Latest news with #TheCrew
Fox News
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Barstool Joins Fox Sports And Colbert's Show Is Canceled: What Does It Mean For The Future Of Media?
On the Friday sports edition of 'Will Cain Country,' Will and The Crew dive into the viral Coldplay 'cheating scandal' and debate the morality of public shaming over private failings as the video that everyone is talking about continues to spread. They then break down the major Barstool-Fox Sports media deal and what it says about the industry's shift back toward corporate platforms. Are 'pirate ships' less appealing than initially believed? Also, what rules would you change in sports to make them more appealing or exciting? Will and The Crew suggest rule changes, like shifting soccer's offside rules or reducing replay, to make sports more fun and fast-paced. And finally, with the cancellation of 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,' is this the beginning of the death of traditional late-night comedy in an era of podcasts, social media, and ideological fatigue? Subscribe to 'Will Cain Country' on YouTube here: Watch Will Cain Country! Follow Will on X: @WillCain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
Euronews
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
‘Stop Killing Games' petition may trigger change to EU video game laws
The European Commission will likely have to decide whether the European Union needs new laws to force video game companies to preserve discontinued online games, after a successful citizens' petition. A European Citizens' Initiative called Stop Killing Games surpassed one million signatures in at least seven member states, which is the threshold to force the Commission to consider issues raised by the public. The petition argues that when video game makers decide to sell or discontinue online games, they typically sever the server connection needed for the games to run, effectively 'destroy[ing] all working copies of the game'. 'This practice is effectively robbing customers of their purchases and makes restoration impossible,' the petition reads. 'It represents a radical assault on consumer rights and even the concept of ownership itself'. Organisers Aleksej Vjalicin and Daniel Ondruska had until the end of July to collect one million signatures to officially send the petition to the Commission for further study. Launching 'overdrive mode' Vjalicin previously told Euronews Next that they mounted the campaign after Ubisoft, a French gaming company, shut down support for 'The Crew,' an online-only racing game that launched in 2014 and has a player base of roughly 12 million. The Stop Killing Games petition reached 1.25 million signatures, though they still need to be validated before the Commission will consider the issue. Vjalicin said he and the petition's supporters are "extremely thrilled" about reaching the milestone and "appreciate each and every signature that brought us closer to this critical milestone". They still hope to promote the campaign in what he's calling "overdrive mode" to collect "as many signatures as we can," because some might be invalidated during the EU's review. Few EU petitions have reached at least one million signatures since the programme launched in 2012. The Commission has replied to 10 petitions, while another four are being verified or under consideration. What is the petition asking for? The petition asks video game companies to create an 'end-of-life' plan for a game they have decided to discontinue before they turn off the servers that support it, so people can continue to play it. It argues that video games are 'unique creative works' and killing these games 'represents a creative loss for everyone involved and erases history in ways not possible in other mediums". The petition asks that any EU legislation also include protections for in-game features that players have bought. Industry group Video Games Europe said in a position paper on the petition last week that the decision to discontinue a game 'is multi-faceted and is never taken lightly". The group argues that players 'are given fair notice of the prospective changes,' in accordance with consumer laws. If the petition were to become law, Video Games Europe believes it would give companies 'significant' engineering problems, undermine their ability to develop new games, and could 'erode' intellectual property rights. What happens next? The Stop Killing Games initiative will not necessarily become EU law, given the Commission will still decide whether or not to draft new legislation. The organisers still have a few steps before policymakers will even consider the petition. First, 'designated authorities' in all EU countries will carry out exhaustive or random checks to make sure the signatures are legitimate. A certificate with the number of valid signatures will be sent from each national government to the organisers. Once they've received all of those documents, the petition can then be submitted to the Commission, which will hold a 'structured discussion' with the organisers. The European Parliament typically holds public hearings in the following months to help draft the EU's response. The Commission then replies to the petition with the measures it will take – if any – along with a timeline for their implementation. If it decides to pursue new legislation, any proposal will go through the regular lawmaking process.
