Key information
On October 15, US Representative Ritchie Torres announced the introduction of the Power To The Players Act. This legislative proposal aims to protect the rights of consumers to own and continue playing the video games they purchase, addressing concerns that digital titles are often provided as revocable licenses rather than permanent property.
The bill seeks to mandate that the Federal Trade Commission establish regulations ensuring consumers can own, play, and transfer their digital games. Furthermore, it requires companies to provide offline modes for games with online functionality before shutting down supporting servers, preventing titles from becoming inaccessible once corporate support ends.
Torres highlighted the case of NBA 2K25, which is scheduled to stop server support on December 31. While offline modes like Play Now remain, features such as MyCareer and MyTEAM will become unavailable, illustrating the limitations of current digital licensing models where content is lost when companies pull the plug.
This announcement represents a proposed legislative path rather than an enacted law. While the initiative has sparked discussion regarding the feasibility of digital transfers and the nature of ownership, it marks a distinct shift from existing litigation, such as the case involving the PlayStation Store, which focuses on the adequacy of purchase disclosures.
