Mexico introduces bill requiring publishers to preserve digital games after server shutdowns

Mexican lawmakers are pushing a new bill to protect gamers from losing access to their digital libraries when online servers shut down. This legislation would force publishers to provide local patches for games that rely on internet connectivity, ensuring titles remain playable after official support ends. Buyers who invest in digital copies would no longer face the risk of their purchases becoming unplayable bricks once a company abandons a service.

Legislation mandates local patches and ownership disclosure for digital game buyers

The proposal comes from Senators Luis Donaldo Colosio Riojas and Irais Reyes, who introduced the Digital Game Consumer Protection Bill on September 2, 2024. The initiative targets foreign digital platforms selling games in Mexico, requiring them to maintain a local address or legal representative to handle consumer claims. This move aims to close a regulatory gap that leaves Mexican consumers without a clear path for recourse when international publishers fail to honor warranties or service commitments.

The bill mandates that publishers clearly disclose whether a digital purchase constitutes a license or full ownership. It also requires explicit warnings about server dependencies, so consumers know if a game will stop working when online services end. A key provision establishes a 'right to functional preservation,' obligating publishers to release local patches if they shut down their servers. This requirement shifts the burden of long-term maintenance from the consumer to the publisher, ensuring games remain functional even without cloud connectivity.

This legislative effort follows a previous complaint against Sony regarding the planned end of physical PlayStation games by 2028. While that specific complaint concerned physical media, the current bill focuses on the growing segment of digital-only titles. The measure does not currently include pricing or availability details, as it is still in the presentation phase. The bill represents a direct response to consumer frustration over the lack of permanence in digital game ownership.

Source: IXBT