Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the growing "Stop Killing Games" movement in Europe, which has gained significant traction and support from European Parliament officials, particularly targeting major game publishers like Ubisoft [1][3]. Group 1: Company Response - Ubisoft's CEO Yves Guillemot acknowledged the issue of game server shutdowns at a shareholder meeting, stating that it is a common problem across the industry and not unique to Ubisoft [3]. - Guillemot proposed a solution to inform players about the playable duration of games, which implies that players do not own the game data but merely have a license to use it [5][8]. - The acknowledgment of game data ownership issues may contribute to Ubisoft's ongoing financial struggles, as the management's handling of reputation-sensitive matters appears dismissive [3][5]. Group 2: Industry Implications - The move to inform players about game playability could address the financial losses associated with maintaining servers for games that lose popularity over time, but it may negatively impact the Games as a Service (GaaS) model that Ubisoft is betting on [8][12]. - GaaS relies on continuous content updates to keep players engaged and spending, contrasting with traditional one-time purchase models, which are becoming less profitable [10]. - The potential for reduced player investment in GaaS games could arise if players are aware of a game's limited lifespan, leading to decreased revenue for publishers [12][14]. Group 3: Market Dynamics - The decline of the physical game market has made the acknowledgment of game playability duration a double-edged sword for Ubisoft, as it exposes industry practices while also inviting player backlash [7][8]. - The challenge for Ubisoft lies in balancing the operational costs of GaaS with the need to maintain player interest, especially as the lifespan of games becomes a focal point for consumer decision-making [12][14].