Another victory for game preservation has happened, as the California State Assembly has officially passed the Assembly Bill 1921, which, as Stop Killing Games put it, “(…) would require video game companies to give players advance notice before shutting down server-dependent games and provide a way to keep purchased games playable afterward, such as offline access, community servers, or another workable option”. The vote was passed 43-16, and is a big win for the Stop Killing Games movement as this marks its first legal victory within the United States. News of said victory was announced by California State Assembly member Chris Ward, who argued for the bill in regard to its favoring of consumer rights to enjoy a game, even after servers have been shut down. Chris Ward also encouraged supporters of Stop Killing Games within California to contact their state senators to support the bill, which now heads to the State Senate for approval. 

This bill is not without scrutiny however, as previously the Entertainment Software Association, or ESA, had attempted to strike it down, stating, “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’t reflect how games actually work today”. Their efforts turned up fruitless, seeing that the bill passed with majority vote in the State Assembly. However, the battle is not yet over, as we have yet to see what happens now that it is in the hands of the State Senate, and whether they will be as supportive as the Assembly. Stop Killing Games has already seen some momentum in Europe, such as in the UK and European Parliaments, where previous debates surrounding legislation have been held. Although no major victories have been marked in Europe yet, the movement gaining traction is a hopeful sign of things to come.