Bill introduced in US Congress to guarantee players ownership of video games
US Rep. Ritchie Torres has introduced the Power To The Players Act, which would ensure that people who pay for a video game own it rather than merely hold a license. The proposal responds to games becoming unplayable once publishers shut down their servers.
US Representative Ritchie Torres, who represents New York's 15th congressional district in the Bronx, introduced the Power To The Players Act in Congress this week. If passed, the bill would direct the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the US agency that oversees consumer protection, to write regulations ensuring that a consumer who pays for a game owns it, instead of receiving only a licensing agreement. The issue matters because more and more games require a server connection, and when the servers are switched off, the games can become unplayable.
What the bill provides
Beyond guaranteeing ownership, the legislation would require developers to introduce an offline mode before they shut down the servers supporting a game.
Torres points to NBA 2K25 as a recent example. Publisher 2K will remove the game from storefronts at the end of this month and turn off its servers on December 31, which will limit how much of it can be played.
Wider context
Questions about ownership, and about the ability to play, resell or transfer games, have drawn attention recently after Sony announced plans to phase out physical game discs in 2028.
In a statement announcing the bill, Torres said: "A game that can be taken away the moment a company pulls the plug is not a purchase. It is a rental disguised as a sale."
A similar state-level measure
The proposal resembles the Protect Our Games Act introduced by Pennsylvania State Sen. John Kane. That bill would require companies to provide an offline gaming mode, an online mode independent of the company's servers, or a minimum 25 percent refund when titles are being sunset.
