Rep. Ritchie Torres proposes Power To The Players Act for video game ownership

What happened

Representative Ritchie Torres, representing New York’s 15th congressional district, has introduced the Power To The Players Act [1, 2]. This proposed legislation aims to change how video games are sold by directing the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to create regulations that guarantee consumers own a game when they pay for it, rather than receiving a revocable license [1, 2].

Key details of the proposal include:

• Ownership Rights: The bill seeks to grant players the right to own, play, and transfer the games they purchase [3]. Rep. Torres described the current system, where games can be taken away when companies shut down servers, as a “rental disguised as a sale” [1].
• Offline Access: For games that require an internet connection, the bill would require developers to provide an offline mode before they shut down the supporting servers [1, 2].
• Comparison to Other Bills: The proposal is similar to the Protect Our Games Act introduced by Pennsylvania State Senator John Kane. That bill would require companies to provide an offline mode, an independent online mode, or a minimum 25 percent refund when a title is being sunset [1].

Rep. Torres cited NBA 2K25 as a specific example of the issues facing players. That game, which launched on September 6, 2025, is scheduled to be removed from digital storefronts at the end of October and have its servers shut down on December 31 [1, 3].

Who is affected

• Video Game Consumers: Players who purchase digital or physical games may see changes in how their purchases are protected [1, 3]. This includes families in the Bronx and across the country [3].
• Game Developers and Publishers: Companies would be required to implement different technical architectures, such as offline modes, to ensure games remain playable after server shutdowns [3].
• Sony: The company recently announced plans to phase out physical game discs by 2028 [1]. Sony’s lawyers stated in an ongoing class action lawsuit that clicking a “purchase” button does not mean a consumer is acquiring a durable right to use a game, but rather a revocable license [2].
• The Gaming Industry: The bill addresses concerns raised by movements like “Stop Killing Games,” which advocates for games to remain functional through community servers or peer-to-peer patching [2].

While the bill aims to protect ownership, the full text has not been made public, making it difficult to assess its enforceability [3]. The proposal still faces a long legislative path and is not yet a law [3].