Congress Bill Challenges Digital Game Licensing Models
Representative Ritchie Torres has introduced the Power To The Players Act, a legislative move aimed at forcing game publishers to grant consumers true ownership of their purchases. The bill targets the industry-standard practice of licensing software, which leaves players with unplayable titles once developers shutter their supporting servers.
The proposed legislation mandates that the Federal Trade Commission establish new consumer protections, specifically addressing the trend of games becoming inaccessible after server shutdowns. Torres highlighted the upcoming closure of NBA 2K25 servers on December 31st as a primary catalyst for the bill. By prohibiting the current licensing-only model, the act would compel developers to implement offline modes before withdrawing support for their online infrastructure.
This federal effort arrives amid growing industry friction, compounded by Sony’s signaled intention to phase out physical media by 2028. The bill mirrors state-level initiatives like Pennsylvania's Protect Our Games Act, which seeks to mandate either offline functionality or partial refunds for sunsetted titles. Torres argues that the current system essentially functions as a rental disguised as a sale, stripping users of their ability to resell or permanently possess the software they purchase.
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