This week, Ars Technica hosted a live discussion with Ross Scott about the Stop Killing Games movement. Scott discussed how publishers frequently shut down online servers, effectively abandoning players and their cherished games.
The practice, he argued, is akin to a manufacturer abruptly ending product support or an insurance company suddenly cancelling coverage without notice—a scenario that would be considered outrageous in other sectors but alarmingly common in the gaming world.
From a technical standpoint, Scott highlighted that planning for the end of online games from the outset can significantly reduce costs. Many developers already possess local test environments that can serve as fallbacks during server downtimes, making it easier to transition to third-party services without major disruptions.
Despite his disappointment with how the EU Parliament has handled concerns thus far, Scott remains optimistic about potential action in the near future.







