EU Proposal For Games

Like us, the EU Commission don’t like bug ridden games either and could soon be taking matters into their own hands. A new proposal has been put forward to provide gamers a two year guarantee on all games in the event that a bug or glitch is encountered preventing you from completing the game and/or ruining the experience.

This would work much like a normal guarantee on any product. If you are unhappy with the experience – and I do not mean you just hate the game – then you have the right to a full refund.

Speaking to the BBC, Dr Richard Wilson, Head of the video games developers’ association Tiga, stated that the proposed changes could “stifle new ideas as people could end up just playing it safe.” This is true, but a glitched game should not make it past testing, perhaps preventing developers rushing the final stages to meet deadlines.

It would appear this guarantee also applies to digital downloads, however Francisco Mingorance of the BSA feels they should be exempt, saying: “Digital content is not a tangible good and should not be subject to the same liability rules as toasters. It is contractually licensed to consumers and not sold.”

Enough about toasters. Hopefully, these changes will result in games such as Fallout 3 becoming a thing of the past and developers will not see post-release patches as “quick-fix solutions.”

Source: BBC