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Business Standard
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Standard
'Stop Killing Games' petition gets over a million signatures: What is it
A European petition calling for stronger consumer rights in digital gaming has crossed 1.2 million signatures, prompting formal review by the European Union. The Stop Killing Games campaign was launched in 2024 by YouTuber Ross Scott, following Ubisoft 's controversial shutdown of The Crew—a title rendered completely unplayable, including its single-player mode, after servers were taken offline. The incident sparked concern around digital ownership, with many players realising they could lose access to games they legally bought. Adding to the controversy, players have recently pointed out a clause in Ubisoft's End User Licence Agreement (EULA) that requires users to uninstall and destroy all copies of a game if the company ends support. Though not new, the clause has resurfaced as the petition gains attention, reinforcing concerns about what it truly means to 'own' a game in the digital age. Similar terms also appear in EULAs from other major studios, underscoring how widespread this approach is across the industry. Legitimacy questions and industry backlash The petition, filed under the European Citizens' Initiative—a formal process that allows EU citizens to propose new laws—needs verified signatures from at least seven member countries. Though the campaign has crossed the 1.2 million mark, Scott has warned that some entries may be invalid or incorrectly filled, and spoofing submissions is a criminal offence under EU law. To ensure eligibility, organisers aim to reach 1.4 million signatures by the end of July. Meanwhile, the gaming industry is pushing back. As reported by Engadget and Video Games Europe, a coalition including Microsoft, Nintendo, and Electronic Arts argues that the proposal could increase development costs, raise legal risks, and limit creative flexibility—especially for always-online titles. Studios also claim that allowing community-hosted servers would compromise player safety and expose publishers to unregulated content.
Al Bawaba
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Al Bawaba
EU responds to 'Stop Killing Games' petition, the end of live-service games?
ALBAWABA - Could this be the end of live service games? VGC recently reported that an EU lobbying group that is responsible for the games industry responded to the 'Stop Killing Games' petition launched by YouTuber Ross Scott. The petition calls on authorities to require offline mode in games by pressuring companies using new laws that prevent them from including sketchy terms and conditions in their titles. The petition aims to stop publishers from shutting down games, which can prevent consumers from playing titles they legally own. Ubisoft's handling of The Crew comes to mind. The publisher shut down the title on March 31, 2024, leaving the game unplayable. By the time of reporting, the initiative garnered more than 1.2 million signatures, making it eligible for action. The EU lobbying group responsible for the games industry has responded to the Stop Killing Games petition, suggesting that forcing companies to support online games perpetually would make live service titles too expensive to — VGC (@VGC_News) July 7, 2025 Video Games Europe stated that green-lighting the Stop Killing Games petition might make live-service games expensive to create due to the nature of their development, because they are developed "from the ground up to be online-only." The EU lobbying group wrote in a statement, "We appreciate the passion of our community; however, the decision to discontinue online services is multi-faceted, never taken lightly, and must be an option for companies when an online experience is no longer commercially viable." It added, "We understand that it can be disappointing for players but, when it does happen, the industry ensures that players are given fair notice of the prospective changes in compliance with local consumer protection laws." The statement also raised complaints about why some companies won't allow players the freedom of creating private servers to enjoy their favorite games, despite being shut down, similar to how an MMORPG called AION currently operates. Video Games Europe stated, "Private servers are not always a viable alternative option for players as the protections we put in place to secure players' data, remove illegal content, and combat unsafe community content would not exist and would leave rights holders liable."
Mint
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
Stop Killing Games petition passes 1 million signatures, what's next for gamers?
The Stop Killing Game movement, a campaign to safeguard consumer rights and digital preservation in gaming, has reached over 1 million signatures. This petition demands legal protection for the games that have been purchased by gamers and, with this milestone, the EU has to create new laws regarding these demands. However, the petition now faces scrutiny over the validity of the signatures. Launched back in 2024 by YouTuber Ross Scott, when Ubisoft shut down a game called The Crew, the movement was created from widespread frustration over the loss of access to purchased games. The Crew, a game that features a single-player mode, became entirely unplayable when Ubisoft shut down the servers and revoked licences. This left gamers with absolutely nothing in hand. The demands of the movement are straightforward: if a game is sold without an expiration date, players should be able to retain access even after official support ends. The campaign does not ask the studios to keep the game online forever, but to keep providing offline patches and community server tools so the game stays playable after official shutdown. To advance these goals, Stop Killing Games initiated a petition through the European Citizens' Initiative process to drive legislative change across the EU. The overwhelming support for the petition shows the broad concern among gamers, but the founder of the movement warned that some signatures may be falsified. The gaming industry is resisting, with major publishers arguing that mandating post-shutdown support access will increase costs, pose security risks and stifle creative freedom. Critics like the independent developer Pirate Software have stated their concerns that the demands could be burdensome for smaller studios. Despite the challenges, the Stop Killing Games campaign has ignited a debate about digital ownership, consumer protection and preservation of games, as every game is becoming digital-only rather than a physical copy. The future of the Stop Killing Games movement hinges on the next few weeks. With over 1.2 million signatures, the petition is set for review by the EU. But organisers are pushing for 1.4 million by the end of July to offset invalid and falsified entries.
