On Monday there was a Westminster Hall debate on Video Games and Consumer Law which came about due to there being nearly 200k signatures on this petition.
Whilst not a gamer myself, I wanted to attend this debate and speak about fairness and consumer law, something I feel passionate about. I was unable to give my full speech (which is below) but I was able to comment on colleagues’ speeches which you can see above.
Speech
As someone who spent many years practising as a barrister, I have always been driven by a deep dislike of unfairness. Whether in the courtroom or in everyday life, fairness is a value this country holds dear and rightly so.
I am not here today as a video game enthusiast, but as a Member of Parliament who was approached by a constituent about this petition. What struck me most was how plainly unfair the situation is. When you buy a game, you expect to be able to play it. I have young nieces and nephews with PlayStations and Xboxes, and when I buy them a game as a gift, I do not expect it to disappear after a year. I expect them to enjoy it for as long as they choose.
That is the crux of the issue. We can debate whether video games are sold goods or licensed services, but to the average person; someone who walks into a shop, picks up a box, pays for it and takes it home; that game is theirs. It is a tangible product. It is not unreasonable for them to expect to keep playing it, even if the publisher decides to stop supporting it.
We are proud of our creative industries in the UK, including our world-class video game developers. And we have the talent and passion, both professional and amateur, to keep games alive long after official support ends. So the ask from my constituents is simple: amend the Consumer Rights Act to ensure that when a game requires online support, developers must allow communities the opportunity to continue that support.
This is not about forcing companies to maintain games forever. It is about giving players the chance to preserve what they have paid for. Because as this petition makes clear, video games are not just a hobby. They are a community.