Torres bill would force ownership rules for paid video games
The proposal would also require an offline mode before servers are shut down, giving buyers more lasting access when online support ends.
Rep. Ritchie Torres has introduced the Power To The Players Act, a bill that would push the FTC to set rules treating paid games as owned goods rather than licensed access. It also aims to require an offline mode before servers are shut down, which would matter for games that depend on publisher-run infrastructure. The proposal lands amid renewed debate over what buyers really get when they pay for digital games, especially after Sony said it plans to phase out physical game discs in 2028. The story cites NBA 2K25 as a recent example of the risk: 2K plans to remove it from storefronts at the end of the month and shut its servers on December 31.
Why it matters
For players, the bill would narrow the gap between paying for a game and only renting access to it. It would also set a clearer expectation for what happens when publishers retire online services, especially for games that depend on those servers. The timing reflects wider concern about digital ownership after Sony’s disc plans for 2028 and the planned removal and server shutdown of NBA 2K25.
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Sources
- The Verge