California Assembly Passes Protect Our Games Act
A California bill requiring game publishers to offer offline play or refunds for discontinued online games has passed the State Assembly and moves to the Senate.
- Entities
- Game Preservation
- Entertainment Software Association of Canada
- Legislation
- Take-Two Interactive
Coverage across 3 outlets
Stop Killing Games consumer protection bill passes floor vote in California
The California State Assembly has passed the Protect Our Games Act (AB 1921), a bill aimed at protecting consumer rights and ensuring game preservation. The legislation, motivated by incidents like Ubisoft's shutdown of The Crew, would require publishers to provide offline access or refunds when server-dependent games are discontinued. The bill now moves to the California State Senate, facing opposition from industry groups like Video Games Europe and the ESA who argue it could increase development costs and stifle innovation.
California State Assembly Passes 'Protect Our Games Act'
The California State Assembly has passed Assembly Bill 1921, known as the Protect Our Games Act, with a vote of 43 to 16. This legislation requires games released after January 1st, 2027, to provide at least 60 days notice before shutting down essential support, offer an offline playable version, or issue full refunds. The act excludes free-to-play and subscription-based games, among other exceptions, and now moves to the California State Senate.
Stop Killing Games wins California Assembly committee vote, Protect Our Games Act heads to floor
The AB 1921 Protect Our Games Act has advanced through the California Assembly Appropriations Committee, moving closer to a floor vote. This bill requires game developers to provide 60 days' notice before terminating online services for games released after January 1, 2027, and offer purchasers alternatives like offline play or refunds. The Entertainment Software Association has been lobbying against the bill.
