Ross Scott Discusses Stop Killing Games Movement in Live Ars Technica Stream

Ars Technica hosted a live conversation with Ross Scott, the founder of the Stop Killing Games campaign, on August 11. The discussion focused on the ongoing video game preservation problem where favorite titles become unplayable after centralized online servers shut down, or when digitally delisted games can no longer be purchased and downloaded.

Scott founded the Stop Killing Games movement in 2024 following Ubisoft's decision to shut down the servers for The Crew. Since then, the movement has gathered millions of signatures on government petitions demanding legislative action. These petitions seek perpetual access for purchased games, requesting either continued centralized server support or options for players to run their own servers.

The campaign has already generated an official parliamentary debate and response from the European Commission, along with proposed legislation moving through the California legislature. During the live stream, the discussion explored how the movement came together, what drives long-term game preservation interest, whether legislation can solve the issue, and how recent actions like Sony stopping the sale of PlayStation discs impact the debate.