US Rep proposes bill to give video game buyers "ownership," not "a license"
Summary
A new bill proposed by U.S. Representative Ritchie Torres aims to change how video games are sold. It wants buyers to truly own the games, not just get a temporary license, so they can keep playing even if servers shut down.Key Facts
- The bill is called the Power to Players Act.
- It wants the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to prevent games from becoming unplayable after server shutdowns.
- NBA 2K25 is an example where the game will stop working after December 31 due to servers closing.
- The bill says consumers should have the right to own, play, and transfer the games they buy.
- Traditionally, buying games used to give real ownership, but digital sales often just give licenses that can be revoked.
- Sony recently said physical disc sales are less than 20% of PlayStation sales, with digital downloads making up 82%.
- Some games on discs still require online servers, so discs don’t guarantee permanent access.
- The bill requires online-only games to offer offline modes to ensure play continues if servers shut down.
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