New Congressional Bill Would Guarantee Video Game Ownership Rights for Consumers
A new bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives aims to address a growing concern in the gaming industry: the question of digital ownership rights.
Rep. Ritchie Torres of New York's 15th congressional district (the Bronx) has put forward the "Power To The Players Act." If enacted, the legislation would direct the Federal Trade Commission to create regulations that guarantee consumers ownership of video games when they pay for them, moving away from the current model where players often receive only a license to use the software.
The issue has become increasingly relevant as more games require persistent server connections to function. When companies decide to shut down their servers for older titles, those games often become completely unplayable—regardless of whether consumers paid full price for them.
Rep. Torres pointed to NBA 2K25 as a recent example of this problem. The title is being delisted from digital storefronts at the end of the month, with its servers scheduled to be shut down shortly thereafter. This means players who purchased the game lose access to any online features and potentially portions of the single-player experience that depend on server connectivity.
The bill represents an effort to establish clearer consumer protections in an era where digital distribution has largely replaced physical media, giving publishers significant control over how—and for how long—purchased content remains accessible.