Media preservation is a relatively recent topic in the greater entertainment world, as the loss of physical media, such as DVDs or CDs, means that works can disappear when they are not on streaming services. That conversation has expanded to include video games recently, with players commenting on how online multiplayer games can become entirely unplayable when companies shut down their servers. A recent example is The Crew or Forza Horizon 4, both set to be removed from online stores. However, gamers in the European Union are uniting to push back against these circumstances by launching a Europeans Citizen Initiative called “Stop Killing Games” to ban making multiplayer games unplayable, such as by shutting down all their servers.
A European Citizen Initiative is when a petition signed by at least one million people, across at least 7 countries, is presented before the European Union Commission, or they must provide a detailed reason why it isn’t. However, the biggest thing standing between this petition and a future as a law in the EU, is companies. Keeping servers running is a very expensive task, and considering the general state of the industry recently, companies are already whittling down workforces to maintain profitability. Trying to add server maintenance and upkeep for a whole host of beloved games probably won’t be companies’ most favorable outcome.
That being said, there are situations where the shut down of a game feels preventable. A perfect example is Forza Horizon 4 which is facing the end of its licensing agreements for its 750 accurate recreations of car models from a host of brands. The end of these licensing agreements means a large portion of Forza Horizon 4’s defining element, is rendered unusable for a mechanical or legal reason. Understandably upon announcing this upcoming delisting, players, fans, and critics alike all commented on the ways the licensing agreement failed to accommodate for the game’s fanbase and longevity. Maybe the petition will be refined to focus on these causes of game disappearance.