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Pirate Software was criticized for dismissing the “Stop Killing Games” campaign that wants to address issues with live service games.
YouTuber Ross Scott from the Accursed Farms channel launched the “Stop Killing Games” campaign in April 2024. His campaign wants to address the issue of video game companies shutting down their online-only games, leaving players without access to games they paid for. Jason “Thor” Hall, aka Pirate Software, criticized Scott’s campaign which led to an online controversy.
Scott’s campaign wants to earn one million signatures so he can bring video game ownership issues to the European Commission. When live service games shut down, players are often unable to play the games any longer. Scott wants to stop the practice so players can continue to play the games they paid for.
Pirate Software criticized various aspects of Scott’s campaign and said that Stop Killing Games is not feasible. He pointed out several security issues and game development problems that could arise if the campaign succeeds. Many internet users and content creators criticized Pirate’s comments and said that he didn’t side with the consumers.
What Does The Stop Killing Games Initiative Want To Achieve?
Ross Scott wants to present his Stop Killing Games initiative to European Commission officials. If he gets one million signatures under the European Citizen’s Initiative, officials will look into the matter. Scott secured over 400,000 signatures since he started the campaign.
According to Scott, gamers should care about the initiative because:
“It is important consumers maintain a basic level of rights so as not to be overrun by predatory practices. Additionally, videogames are unique creative works. The concept of destroying every existing copy of a book, song, film, etc. would be considered a cultural loss for society. While a less recognized medium, videogames still deserve to have basic protections against the complete and willful destruction of many of its works.”
Scott’s initiative wants video game developers to give players complete access to games even if they shut down. This includes resources so players start their custom servers and keep the game running. Pirate Software disagreed with the Stop Killing Games initiative and said that it poses several risks for game developers.
Pirate Software And Stop Killing Games Controversy
After the Stop Killing Games initiative started, Pirate Software released a video highlighting the issues with the movement. He took the game developers’ side and said that the campaign was not feasible because of potential security issues, server costs, and intellectual property (IP) issues.
Most of Pirate’s talking points are criticized by other content creators. YouTuber Louis Rossman who makes pro-consumer videos went through all of Pirate’s talking points and said the Twitch streamer did not side with gamers.
Ross Scott wanted to talk to Pirate Software and discuss their opposing viewpoints. Pirate refused to talk to Ross which upset many internet users. Other content creators reportedly tried to reach out to Pirate for discussion and were blocked.
I will continue to remind people that Pirate Software is anti-consumer who wears a nice-guy mask and that paying for his games is helping grow the next evil publisher
— PatricianTV (@patrician_tv) November 28, 2024
Use his name as a guideline when it comes to his games https://t.co/H3zWZF7cTN pic.twitter.com/IYWZiOd6ZS
After the controversy, Pirate Software doubled down on his stance and released a second video on the topic. Scott responded to him saying that the Stop Killing Games initiative is just a framework of what he wants from the industry. If the campaign is successful, lawmakers will possibly go through several revisions before implementing it.
Pirate said in his video that consumers do not buy games, they buy licenses to play the game. According to him, the licenses can be revoked at any time. Scott addressed the saying:
“The short answer is this is a large legal grey area, depending on the country. In the United States, this is generally the case. In other countries, the law is not clear at all, since license agreements cannot override national laws.”
The Stop Killing Games initiative is still active and looking for more signatures. It reached over 40% of its target as of January 2024 and it needs nearly 600,000 signatures for European government officials to take action.
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