Bill Introduced in Congress Aims to Guarantee Video Game Ownership Rights
Rep. Ritchie Torres introduced the Power To The Players Act, a bill that would require game companies to treat video games as owned by consumers rather than licensed products. If passed, it would direct the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to create regulations ensuring players can play, resell, or transfer their purchased games without dependency on company servers. The legislation responds to growing concerns over server-dependent gameplay and planned changes like Sony's decision to phase out physical game discs by 2028. The bill also mandates that developers provide an offline mode before shutting down a game’s online services—similar provisions found in the Protect Our Games Act proposed at the state level. The move highlights increasing scrutiny over digital ownership rights and consumer protections, particularly as companies like 2K have recently delisted titles such as NBA 2K25 from stores while planning to shut servers by year-end.
