US Congressman Wants Gamers to Actually Own the Games They Buy

US Congressman Ritchie Torres intends to introduce legislation that would provide players stronger ownership rights over the video games they purchase, including requiring online games to remain playable after their servers shut down.

Key points

• Although he did not personally purchase NBA 2K25, torres informed Kotaku that he grew up playing franchises including Grand Theft Auto, Resident Evil and SOCOM.
• Kotaku, which interviewed Torres regarding the proposal, noted that the New York representative intends to introduce the Power To The Players Act.
• Torres summarized his position simply during the interview: "If you pay for it, you own it." NBA 2K25 Highlights the Difficulty.
• At 38, he is additionally almost 20 years younger than the median member of the House, most of whom were born before Pong was published.
• Under the proposed Power To The Players Act, buying a video game would offer consumers ownership rather than only a revocable license.

Kotaku, which interviewed Torres regarding the proposal, noted that the New York representative intends to introduce the Power To The Players Act. It would direct the Federal Trade Commission to establish regulations protecting video game ownership.

One example behind the push is NBA 2K25. It was the fifth best-selling game of 2024 in the US.

Players have spent significant amounts of funds and time on the basketball game, but 2K Games is now preparing to withdraw backing just over two years after its release.

While its online servers are scheduled to shut down by January 1, 2027, making some of its most popular modes unavailable, the game will be removed from digital storefronts on October 30. The standard edition originally sold for around $70.

Torres wants legislation to prevent purchases from effectively becoming unusable simply since a publisher ends online backing. GTA 6 PC Edition Launch Date Made public. Games Would Need to Keep Working Offline.

Games that depend on online functionality would additionally have to provide an offline mode that continues working after supporting servers shut down.

Torres remarked consumers should have the right to own, the right to play, and the right to transfer the games they purchase.

He argued that a game that can disappear when a firm shuts down its servers is effectively a rental presented as a purchase. Gamers Have Been Calling for Stronger Ownership Rights.

Meanwhile, the proposal follows growing pressure from players concerned regarding what happens to purchased games when publishers discontinue online services.

Meanwhile, the Stop Killing Games advocacy campaign has pressed businesses to stop selling games that can afterwards become completely unplayable once their servers are switched off.

Reservations have additionally grown as the industry moves further toward digital distribution.

According to Kotaku, sony is anticipated to end production of PlayStation game discs for its next console generation, while Grand Theft Auto 6 is projected to release next month with physical purchases containing a download code rather than the game itself.

In practice, the game starts at $80, raising further questions over what consumers actually own when buying digital games. The Bill Still Has a Long Way to Go.

In practice, the Power To The Players Act still needs to be formally introduced in Congress before moving through the legislative process.

Kotaku documented that Torres did not confirm whether the bill would have cosponsors or whether any Republican lawmakers would backing it.

According to The report additionally, an estimated 87% of legislation never reaches a full vote.

Major game publishers could additionally lobby against restrictions on how they sell and maintain digital games. Torres Notes It Would Restore How Game Ownership Employed to Work.

Torres described his proposal not as a radical change to game ownership but as a return to how buying and playing games worked throughout the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s.

He additionally called digital ownership an affordability problem as rates rise throughout the economy. You Can Run PS5 Games on Xbox Series X This Way. Movies and Music Are Not Included.

Meanwhile, the Power To The Players Act at present focuses specifically on video games and does not cover other digital purchases such as movies or music.

That remains the case even though Terminator 2 and a number of other movie purchases were removed from users' digital libraries earlier this year.

Torres remarked games have a particularly robust relationship with ownership since players collect them and can invest substantial amounts of time into them.

Nevertheless, he stated successful video game ownership protections could eventually provide a model for establishing stronger ownership rights elsewhere in the digital economy. Stay Connected with ProPakistani.

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In short, US Congressman Wants Gamers to Actually Own the Games They Buy is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.