch on YouTube<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The proposition, which has not gone into effect pending hearings and voting, would require companies to communicate to digital game owners 60 days before the cessation of online services.<\/p>\n<p>In addition, an alternative version of the game would have to be provided to these consumers once an online service ends; a patch or update would have to be issued to make the game playable thereafter; or a refund would have to be offered per the current version of the bill.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"injection_placeholder\" data-position=\"1\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>In a statement <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/articles\/california-bill-pushes-refunds-offline-184123093.html\">provided to ABC10<\/a>, the ESA pushed back on the bill&#8217;s proposed changes. &#8220;Many games depend on evolving technology, licensed content, and online systems that change over time. Assembly Bill 1921 could force developers to spend limited time and resources keeping old systems running instead of creating new games, features, and technology. In the end, this policy doesn&#8217;t reflect how games actually work today. This bill sets strict rules that could ultimately mean fewer new and innovative experiences for players.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Californian assembly member Chris Ward, who introduced the bill, has disagreed, saying: &#8220;We&#8217;re really for California consumers trying to be able to draw that line about the anticipation of what they got when they signed up for something at a significant cost to themselves, I might add, and the ability of the industry to be able to make sure that that&#8217;s there. It&#8217;s a fairness question.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>In response to the ESA&#8217;s opposition, the Stop Killing Games movement chipped in. &#8220;This is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/stop-killing-games-european-parliament\">the same fight as in Europe<\/a>: a grassroots consumer movement asking for basic end-of-life protections, versus the industry lobby trying to preserve the right to sell games that can later be rendered useless while preserving control,&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/StopKillingGames\/comments\/1t9ne7c\/the_industry_is_lobbying_against_stop_killing\/?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=web3x&amp;utm_name=web3xcss&amp;utm_term=1&amp;utm_content=share_button\">wrote Stop Killing Games general director Moritz Katzner<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;AB 1921 is narrow. It applies to paid games going forward and gives companies options: preserve ordinary use, patch the game, or refund the purchaser. The industry wants people to think this is a demand for eternal server support, with endless costs and complications. It isn&#8217;t. It&#8217;s much simpler: If a company sells people a paid game, it should not be able to destroy the game&#8217;s ordinary use later without notice or remedy.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The Stop Killing Games movement has also recently <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/stop-killing-games-age-verification\">pushed back against age verification laws<\/a>, arguing they make the preservation of certain games far untenable.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"preferred-source\" data-component=\"preferred-source\">\nLove Eurogamer.net? Make us a <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\">Preferred Source on Google<\/a> and catch more of our coverage in your feeds.  <\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article_body\" data-component=\"article-content\">\n<div class=\"article_body_content article-styling\">\n<p>The proposed <a href=\"https:\/\/leginfo.legislature.ca.gov\/faces\/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB1921\">Californian consumer protection law AB 1921<\/a>, a digital game-focused law which would ensure either offline versions of games or refunds at end-of-service would be available, is causing some arguments in the industry.<\/p>\n<p>On the one hand we now have the video game trade body Entertainment Software Association (ESA) &#8211; best known as the owner of game show E3 &#8211; coming out in opposition of the bill as it feels it&#8217;ll hurt game creators. All the while, consumer rights movement Stop Killing Games argues it isn&#8217;t as expensive a proposal as the ESA would like you to believe.<\/p>\n<figure>\n<div class=\"video_wrapper youtube\">\n<a aria-label=\"God of War E3 Trailer - E3 2017: Sony Conference\" class=\"video-facade full-size\" data-platform=\"youtube\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/UaUT-n4_lB0?autoplay=1\" title=\"Click to play video from YouTube\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Cover image for YouTube video\" class=\"video-facade__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/UaUT-n4_lB0\/hqdefault.jpg\"><span class=\"video-facade__title\">God of War E3 Trailer &#8211; E3 2017: Sony Conference<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div><figcaption>Here&#8217;s a bit of nostalgia for you, a brilliant trailer from E3 2017!<a class=\"video\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=UaUT-n4_lB0\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Watch on YouTube<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The proposition, which has not gone into effect pending hearings and voting, would require companies to communicate to digital game owners 60 days before the cessation of online services.<\/p>\n<p>In addition, an alternative version of the game would have to be provided to these consumers once an online service ends; a patch or update would have to be issued to make the game playable thereafter; or a refund would have to be offered per the current version of the bill.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"injection_placeholder\" data-position=\"1\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>In a statement <a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/articles\/california-bill-pushes-refunds-offline-184123093.html\">provided to ABC10<\/a>, the ESA pushed back on the bill&#8217;s proposed changes. &#8220;Many games depend on evolving technology, licensed content, and online systems that change over time. Assembly Bill 1921 could force developers to spend limited time and resources keeping old systems running instead of creating new games, features, and technology. In the end, this policy doesn&#8217;t reflect how games actually work today. This bill sets strict rules that could ultimately mean fewer new and innovative experiences for players.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Californian assembly member Chris Ward, who introduced the bill, has disagreed, saying: &#8220;We&#8217;re really for California consumers trying to be able to draw that line about the anticipation of what they got when they signed up for something at a significant cost to themselves, I might add, and the ability of the industry to be able to make sure that that&#8217;s there. It&#8217;s a fairness question.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>In response to the ESA&#8217;s opposition, the Stop Killing Games movement chipped in. &#8220;This is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/stop-killing-games-european-parliament\">the same fight as in Europe<\/a>: a grassroots consumer movement asking for basic end-of-life protections, versus the industry lobby trying to preserve the right to sell games that can later be rendered useless while preserving control,&#8221; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.reddit.com\/r\/StopKillingGames\/comments\/1t9ne7c\/the_industry_is_lobbying_against_stop_killing\/?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=web3x&amp;utm_name=web3xcss&amp;utm_term=1&amp;utm_content=share_button\">wrote Stop Killing Games general director Moritz Katzner<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;AB 1921 is narrow. It applies to paid games going forward and gives companies options: preserve ordinary use, patch the game, or refund the purchaser. The industry wants people to think this is a demand for eternal server support, with endless costs and complications. It isn&#8217;t. It&#8217;s much simpler: If a company sells people a paid game, it should not be able to destroy the game&#8217;s ordinary use later without notice or remedy.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The Stop Killing Games movement has also recently <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/stop-killing-games-age-verification\">pushed back against age verification laws<\/a>, arguing they make the preservation of certain games far untenable.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Home News The Crew &#8220;The industry wants people to think this is a demand for eternal server support &#8230; it isn&#8217;t&#8221; &#8211; E3 owner and Stop Killing Games clash over Californian games bill &#8220;Strict rules could ultimately mean fewer new and innovative experiences for players.&#8221; Image credit: Firewalk\/Sony News by Connor Makar Staff Writer Published [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,253],"class_list":["post-1929671","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-eurogamer-net"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1929671","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1929671"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1929671\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1929671"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1929671"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1929671"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}